“American Idol” alums Colton Dixon, Danny Gokey, and Melinda Doolittle paid tribute to their friend and Season 5 contestant, Mandisa, before millions of viewers Monday night (April 29) during the show’s live broadcast.

On Thursday (April 18), Grammy Award-winning “Overcomer” singer Mandisa was found dead at her home in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 47.

Doolittle came in third place on Season 6 of “American Idol,” Gokey came in third on Season 8, and Dixon placed seventh on Season 11. On Monday, they performed “Shackles (Praise You).” The song was originally recorded by Mary Mary, but Mandisa performed it when she competed on “American Idol.” She later recorded it for her 2007 debut album “True Beauty.”

RELATED: ‘Overcomer’ Singer and Grammy Award-Winning Christian Artist Mandisa Dead at 47

Doolittle was asked by “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest to share about her “profound connection to Mandisa.”

“I’ve known her for over 20 years. We started off singing background in sessions together, and then she got on ‘Idol’ and I cheered for her and then I came the next season and cheered for me,” Doolittle said. “So that is my girl through and through.”

Gokey called Mandisa a “fan of people” and recalled how she was such a “cheerleader” for others and their music.

“I remember when I got dropped from a record label and re-signed to a new one [and] was transitioning, [Mandisa] had the biggest voice for me,” Gokey said. “She was making a way for me and [she was] my biggest cheerleader and it just felt amazing and she always was that person.”

“I think [‘Shackles (Praise You)’] sums up her life,” Dixon added. “I think she came in praising. I think she left praising. So we’re gonna miss her, but our loss is heaven’s gain.”

RELATED: Mandisa ‘Did Not Harm Herself,’ Father Says During Celebration of Life Service

Gokey told ChurchLeaders that it was “incredible getting back to ‘American Idol’ to honor our dear friend Mandisa. It was a celebration of a life well lived and a race ran well.”

“She was always a champion of other people and last night we got to champion her legacy in front of millions of people,” he added.

On Saturday (April 27), family, friends, fellow musicians, and fans gathered at Brentwood Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, to celebrate the life of Mandisa, who died suddenly in her home on April 18 at the age of 47.

Living Proof Ministries founder and Christian author Beth Moore joined family members and others to share stories of how Mandisa not only loved the Lord but also left an everlasting impact with the “lovely and beautiful” life she lived.

During the service, Mandisa’s father, John Hundley, provided more details about his daughter’s death and sought to dispel rumors that she died by suicide.

RELATED: ‘Overcomer’ Singer and Grammy Award-Winning Christian Artist Mandisa Dead at 47

In 2017, the Grammy Award-winning singer and “American Idol,” Season 5, top 10 alum opened up during an interview with “Good Morning America,” sharing that she struggled with depression and became suicidal after her close friend died of cancer, leading Mandisa to go into hiding for nearly three years.

Hundley said that he has been staying at his daughter’s house since she died.

“I’m not a detective,” Hundley said, “but I have spoken to the detective twice and I told him what I was gonna say and he did not disagree with me.”

Although the detective didn’t disagree with Hundley’s theory, he told Hundley that investigators can’t speak definitively until an official report is released some time in the next three weeks.

“Here’s what I think happened,” Hundley said. “Mandisa fell down in her bedroom. They found her on the floor. If you look from the rear of her bed, she was laying on the left side.”

RELATED: Police Rule Out Foul Play in Death of Christian Singer Mandisa

“And on the right side of the bed was this nightstand and I found her phone on the right side of the bed,” he continued. “There was no way for Mandisa to get around the bed and go out there and get a phone to call for help.”

After speaking with detectives and seeing where his daughter died, Hundley believes that “she did not harm herself. Mandisa loved the Lord and the Lord loved Mandisa.”

After a protracted legal battle, former Hillsong College student Anna Crenshaw has reached an “in principle” settlement with Hillsong Church. Crenshaw sued the Australia-based megachurch for its handling of her 2018 report of sexual assault by former staff member Jason Mays.

Although the terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed, on April 29 Crenshaw’s attorney told the Supreme Court in Sydney that “the matter has resolved.” The trial, which had been scheduled to last five days, adjourned shortly after it began.

Crenshaw alleged that Mays groped her extensively at a social gathering in 2016. She said when she reported the assault to church officials, they delayed contacting law enforcement. Crenshaw left Hillsong after realizing the church “didn’t care” about what she’d experienced. At the time, Mays’ father, John Mays, was Hillsong’s director of human resources.

