KIRKLAND—Erika Kirk, the widow of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk who was assassinated on September 10, 2025, is scheduled to appear as a speaker at the Pursuit Church – Kirkland on July 24 as part of the Make Heaven Crowded Tour. Other speakers include Pursuit Church Pastor Russell Johnson, along with Ross Johnston, Arielle Reitsma and Pastor Lucas Miles.
Turning Point USA Faith is sponsoring the Make Heaven Crowded Tour, a series of gospel-centered gatherings for worship, preaching and ministry designed to call people to repentance, faith and bold obedience to Jesus while encouraging believers and sharing a Christian message of hope.
Erika Kirk has assumed a leading role in the tour and in TPUSA following her husband’s death. Charlie Kirk, 31, was shot in the neck from a distance during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University. He was airlifted to Timpanogos Regional Hospital, underwent surgery and was pronounced dead. Tyler Robinson, then-22, was later arrested in connection with the targeted attack and allegedly espoused far-left Antifa ideology.
Robinson’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Monday, July 6, in Utah’s 4th District Court in Provo. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty on charges including aggravated murder.
Pursuit NW operates as a multi-site, non-denominational Christian church with campuses in Seattle, Snohomish, Spokane, and Kirkland. Lead Pastor Russell Johnson oversees the ministry, which emphasizes revival and encounters with faith.
Johnson is known for hosting high-profile events. In May 2024, Johnson led a United for Israel March at the University of Washington attended by about 500 people to stand against campus antisemitism following the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. The church has also hosted events featuring speakers supportive of Israel, including the Son of a Hamas author and former member of the controversial Palestinian group Hamas, Masab Hassan Yousef.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson publicly defied local health district guidance on gatherings, stating the church would not cancel services.
In May 2025, a worship and community outreach event called DontMessWithOurKids led by Led by former Republican Representative Matt Shea and involving Pursuit at Seattle’s Cal Anderson Park faced significant counter-protests leading to violent protests and arrests. Critics described aspects of the gathering as anti-LGBTQ, while organizers characterized it as outreach offering services like haircuts, bike giveaways and prayer alongside worship.
The rally, held in the epicenter of Washington State’s LGBTQ+ safe space, Capitol Hill, drew hundreds of counter protesters including members of the pro-socialism and pro-communism groups such as the Freedom Socialist Party, pro-trans organizations such as Refuse Fascism – Seattle, and far-left Antifa militants. Seattle Police reported witnessing multiple counter protesters throwing items at both Christian attendees and law enforcement, then began arresting multiple individuals. Throughout the afternoon, counter protesters tested established police parameters by running into it, breaking through at times to quickly be arrested.
In total, police arrested 22 individuals for charges of assault and obstruction who were booked into King County Jail. Officers also arrested one juvenile for obstruction, who was later released from Seattle Police West Precinct.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, in a statement, called the Christian revival a “far-right rally” to “provoke a reaction by promoting beliefs that are inherently opposed to our city’s values, in the heart of Seattle’s most prominent LGBTQ+ neighborhood.”
“Anarchists infiltrated the counter-protestors group and inspired violence, prompting SPD to make arrests and ask organizers to shut down the event early, which they did,” Mayor Harrell’s statement read.
Johnson later called for Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell to apologize for comments that he said blamed Christians for the violence.
“The Mayor of Seattle owes Christians in WA State an apology for his bigoted remarks after folks who were holding a peaceful worship event at Cal Anderson Park were violently assaulted for the high crime of expressing their deeply held religious beliefs in the form of a permitted worship event on city property,” wrote Paster Johnson in his statement posted to X. “23 antifa thugs were arrested. Cops were hospitalized. Church people were assaulted. And the Mayor of Seattle has the audacity to blame Christians for the violence.”
Multiple groups are planning to protest TPUSA’s July 24th Make Heaven Crowded Tour event at Pursuit Church including Indivisible Eastside and Capitol Hill Pride. Organizers have scheduled a “Love Over Hate” protest and rally from 3 to 9 p.m. outside the church.
“With Erika Kirk and Turning Point USA’s campaign against LGBTQ+, women and immigration rights under the guise of Christianity, we will be rallying in support of community and countering what we consider hate speech,” Indivisible Eastside wrote on its website as to why it is opposing the event. “Erika Kirk is continuing the work of her late husband Charlie Kirk which called for a ban on gender-affirming care and encouraged students and parents to report educators who teach that gender can be fluid or nonbinary. Pursuit Church leaders have also been involved in the alt-right Christian rallies last year at Cal Anderson Park – the May 24th May Day Revival and the “Let Us Worship” at Gas Works Park.”
Capitol Hill Pride is co-founded by Lynnwood resident Charlette LeFevre and is the co-founder of Lynnwood Pride. At its June 2024 “Welcome to Oz” themed Pride event, a vendor distributed the book 40 Ways to Fight Fascists: Street-Legal Tactics for Community Activists by Spencer Sunshine and PopMob, which provides guidance on counterdemonstration tactics, community organizing against far-right groups, and navigating legal processes.
The event drew scrutiny when Turning Point USA journalist Jonathan Choe was confronted and escorted from the premises by security after being accused by then-Lynnwood Pride Activities Art Director Elizabeth Lunsford of filming children. Witnesses and Choe stated he had been filming and speaking with individuals at political booths as he was leaving and had not recorded minors. Choe requested that police be called and later filed an incident report alleging harassment and a violation of his First Amendment rights. Following the incident, event organizers posted signs stating that photography and videography were prohibited without written permission from building management.
More recently, Lynnwood Pride has also been at the center of a separate, ongoing controversy over Pride flag displays. The group sought to raise a Pride flag at Wilcox Park, a public “Flag Park” that flies numerous American flags. City officials initially declined to provide logistical support, such as a boom truck, prompting the organizers to raise the flag themselves on June 1, 2025, and again in June 2026.
The flag was later removed, leading the city to develop a formal policy governing the display of non-governmental flags in public spaces. LeFevre have publicly criticized city leadership for not inviting them to participate in planning for the official Lynnwood City Pride event this year.
The American Party for Labor – Puget Sound Division and Puget Sound Workers League are also rallying supporters to protest the Christian event. According to the American Party for Labor website, is states that for “fascist organizations…. your time is also near.” It says its “tactics must be the correct response to your exploitation and oppression of the workers and the peoples… Take this as your fair warning.”
The organization says it is fighting the “Marxist-Leninist struggle” against those it considers “perpetuators of the genocide of the Palestinian peoples,” “Silicon Valley imports,” those “who terrorize our beloved LGBTQ+ community,” “landlords,” “backward” union leaders, ICE and DHS.
Erika Kirk continues public speaking focused on faith and conservative Christian perspectives. The July 24 event is open for registration through the tour and church’s website.
Security measures for the event are expected, and event organizers are strongly encouraging attendees to arrive early.
Author: Mario Lotmore
