By Marni Rose McFall

Copyright newsweek

The Reverend Howard-John Wesley has gone viral online after he spoke about right-wing activist Charlie Kirk in a sermon. Wesley is a senior pastor of the Alfred Street Baptist Church in Virginia.His remarks have been met with a mixed response online, as some social media users have criticized the sentiments he expressed toward Kirk, while others have praised them, and the clip of his sermon has amassed millions of views online.Newsweek has reached out to the Alfred Street Baptist Church via email for comment.Why It MattersKirk, 31, was shot and killed during an event at Utah Valley University on September 10. He was the co-founder and CEO of Turning Point USA, a conservative youth movement.Kirk’s assassination has sent shockwaves through the country, and there has been an outpouring of grief from his supporters, as well as President Donald Trump and his administration, plus high-profile Democrats and celebrities.Despite this, there have been some social media posts and videos that have celebrated his killing, while others have responded to his death by sharing criticism of his political beliefs. This is something that the Trump administration has quickly responded to, with Vice President JD Vance encouraging people to report those who may be celebrating his killing to their employer.The response to Kirk’s death has been divided and has prompted a conversation about free speech and cancel culture, something about which there are disparate views on both sides of the political aisle.What To KnowIn a sermon that has circulated widely on social media, Wesley said: “Charlie Kirk did not deserve to be assassinated, but I’m overwhelmed seeing the flags of the United States of America at half-staff, calling this nation to honor and venerate a man who was an unapologetic racist and spent all of his life sowing seeds of division and hate into this land.””How you die does not redeem how you lived. You do not become a hero in your death when you are a weapon of the enemy in your life. I can abhor the violence that took your life, but I don’t have to celebrate how you chose to live,” he said in the sermon.The Alfred Street Baptist Church is one of the oldest and largest African American Baptist churches in the country.Wesley is the eighth pastor in the church’s more than 200-year history, and represents the fifth generation of Baptist preachers, according to information on the Alfred Street Baptist Church website. He graduated magna cum laude from Duke University in 1994, majoring in biomedical and electrical engineering.He has a prominent following on social media, with more than 100,000 followers on Instagram, where he primarily posts religious content, like videos of sermons, but over the years he has used the platform to speak about politics.In a clip of the sermon in which he spoke about Kirk, shared to his Instagram page, he said: “I’m overwhelmed with the culture of division and violence that this administration fuels and fertilizes, with an inability to show compassion for those who are in need.He previously criticized Trump on his Instagram, writing in a post in October 2021 about Trump: “This is EXACTLY why this [clown emoji] has no business being in leadership in America. He can’t honor anyone who didn’t kiss his behind.” In a different post, dated December 2017, he wrote that Trump is: “A liar who can’t take an L and creates fake wins for himself—he’s unfit and unqualified for his office.”In August 2021, he shared a post wishing a happy birthday to former President Barack Obama. The image featured him with the former president as well as former first lady Michelle Obama and their two children, Sasha and Malia. On November 7, 2020, when it was announced that President Joe Biden had won the 2020 presidential election, he wrote on Instagram that he was “So grateful and happy. Let’s make America better.”In 2020, he shared posts on social media in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and shared images of himself and his two sons at protests.In 2022, he shared a post on Instagram in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade that read: “The Supreme Court’s decision that overturns Roe v. Wade discards nearly 50 years of precedent and will compromise the health and wellbeing of many. I am saddened by this reckless decision, which is an affront to human rights in general and the right to reproductive choices for women in particular.”On November 5, 2024, Wesley shared a picture of himself with an “I voted” sticker with the caption: “What’s understood doesn’t need to be explained #vote.” He followed this post with one encouraging people to vote.In February, a post to Instagram from the church and Wesley announced that they would cancel hosting their annual Christmas performances at the Kennedy Center. The post read: “We believe that the new leadership’s opposition to the Kennedy Center’s long-standing tradition of honoring artistic expression across all backgrounds is misaligned with our unwavering commission to proclaim and practice the transformative and redemptive love of Jesus.”Trump appointed himself as chair of the Kennedy Center in February. He also announced that he was firing most of the Board of Trustees and said that he would be in charge of programming going forward and told reporters that he was going to ensure that programming at the center was “good” and “not woke.”What People Are SayingThe Instagram account @dr.smrtmouth responded to a clip of Wesley’s sermon: “Thank God for you. Your courage is refreshing.”@TheOfficerTatum in a post on X viewed 4.3 million times, responding to the sermon: “I knew Charlie Kirk personally. Worked with him for nearly 10 years. He doesn’t have a racist bone in his body. These low life [n-words] just mad cause a white man out here saying what they don’t have the courage to. Charlie was a man of God. Preaching the gospel more than them all.”The official account for Breitbart News in a post viewed more than 60,000 times on X: “Imagine spewing this kind of hatred during a sermon in church.”What Happens NextTensions are likely to remain high, as the nation continues to grapple with the aftermath of Kirk’s death as well as the broader issue of political violence.