Assault Case Involving Hillsong Church Staffer Is Settled

In January 2020, Jason Mays pleaded guilty to charges of assault with active indecency. He was sentenced to two years of probation, and the incident didn’t appear on his criminal record. Hillsong Church said it “disciplined” Mays with a one-year ban. But he returned to the staff in 2020 because the church said he deserved another chance.

RELATED: Brian Houston’s $1 Million (AUD) in Legal Fees Won’t Be Covered, Despite Acquittal

In a statement at the time, former Hillsong global senior pastor Brian Houston said Mays was drunk at the gathering and had tried to give Crenshaw a “hug.” Crenshaw strongly denied that characterization, saying a hug doesn’t involve “groping you between your legs.”

Houston denied that Mays was a sexual predator, saying the staffer had instead done “something stupid…and got himself in a bad situation.” In a 2022 interview, Boz Tchividjian, then Crenshaw’s lawyer, said Houston seemed to be “painting Jason as the victim.”

Houston, who resigned from Hillsong in 2022, faced his own allegations of sexual indiscretions. Last summer, he was found not guilty of covering up his father’s child sexual abuse.

Crenshaw said after hearing about accusations against Houston, the church’s mishandling of her own report made sense. “If you have a core group who is committed to keeping abuses or assaults in the church quiet,” she said, “that’s not who should be leading your church.”

Anna Crenshaw: Hillsong’s Actions Send a ‘Really Poor Message’

Anna Crenshaw, daughter of Pennsylvania Pastor Ed Crenshaw, alleged that Hillsong breached its duty of care. She also sued Jason Mays, whose attorney questioned the extent of the damage she suffered from the “single, fleeting, spontaneous” incident.

Back in 2022, when Crenshaw was considering legal action against Hillsong, she spoke to a reporter about what she’d experienced. She said the church sent “a really poor message” to the faith community by not firing Mays.

“I think it shows you can be on staff, and you can assault someone, and we’re gonna protect you and let you keep your job,” she said, “while the person who you assaulted is pretty much frozen out of our community.”

A North Carolina pastor has received a federal charge of receipt of child pornography in addition to multiple previous charges of sexual exploitation of a minor in the second degree and the third degree. Ashley James Crouse, 52, had 10,000 images of child sex abuse material (CSAM) on devices including his church computer, according to an affidavit signed by an FBI special agent. 

Editor’s note: This article refers to reports of child sex abuse, which some readers might find triggering and/or disturbing.

“On or about November 2, 2023, in the Western District of North Carolina, ASHLEY JAMES CROUSE knowingly received child pornography, as defined in 18 U.S.C. § 2256(8),” said FBI Special Agent Richard A. Sutherland Jr., “specifically by using the Internet to download to his computer a video file depicting child pornography.”

Sutherland’s affidavit seeks to establish probable cause for the federal charge against Crouse.

Pastor Ashley James Crouse Admitted to Crimes, Says FBI Agent

Ashley James Crouse was arrested on Nov. 3, 2023, after investigators received a tip that led them to explore the source of CSAM stored in Dropbox. In April 2023, Dropbox alerted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that one of its users possessed CSAM. The tip included Crouse’s name, email address, and several IP addresses.

RELATED: Arkansas Teacher Accused of Sexually Abusing 15-Year-Old Boy She Met Through Church Youth Group

NCMEC tipped off the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, which worked with the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office to verify Crouse’s location and identity. Investigators surveilled Crouse and executed search warrants at his home and church, New Vision Baptist Fellowship (NVBF) in Granite Falls. Authorities seized several devices.

Sutherland states that Crouse waived his Miranda rights and spoke to investigators. “During this interview, which was recorded, CROUSE admitted to knowing what child pornography was, to obtaining child pornography from the Internet, and to using child pornography for sexual gratification,” Sutherland said. “CROUSE also admitted to viewing child pornography at the church while multi-tasking and completing church business on his church computer.”

The affidavit describes in detail a video downloaded to Crouse’s church office computer showing an 11-year-old girl participating in sexual acts with two different men. This video was accessed while logged into the “pastor” account. 

“The Chosen” continues to expand its reach via streaming services. In addition to being available on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and The Chosen app, the popular series depicting the life and ministry of Jesus Christ is now available on Disney+ and Hulu. 

Originally a crowdfunded project, “The Chosen” has achieved international acclaim in its first four seasons. The show even made history when it released its entire fourth season in theaters, a first for a streaming television show. 

