In the wake of the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk on September 10 at Utah Valley University (UVU), Pastor Greg Laurie has made a stunning decision. Rather than waiting years to hold a typical outreach, Laurie is heading to the very campus where Kirk was killed — with a mission to shine a light of hope in the deepest darkness.
Laurie, best known as the founder of Harvest Crusades and pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in California, originally expected to hold a crusade in Utah only by 2027. But the horrific event at UVU changed everything. His team moved swiftly, planning a large-scale evangelistic gathering set for November 16, just six weeks after the tragedy.
“The pastors in Utah came to us and asked, ‘Greg, would you come now?’” Laurie recalled. That request, he said, came in the most painful of contexts — but it was a call he could not ignore.
Confronting Darkness With Light
In Laurie’s view, the killing of Charlie Kirk was not just a violent act but a spiritual reckoning. He openly referred to it as “an unspeakable act of darkness,” and he believes that the Gospel is the only force powerful enough to respond. For him, this crusade isn’t a standard event; it’s a decisive stand, a declaration that evil will not have the final word.
Laurie has said repeatedly: UVU is not just a backdrop for mourning — it’s a battleground for redemption. “We want to shine the brightest light right where darkness struck,” he told his team. To him, healing doesn’t come by sidestepping trauma — it comes by stepping into it, together, in faith.
A Crisis-Driven Mission
What sets this crusade apart isn’t just location — it’s the urgency. Most Harvest Crusades take many months to prepare, but Laurie and his team pulled this one off in just weeks. That speed, Laurie says, reflects a divine urgency: “This moment demands that we act now,” he said.
For Laurie, Kirk’s legacy matters deeply. He has expressed his conviction that Charlie Kirk, a passionate believer known for his boldness, would support bringing the Gospel into the very place where his life was taken. “I can picture him saying, ‘Go. Don’t wait,’” Laurie said. His faith is not just in the message — it’s in the mission, and he carries it with resolve.
Speaking to a Generation in Pain
Laurie sees this Crusade not just as an event but as a potential turning point for students, faculty, and the wider community. He believes America is entering a time of spiritual hunger and moral disorientation, especially among young people who are grappling with loss, confusion, and cultural division.
He argues that society’s fractures run deeper than politics. According to Laurie, the assassination of Kirk is a symptom of a broader spiritual crisis — one that cries out for real, unfiltered truth.
“I don’t think we can afford to treat this like another campaign stop,” he said. “This is more than a response. This is revival territory.”
From Pain to Purpose
Laurie does not promise a cure-all, but he offers something many are desperate to hear: that suffering can be transformed, that tragedy can spark purpose, and that faith can bring people back from the edge.
He is inviting UVU — and perhaps the nation — into a story of redemption. When darkness came to campus, Laurie is insisting that light must respond. He is calling students, staff, and anyone who feels wounded to gather not just to grieve, but to believe that healing is possible.
On November 16, Laurie and his team will lead worship, preaching, and prayer at UVU. But more than a rally, this will be a statement: that even in the aftermath of violence, hope can be louder than fear.
In a fractured time when many voices scream conspiracy, blame, or outrage, Greg Laurie’s voice is different. It is rooted in faith. It is grounded in urgency. And it is unshakeable in its conviction that where darkness strikes hardest, God’s light shines brightest.
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