Forrest Frank looked at the numbers dropping on his Instagram and did not flinch.
Thirty thousand people hit unfollow after he spoke out about Charlie Kirk’s assassination, and the Christian singer went online to say good riddance. In his own words, he said, “I don’t want you to follow me. I don’t want you to track my music. I don’t want you to come to my shows if you don’t do this one thing, and that is, follow Jesus Christ.”
That was not damage control, it was a line in the sand.
The whole thing started when Frank posted a clip of Charlie Kirk praising him for the way his music is reaching Gen Z. Kirk called it revival and said Forrest Frank was proof that kids were hungry for faith. You could see Frank’s eyes fill up as he watched the words. He broke down and admitted he could not just keep posting music like nothing happened after Kirk was gunned down at Utah Valley University on September 10.
The video blew up with more than a million likes, but the backlash hit too. Tens of thousands bailed on him, and Frank fired back with another video on September 14. “Thirty thousand people unfollowed me because I posted about Charlie Kirk and I said Jesus Christ is Lord. Good. I don’t want you to follow me.” He doubled down in the caption, saying, “I don’t care if you follow me, but I do care if you follow Jesus.”
RELATED: 13 Country Stars Who Refuse to Hide Their Faith Even When It’s Not Popular
That is not the kind of thing you post if you are worried about chart positions.
For You
Frank went further and admitted he had treated his platform like a “lukewarm highlight reel” and repented for not making his faith the main thing. From here on out, he said, every ounce of energy was going into one message, that Jesus Christ is Lord and that He is coming back soon.
Fans filled the comments with support. One wrote, “GO FORREST GO!!!!!! THIS MADE ME SMILE.” Another added, “Wrong is wrong and you got to stand for what’s right even when they hate you for it.” The love was loud, but so was the loss because thirty thousand were gone overnight.
Forrest Frank did not blink. He told his followers, “There’s a heaviness, something shifted, and I don’t care. I just want you to know that Jesus Christ is here and He loves you.”
Meanwhile, the shock of Kirk’s murder has ripped through the country. Tyler Robinson, who is just 22 years old, was arrested and charged with aggravated murder, obstruction of justice, and more. Authorities say he fired a single round from 200 yards away and killed Kirk in front of more than 3,000 people at a Turning Point USA event. The funeral is set for September 21 at State Farm Stadium in Arizona, and tributes from Christian artists keep pouring in.
But Forrest Frank was not content with a polite condolence post. He turned his feed into a pulpit. He echoed Kirk’s boldness and made it clear that if you came for the feel-good tracks without the gospel, you are in the wrong place.
It was a gut check. Thirty thousand followers walked, but Forrest Frank stood tall, saying it plain that music without the message is worthless, and the only thing that matters is Jesus.
Numbers do not scare him. Silence does.
And if that means losing followers while gaining a voice, Forrest Frank seems fine letting the wheel spin.
