(Christian Post) – Charlie Kirk and his wife, Erika, frequently discussed their Christian faith and the importance of marriage and family, a mission that the conservative activist’s widow has vowed to uphold following her husband’s assassination.

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The 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA and TPUSA Faith was fatally shot at a campus outreach event at Utah Valley University in Orem on Wednesday. Following a 33-hour manhunt for the shooter, authorities confirmed on Friday that the suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was in custody.

A ministry leader and social entrepreneur, according to her website, Erika was often at her husband’s side during speaking engagements and public events.

Here are five ways that Charlie and Erika Kirk sought to promote their faith and strove to set an example of a godly marriage.

1. Keeping faith in a time of grief

In her first public address following Charlie Kirk’s murder, Erika Kirk reflected on her husband’s legacy and his love for God.

“Charlie loved life. He loved his life. He loved America,” she said in a national address Friday night. “He loved nature, which always helped bring him closer to God.”

She recalled how much Charlie loved his family, asking his wife daily how he could better serve her and their two children.

“Charlie always believed that God’s design for marriage and the family was absolutely amazing, and it is. It is. And it was the greatest joy of his life,” Erika said. “And over and over, he would tell all these young people to come and find their future spouse, become wives and husbands and parents.”

“And the reason why is because he wanted you all to experience what he had and still has,” she added. “He wanted everyone to bring Heaven into this Earth through love and joy that comes from raising a family. It’s beautiful.”

Despite her grief, Erika is remaining steadfast in her assurance of God’s plan. “Our God, you guys, our God is so good.”

Referencing Romans 8:28, she declared, “And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

In the aftermath of her husband’s murder, Erika said she has seen an “outpouring of love for her husband” from people who he inspired to marry or develop a relationship with God.

The widow of the TPUSA founder promised that the movement her husband built will not die, declaring that it will “become stronger, bolder, louder, and greater than ever.”

“The evildoers responsible for my husband’s assassination have no idea what they have done. They killed Charlie because he preached a message of patriotism, faith, and of God’s merciful love,” Erika maintained.

“They should all know this. If you thought that my husband’s mission was powerful before, you have no idea. You have no idea what you have just unleashed across this entire country and this world. You have no idea,” she continued. “You have no idea the fire that you have ignited within this wife. The cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry.”

Prior to issuing a statement, Erika arrived in Phoenix, Arizona, on Thursday aboard Air Force Two alongside Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance. The plane carried Charlie Kirk’s casket home from Utah. Uniformed Air Force officers carried his casket to and from the plane as Vance walked at the front right of the casket, touching it with his left hand.

Erika carried her husband’s cross necklace and chain and held hands with the second lady as she deplaned.

Other images circulating on social media showed Kirk’s widow holding his cross necklace out the window of a vehicle as it drove past a crowd of mourning supporters following her arrival in Arizona.

On the day of the TPUSA founder’s murder at Utah Valley University, Erika shared a Bible verse on her social media page hours before her husband’s death.

“Psalm 46:1 — God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble,” she wrote.

2. Meeting and marrying Charlie Kirk 

The couple has spoken publicly about how they began dating in 2018 after what Charlie Kirk described as “a very, very long dinner, which was very close to almost an interview.” According to Charlie, he knew “almost immediately” upon meeting Erika Frantzve that she was the woman he would marry.

The TPUSA founder and his wife married in 2021 and have two children together: a 3-year-old daughter and a 1-year-old son.

“Second to accepting Jesus, it’s the best decision I’ve ever made,” Charlie Kirk wrote in a May social media post celebrating their fourth anniversary. “She is bold, smart, loyal, and beautiful.”

3. Arizona church Charlie Kirk attended mourns his passing 

The Dream City Church in Phoenix, Arizona, issued a statement on Wednesday in response to the news that Charlie Kirk had been assassinated. In its statement, the church condemned the “unthinkable and senseless murder,” referring to the conservative activist as a “dear friend and partner in ministry” to the church.

In addition to worshiping there, the TPUSA and TPUSA Faith founder also hosted events at the Dream City Church, according to NBC News affiliate KPNX.

“His life was a testament to bold leadership, unwavering conviction, and a heart for revival. Charlie’s voice may be silenced, but his legacy will continue to echo through the lives he touched and the truths that he championed,” the Arizona-based church stated.

“On behalf of the entire Dream City Church family, our hearts go out to Charlie’s beloved wife, Erika, his children, and the Turning Point community,” the church’s statement continued. “We are holding them close in prayer and standing with them in this time of unimaginable grief.”

The statement credited Kirk with helping to advance the Christian faith through the church’s Freedom Night in America events. According to the Dream City Church website, the events, done in partnership with TPUSA Faith, exist “to explore the intersection of faith, freedom, and civic engagement.”

In a Thursday message, Dream City Church Senior Pastor Luke Barnett explained that the Freedom Nights came about after he met Kirk in 2020. Barnett explained that he provided the venue, while Kirk agreed to use his influence to bring speakers to the event.

“Let’s not let Charlie Kirk’s death be in vain. Let’s rise up like never before in the history of the church of our lives,” the senior pastor said. “Let’s be good fruit.”

4. Charlie and Erika Kirk on the benefits of marriage 

Charlie Kirk and his wife often encouraged their audience to prioritize marriage over living for oneself, espousing the benefits of raising children alongside a loving partner, and how this enables people to live out a higher calling.

During TPUSA’s Young Women in Leadership Summit in June, Erika acknowledged that some women think that motherhood means putting their lives on hold, preventing them from pursuing a career or utilizing their college degree. The mother of two asserted that women are not wasting their degrees when they raise their children with “wisdom, love and truth.”

“Mothers are culture shapers. They’re legacy builders, and no government can outgovern a righteous mother, and no platform can match the prayers of a righteous mother,” she said. “It’ll never match up.”

“And I never want you to think that when you have a family, that [puts] you in a position where you can’t be what God has called you to be,” Erika added. “It’s the exact opposite. When you become a mother, that is what God has called you to be.”

In addition to being the wife of the TPUSA founder, Erika is known for founding Proclaim, a faith-based clothing company. She also serves as the host of the “Midweek Rise Up” podcast, which is described as “a devotional series focused on biblical leadership and empowering others to lead with integrity and purpose.”

Charlie also encouraged his radio audience and social media followers to marry and start families of their own. In an August social media post, the conservative activist shared a picture of himself at the beach with his daughter. Wishing his daughter a happy birthday, Charlie called it “the greatest privilege” to teach her to know God alongside Erika.

“Having a family will change your life in the best ways, so get married and have kids. You won’t regret it,” the father wrote.

5. Advice for keeping one’s marriage strong

In April, the couple hosted an episode of “The Charlie Kirk Show” together, where they offered advice on maintaining a healthy marriage and raising children.

“Keep your faith, obviously first, and try to identify any fleshy problems that you might be having,” Charlie said, advising couples to resolve those issues before they have children.

If the husband struggles with an alcohol or pornography addiction or if the wife struggles with shopping or gossiping too much, the pair needs to settle those problems before they become parents, Charlie Kirk advised.

Erika Kirk also chimed in, advising women not to gossip about their husbands with their friends, stressing the importance of spouses investing “confidence in one another” because they’re “on the same team.”

“You support each other. You love each other,” the Christian wife and mother said. “You’re not going to undercut each other.”

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This article was originally published at The Christian Post. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)