To Acknowledge the Witness of Charlie Kirk and Establish September 10 as Day of Prayer for Faithful Witnesses in Our Time

Ov. 4-53

To Acknowledge the Witness of Charlie Kirk and Establish September 10 as Day of Prayer for Faithful Witnesses in Our Time

WHEREAS, Holy Scripture commends the faithful witness of those who, by the power of the Holy Spirit, confessed Christ unto death, as seen in the souls under the altar crying for justice (Rev .

6:9–11) and the great cloud of witnesses surrounding us in the faith (Heb. 12:1); and

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Confessions honor the saints and martyrs not for their merits or intercession, but as examples of God’s grace in sustaining believers through suffering and death for the Gospel’s sake (Augsburg Confession XXI, “Of the Worship of the Saints,” which teaches that we should give thanks to God for their faithful testimony and imitate their confession of Christ); and

WHEREAS, The Synod maintains a calendar of commemorations for prophets, apostles, reformers, and faithful witnesses who proclaimed the truth of Scripture amid persecution, thereby reminding the Church that Christ Himself is the Lord of history and the One who preserves His confessors; and

WHEREAS, These commemorations teach the faithful to give thanks for God’s sustaining grace, to take courage from those who endured opposition for the sake of the Gospel, and to be strengthened in the hope of the resurrection, confessing with St.

Paul that “if we endure, we will also reign with him” (2 Tim. 2:12);

and

WHEREAS, Charlie Kirk, a public Christian and outspoken defender of biblical truths on life, marriage, and religious liberty, was assassinated by sniper fire on Sept. 10, 2025, while addressing a Turning Point USA event in Utah; and

WHEREAS, Kirk’s public efforts and final witness were inseparably tied to his confession of Christ, and his death occurred in the context of cultural hostility toward the Gospel, reminding the Church of the words of St. Peter: “[I]f anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name” (1 Pet. 4:16); and

WHEREAS, Sept. 10 provides a fitting place within the Church Year to remember faithful witnesses of Christ, standing in continuity with the season that turns our attention to the apostles, prophets, and evangelists, culminating in the Feast of St. Matthew (Sept. 21); and

WHEREAS, Locating this remembrance within the Church’s ordered calendar helps the faithful see that the same Lord who called and sustained the first witnesses continues to raise up

confessors in every age, thereby strengthening the unity of the Church across time; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention acknowledge Charlie Kirk as a modern Christian witness whose death on Sept. 10, 2025, serves as a testimony to the enduring power of the Gospel; and be it further

Resolved, That LCMS Worship establish Sept. 10 as a Day of Prayer for Faithful Witnesses in Our Time, with reference to Charlie Kirk as one such example, providing resources for congregations including suggested readings (e.g., Acts 7:54 –60 on Stephen’s martyrdom) and hymns (e.g., “A Mighty Fortress”), that the Church may be strengthened in boldness and consolation; and be it further

Resolved, That Synod districts and congregations be encouraged to observe this day annually with prayers for the persecuted Church, sermons on faithful suffering, and educational materials drawing from the Confessions to explain martyrdom and faithful witness as an example of God’s grace, not human achievement; and be it further

Resolved, That this commemoration remind the Synod of our baptismal calling to bear the cross, imitating the saints in faith while relying solely on Christ’s merits for salvation (Ap IV); and be it finally

Resolved, That the Synod reaffirm its rejection of violence and incendiary rhetoric within our churches, schools, and communications.

Circuit 12 (Western Michigan)

English District