By Michaela Gordoni
Pastors report a rising number of church attendees since Charlie Kirk’s assassination on Sept. 10, something that the conservative speaker would be happy to know.
“[There has been] a lot of anecdotal feedback from churches in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and Douglas County, Colorado, reporting that they’ve seen an increase [in attendance] over the last two Sundays,” JP De Gance, the founder and president of Communio, a ministry that helps churches evangelize and expand their outreach capacities, told The Christian Post.
“There’s one church in Michigan that said a number of young adults who were raised in the church [but] who hadn’t been there, and people hadn’t seen them for years, showed back up,” he said.
Communio helps 400 churches across America. It’s received reports of increased attendance from all denominations.
“Charlie had big plans, but God had even bigger plans,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said at Kirk’s memorial service in Arizona last month. “Charlie started a political movement but unleashed a spiritual revival.”
Related: Churches ‘Jampacked’ Following Charlie Kirk’s Murder: ‘Exactly What [He] Wanted’
“The outpouring of emotion rivals that of September 11 and President Kennedy’s assassination,” said Rev. Robert Jeffress, who leads a Southern Baptist megachurch in Dallas. “Whether this genuine emotion translates into long-term change is yet to be determined, but I pray that it does.”
De Gance speculates that people are realizing how fragile life is, as someone near their age passed so suddenly. Kirk was 31 when he was fatally shot.
De Gance also thinks they’re reflecting on what Kirk stood for as a political activist.
“And I think that causes a level of introspection,” the Communio founder told CP. “I think that causes people to ask, ‘What am I living for right now?’”
He hopes that the church doesn’t take the attendance lightly and let people know that they’re wanted by the community and by God.
Are you surprised that more people came to church after Charlie Kirk’s death?
“Our message to churches is just — how can we be thoughtful about creating that environment where authentic trust and community can exist, so that you can share the Gospel more effectively?” he asked.
“For instance, some of our churches organize social activities that aren’t heavily didactic for young adults. Something as simple as ultimate frisbee or kickball or something fun for people to engage in and form relationships,” De Gance said.
Dr. John Plake, editor-in-chief of the State of the Bible series and chief innovation officer at the American Bible Society (ABS), told CBN News his organization has witnessed a surge in faith after the assassination.
“We do see…in my lifetime, an unprecedented move toward the church, and toward God, and from places that you wouldn’t normally expect to see it,” he said. “Prior to this moment in time, we were witnessing a 30-year slide, a decrease in church involvement, a decrease in Bible use, a decrease in faith affiliation.”
The Barna Group found that Gen Z churchgoers attend church more often than older generations. The average attendance is 1.6 times per month. There isn’t recent data to report which generations are of those flocking to church since Kirk’s murder.
Read Next: Charlie Kirk’s Faith Inspires the Nation: ‘Jesus Took My Place’
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