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Who is Rob McCoy? Charlie Kirk's pastor takes spotlight at funeral service in Glendale

Rob McCoy introduced himself as Charlie Kirk's pastor at the conservative activist's funeral service at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale

Updated on: Sep 22, 2025, 24:07:25 IST
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Rob McCoy introduced himself as Charlie Kirk's pastor at the conservative activist's funeral service at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Sunday. McCoy recalled Kirk, saying the Turning Point USA founder was ‘never afraid’ and ‘without sin’.

Pastor Rob McCoy speaks at a memorial for conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Sunday (AP)
Pastor Rob McCoy speaks at a memorial for conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Sunday (AP)

McCoy is the pastor emeritus of Godspeak Calvary Chapel, an evangelical Christian church in Thousand Oaks, California, where he served as lead pastor until his transition to emeritus status in recent years. A prominent figure in conservative Christian circles, McCoy has been Charlie Kirk's personal pastor and close friend.

Charlie Kirk funeral live updates

Who is Rob McCoy?

He co-founded Turning Point USA Faith in 2021 with Kirk, an arm of Turning Point USA aimed at mobilizing churches for conservative causes like voter registration and opposition to progressive policies.

McCoy's background includes a long career in ministry, with Godspeak Calvary Chapel known for its outspoken conservative stance, including defiance of COVID-19 restrictions in 2020-2021, when he kept the church open against California mandates.

Read More: What Charlie Kirk said about Indians and H-1B visas in tweet posted just days before he was fatally shot

Rob McCoy, Senior Pastor of Godspeak Calvary Chapel in Thousand Oaks, California, comes from a conservative family background, raised by a Naval officer father and a politically active Republican mother. A standout athlete in his youth, McCoy was an All-American water polo player and a national finalist in swimming. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in history from California State University, Fresno, and later pursued seminary studies at the Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary in Fresno.

Before dedicating his life to ministry, McCoy worked in the corporate sector, holding leadership roles as a divisional manager at Unilever and an area manager with Chesebrough-Ponds, Inc. He has led Godspeak Calvary Chapel for more than 17 years, guiding the congregation while also engaging in civic service.

IMcCoy was elected to the Thousand Oaks City Council in 2015 and went on to serve as the city’s mayor in 2018. He also spent four years as a chaplain with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department and served on the board of the Conejo Pregnancy Center.

Beyond his professional and public service, McCoy is a devoted family man. He and his wife, Michelle, have been married for nearly three decades, raising five children together and celebrating the arrival of two grandchildren.

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    Yash Nitish Bajaj

    Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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