McBlog: The Memorial Watched By The World

BOB: Today on McBlog we speak to someone who attended in person the memorial for Charlie Kirk. We watched it on tv. We saw the incredible images and statements being made. But Carol Conley, who used to be the CEO of an organization in the state of Maine, similar to family first, and that’s how I’ve got to meet him.

He was there in person in Arizona. And we speak to him about just the emotion, the atmosphere at the memorial that was watched around the world.

Joining me is Carol Conley, who is the ex CEO of the, I better get this right, Christian Civic League of Maine, which is like a family first in the state of Maine. And Carol and I catch up on a almost annual basis, and I’m still trying to get him to New Zealand. But Carol, welcome to mc blog. The first thing I, we are talking to you because you went to the memorial that was watched by the world.

I was in the States, but not in the state where the memorial was held. You were there in person. How did you get the invite?

CARROLL: As the Family Policy Council, family Policy Alliance worked closely with Charlie Kirk and specifically, having, I was there with the new director of the Center for Arizona for policy, Peter Gent.

Kathy Herod, the longtime director, retired. Peter had worked closely and so Peter was able to get us seats actually very good seats. We still had to wait many hours outside to get in, but not long as some, and we had seats waiting for us in there.

BOB: Were you surprised by the outpouring of grief and just the fact that there was way more than the stadium could hold to actually turn up to this?

CARROLL: I guess by that time I wasn’t surprised. And even on a personal level though I have to say I’ve told people, Bob, that, I love Charlie Kirk. Especially at the end of his ministry. I met Charlie Kirk back in 2015 at CPAC and wasn’t overly impressed at that time when Charlie was a tried and true libertarian and probably a little arrogant, but he was 21 years old, so you know, can’t judge him but I saw him mature, saw him.

Not only a very talented and a very ambitious young man, there’s nothing wrong with that, but I saw the end of his ministry, someone that was leading with the gospel of Jesus Christ. And I have to say that the afternoon that he was shot. From that Wednesday afternoon, the next two or three days in my personal life, I was surprised at how affected I was, Bob.

I’d met the guy once and obviously was eventually to where he wound up, but I think there are many of us [00:03:00] in our movement that. We were just so optimistic and hopeful to, for what he was doing so well on college campuses, that it just deeply impacted me. And even to the point, I know this sounds it makes it a little trite, but it was a real distraction.

There were other things that I had to do still in my responsibilities, but I found myself constantly looking at Charlie Kirk. Videos and thinking about what had happened. So by the time Sunday rolled around, I actually flew out there Friday night into Phoenix from Maine. As your folks might not realize that’s almost as far as you can get away from each other on the continental USA, and it was very clear, even in that city.

There was gonna be a very large, impactful amount of attendees at this event.

BOB: So just tell us, what it, what was it like in that atmosphere? We watched the television coverage. I was in the US so I was watching it. But I know that back in New Zealand here, we, there was coverage as well. It was watched around the world.

It just it, in terms of a memorial, it went viral, which was a statement in itself, wasn’t it?

CARROLL: Really was, it’s, so we didn’t get there till about seven o’clock. There were people that got there at three o’clock that didn’t have, safe seats. We had to wait probably two and a half hours I think before we actually got in this stadium and it was Arizona.

So if you know a thing, Arizona, even in the morning, you know it’s 94 up to a hundred degrees by the time we get there. But waiting in line was an interesting experience because it wasn’t a testy crowd. There were people sharing water with mothers that had children. There were people meeting strangers and talking, and every once in a while someone would cut the line and say something, but for the most part it was a very.

Quiet crowd sombre. But when we get inside, I did not realize that they had already started the worship service. So you had Carrie Job and Chris Tomlin and Brandon Lake, and I’m leaving some important people out. I can say you, I received Jesus Christ my savior when I’m I’ve been.

For two hours to be involved in worship with 70 to 75,000 people singing praises to the Lord and being very much aware that there were people in that audience that weren’t saved, that didn’t know the Lord, but yet confessing Christ. I just constantly thought of the verse that, I get emotional thinking about it.

One day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess. And I apologize, but it was a very emotional experience before it even started. Bob. It was, I think, a taste of heaven for those of us that know the Lord and an incredible testimony to the world that what a celebration was. We were simultaneously grieving.

Not as those without hope and I just was today texting one of my former donors of this organization who I don’t believe knows the Lord, and he heard that I was there and he said, Carol, I watched it. And he said, it must have been amazing. I can’t tell you how many unsafe people have told me that, and I’m looking forward to us either on this side of Jordan, Bob, or the other of hearing how much spiritual fruit there was to that part of it.

