Notable Christian Leaders Who Died in 2025

John MacArthur Charlie Kirk Kay Arthur Voddie Baucham
(L-R) John MacArthur preaching at Grace Community Church on July 11, 2024. Screengrab via YouTube / Grace to You; Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Kay Arthur screengrab via Instagram / kay.arthur; Voddie Baucham speaking at New Saint Andrews College. Screengrab via YouTube / New Saint Andrews College

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Charlie Kirk

Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA (TPUSA) cofounder and executive director, died at the age of 31 after being shot in the neck while speaking during his The American Comeback Tour stop at Utah Valley University.

Utah Valley University spokesperson Eleanor Treanor told BBC News, “At about 12:20 shots were fired from a building about 200 yards from the speaker. To the best of our knowledge, the individual was hit and was taken away immediately by his security personnel.”

Graphic spectator video uploaded to social media platforms shows Kirk on campus sitting at his “Prove Me Wrong” table taking questions. After finishing an open-mic question, a bullet appears to pierce Kirk’s neck. Kirk’s body immediately jolts and becomes lifeless as blood can be seen pouring from his neck.

RELATED: ‘Evil Has Not Prevailed and It Will Not Win’—Charlie Kirk’s Pastor Shares Heartfelt Message

At 4:40 p.m. EST, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that Kirk had succumbed to his injury and died.

Tyler Robinson (22), a former student of Utah Valley University (UVU), where the murder occurred, was arrested less than 36 hours after Kirk’s death after allegedly confessing to a family member.

Kirk cofounded TPUSA in 2012 and was known for engaging in friendly open-air debates on college campuses across the country where he would cite his Christian faith and Bible verses for his convictions against abortion, DEI, and LGBTQ rights. TPUSA played a key role among college-age voters in getting Donald Trump elected during the 2024 Presidential election.

Kirk leaves behind his wife, Erika, and the couple’s two young children.

Read the full article: Charlie Kirk Has Died Following Shooting at Utah Valley University Event

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Jesse T. Jackson
Jesse is the Senior Content Editor for ChurchLeaders and Site Manager for ChristianNewsNow. An undeserving husband to a beautiful wife, and a father to 4 beautiful children. He is currently a church elder in training, a growth group leader, and is a member of University Baptist Church in Beavercreek, Ohio. Follow him on twitter here (https://twitter.com/jessetjackson). Accredited member of the Evangelical Press Association.

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