But I would say that once it started. We were very glad to see Riley’s pastor Bob McCoy come out and give a very clear salvation message. And then at the end of that, his declaration of the gospel. He asked those that were interested in responding to Christ and would want to know Jesus Christ as Saviour.

Hundreds and hundreds of people stood up in that stadium and we were, as I said, I was sitting with the director from the Minnesota Family Council, Jeff Evans, and Jeff, and then also Peter Gent, and I turned to them and said. I thought it was very appropriate that the very first thing we did, even before the national anthem, was to give the gospel of Jesus Christ, and I think that really set the tone for.

BOB: It was a who’s who of speakers, that’s for sure. And it went for a long time. Kinda one of the longest memorials. But I think as I said to you, as I wandered past an a, b, C store where I was the newspaper was sitting on the desk to be sold and this was the front page and that was beamed.

Right around the world. It was just so powerful. That must have been emotional. Even just watching it now, I find, watching her say that and just that amazing grace that she gives on behalf of God really, just the impact. It must have been incredible to be there.

CARROLL: It was the zenith. Clearly it was the zenith of the program and as wonderful it was we to talk about what it was like as an American citizen to hear the Secretary of State and the Secretary of War and, our cabinet member after cabinet member and different levels, declare Jesus Christ as king and talk about Charlie.

But the world recognized the rare offering of grace and mercy from a wife. To the killer of her husband was absolutely remarkable. And at first it was dead silent in that stadium with 75 to 80,000 people, and it was absolutely silent and certainly wasn’t. I don’t believe in your eye.

I believe Bob, it was a supernatural act on her part to forgive her husband’s killer.

BOB: Yeah. Incredible. And this image as well you just sense she just wanted to be hugged and reassured and comforted. Very personable. And of course the left and the media just really balked at this image alone, wouldn’t they?

CARROLL: Yeah, I, so I’ve asked people to pray for me because as joyous as this occasion is, and as. My goodness. Maybe they’re saying a billion people in one way or the other. Saw portions of this service, this celebration of life that the world is not used to. Those of us are Christians, have been to other celebrations of life, but nothing like this.

For sure. With the state being involved and being broadcast worldwide. If there’s one thing that has diminished my joy or that I’ve allowed to take is not depressed so much I expect that from them. Yeah. But Bob, after Mark Rubio gave one of the clearest presentations of the gospel of Jesus Christ, including the death.

Burial, resurrection. And the second coming, by the way I turned to, I turned to Peter and Jeff and I said, this is a good thing, right? This, there’s nothing wrong with this, right? ’cause if you listen to some of the progressive Christians here in America, like I said, the press I expect that from the press.

But to hear the Russell Moores and the other people that I used to. I used to respect, to give no credit to this and to say that it didn’t have any positive impact on this world. For the king of Jesus Christ is just. Lunacy, absolute lunacy. And it’s someday they’re, I believe they’re gonna have to pay a price for their, I don’t know if it’s Trump derangement syndrome or pride, but they cannot.

And for full disclosure, Bob. I wasn’t a big Trump fan back in 2015 when all this started. There were what, 16 Republican, candidates and he was probably like 15 on list. I was in that meeting in 2016 in New York called Secret Meeting, with the evangelical leaders that turned out to be a thousand people, and people found out we were there.

And even back then, those of us on the Family Policy Council, I think there were 16 of us there. None of us still. We were like Ted Cruz and Mark Rubio. So I was reluctant. I’m not one of these people that just been on this Trump bandwagon. I but I cannot ignore. What the Lord has done. We’ve prayed.

Imagine you in New Zealand fighting and fighting, and finally, after decades, see something like this happen inside your country, Bob, where? Where your elected officials and you appointed highest. Most powerful people in the land are declaring that Jesus Christ is king. It was amazing.

It an answer to our prayers, but it still bugs me. It irritates me that some of the most loud, the loud voices are progressive Christians that are calling this into question.

BOB: It’s pretty incredible when three words which are direct from scripture and, a mandate to all of us of faith, to forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sinned against us for those to be blasted across.

Front pages of secular newspapers. And yet for some groups to still be more interested in attacking his ideology than the method of how he was killed, the assassination, I’m still stunned by that and probably it’s revealed where a lot of people truly stand, isn’t it? They’re more concerned at the ideology than they are at truth.

CARROLL: It would seem, I try not to judge myself. I just know I find it very frustrating and I certainly don’t agree. And like I said, I mentioned the name Russell Moore and I’ll also say David French. You’ve been in this movement long enough. Those were people that we revered and appreciated.

I just don’t understand where they’re coming from. But I think something else that I’d like to mention. Frank Turk, who is the great apologist who I think is probably gonna play even a greater role in our country with the absence of Charlie Kirk. I know Frank personally, and I was not aware how close he is with the Kirk family.

I was not aware of that in his life, and I thought Frank had the best line of the whole. When he said when he, after he went through the very graphic description of what happened after Charlie was shot, and Erica approved that him talking about that. But Frank said Charlie Kirk is not in heaven because he was a great father.

Father Charlie Kirk is not in heaven because he was a great husband. Charlie Kirk’s not even in heaven because he gave his life for his savior. Charlie Kirk is in heaven because his savior gave his life for him.

Doesn’t get any better that for a million people. You hear that?

BOB: Yeah. Look. Just finally there was I actually interviewed Miranda Devine two weeks ago before I went away to the States. And she was saying that unfortunately there is a. A trend of leftist violence and it’s politically associated, it’s driven ideologically.

Do you agree with her concerns? Are you concerned about what’s happening in the United States at the moment?

CARROLL: Absolutely. Absolutely. Charlie, there’s only, Bob, there’s only one other time that I haven’t felt safe. That was when I was at the Supreme Court when Roe was, it was clear it was gonna be overturned.

I left being there with several other people because people turned around and recognized who we were. I have never given pause to go to a public event before, but I decided it was the thing to do. But I believe the irresponsible. From like Governor and other people.

Are fomenting people that are mentally ill and are being turned. We use the term radicalized right by the left. I don’t think that’s in hyperbole. And yeah, I have grave concern about that, and I don’t believe in this, equating there’s people on the right that do this and people on the left that do this.

And I’m not saying that’s not true, but that’s, it’s not the time for this. The time for this is say, this is wrong. We’ve got to stop this. We have relevant very important differences between Gavin Newsom and other people, and that’s okay. But we have got to stop calling people. Nazis. We get to stop people calling people fascists and calling them a threat to democracy.

It’s, I do share those concerns and I don’t believe there is any moral equivocating in regard to that.

BOB: Yeah. Yeah. That’s what concerned me as well, that people were attacking ideology more than they were attacking the assassination. And I thought that was really bad. And of course, Carol while I was overseas in the United States, I also, we had the sad death, sudden death of Dr. Voddie Baucham. Another Yes. Wonderful evangelist. I’d only interviewed him in was it April in New Zealand? Very sad. In fact, I dunno if you noticed Carol, but the feature photo of the family, they’re all wearing all black shirts that they posted Yeah. For their family tribute. And the All Blacks of course, is the national rugby team in New Zealand, which you’ll find out one day when you actually get down.

So it was a nice trip to visit to New Zealand.

CARROLL: Yes, that is awesome. And with the loss of Charlie, the loss of. Voting and the John MacArthur and Dr. Dobson. The tragedy is not with those guys. Those guys are doing all right. They wouldn’t come back if they could.

It’s and we know that God will raise up others. On Monday I was at the Department of Justice and I was giving testimony in front of the Religious Freedom Commission. And pastor Franklin from down in Georgia gave testimony and I thought it was very interesting. He talked about the acts chapter six when Stephen was martyred.

And how Stephen said the very, the very words basically that Erica said, Lord, lay this not to their charge to the nation of Israel. And like our Lord said they don’t know what they do. But the other thing that he mentioned, and I’ll say this is, I’ve been praying for Tyler Patterson.

I want to see did I say his right last, right name, that the killer, I’ve been praying for him, he needs to come to Christ. But I’ve also now been praying since Monday. There was a young man in that crowd. When Stephen was being martyred that the Bible tells us was holding the robes of those that were stoning Stephen, and that was solid Tarsus.

And so not only have I been praying that the Lord would raise up other Charlies because we see that happening with young people. But I am praying that the Lord would raise up someone from the opposition, someone that was absolutely total defiance to everything that Charlie was teaching and pushing on campuses.

Because if God can do that with so tarsis and bring up Paul into our midst, that’s what I’m praying is gonna happen as a result of this, what seems to us as a tragedy.

BOB: Yeah, Carol, really appreciate your time. Thank you for being with us and like I say one day we’ll get you down to New Zealand, so we look forward to that. But thanks for your time.

CARROLL: All right. God bless. Thank you, Bob, for all you do.