In 2023, the show’s first three seasons also enjoyed a run on The CW, a television network that covers over 98% of homes in the United States and is available with free over-the-air capabilities.

Through its partnership with the nonprofit organization the Come and See Foundation, creators of “The Chosen” are aiming to reach 1 billion viewers. Kyle Young, the show’s executive vice president of distribution and marketing, has told Variety that partnering with streaming services is a key aspect of reaching that goal.

RELATED: How Pastors Can Use ‘The Chosen’ as a Gospel Opportunity—Dave Ferguson Talks to Ed Stetzer on Set

As of March, an estimated 200 million people worldwide have now watched portions of the show. Young expressed that while streaming services do not offer much promotion for “non-exclusive licensed series,” there is a huge appetite for “The Chosen.”

Inside the Magic writer Zach Gass characterized the move to bring “The Chosen” to Hulu and Disney+ as “a tremendous win for Disney’s image.”

While Disney has long been a trusted source for parents looking for quality entertainment for their children, the Walt Disney Company’s more recent push for greater LGBTQ+ representation, as well as its public battle with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill, has caused some conservatives to cancel their Disney+ subscriptions.

However, Gass said, including “The Chosen” on the platform might “help win some more conservative subscribers back toward the mouse.”

RELATED: ‘I Loved the Super Bowl Ad’—‘The Chosen’ Creator Dallas Jenkins Defends He Get Us

“The Chosen” is planned to run for seven seasons. Season 4 is not yet available to stream following its theatrical release, something that Dallas Jenkins, the show’s creator and director, said is the result of “legal matters.”

(RNS) — Hollywood, the USA Gymnastics team, Penn State, the Boy Scouts: Sexual abuse has proved pervasive across institutions. And when it comes to faith groups, no creed, structure, value system or size has seemed immune.

“We’ve got to stop saying that could never happen in my church, or my pastor would never do that,” said David Pooler, a professor of social work at Baylor University who researches clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse of adults.

With more victims coming forward and more research done on abuse within religious contexts, the evidence has shown that when sexual abuse happens in a place designated not only safe, but holy, it’s a unique form of betrayal — and when the perpetrator is a clergy member or spiritual leader, the abuse can be seen as God-endorsed.

As the scope of this crisis has been revealed, houses of worship and religious institutions — from Southern Baptists to Orthodox Jews to American atheists — have looked to shore up their safeguarding protocols and protect their constituents against abuse.

RELATED: Former SBC President Johnny Hunt Continues To Preach Despite Sexual Abuse Claims

But rather than scrambling to respond in the wake of a crisis, faith groups need to adopt policies tailored to their setting and connected to their mission, says Kathleen McChesney, who was the first executive director of the Office of Child Protection for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Kathleen McChesney. (Photo courtesy of McChesney)

“When you do that, people will have a greater understanding of what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and how you’re doing it,” said McChesney, one of a growing group of abuse experts and survivor advocates consulting with religious institutions.

As Sexual Assault Awareness Month comes to a close, there are a few steps these experts say every faith group can take to improve safeguarding protocols.

Accept it can happen anywhere

One of the most dangerous — and common — assumptions religious groups make is to think of sexual abuse as a “them” problem. As the founder of international nonprofit Freely in Hope, Nikole Lim has worked for years to combat sexual violence in Kenya and Zambia, and more recently has been helping U.S.-based groups prevent sexual abuse locally. For Lim, the reality that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men worldwide are survivors of sexual abuse is evidence this is a problem that permeates every level of society. “That’s a global statistic that doesn’t only exist in poor communities,” said Lim. “That also exists within your family, within your congregations.”

Nikole Lim. (Courtesy photo)

Experts agree that faith groups often embrace the myth that good intentions, theology and ethics can stop sexual abuse from landing on their doorstep. Amy Langenberg, a professor of religious studies at Eckerd College, along with her research partner Ann Gleig, a religious and cultural studies scholar at the University of Central Florida, have shown that Buddhist ethics about doing no harm and showing compassion are insufficient to prevent abuse in Buddhist contexts.

“You really do need these other ways of thinking about ethics, which are coming from outside of Buddhism, and which are coming usually from feminism, from advocacy, from the law,” said Langenberg.

Because faith communities often think of themselves as the “good guys,” they’re vulnerable to blind spots. That’s why conducting a risk assessment, much like you’d do for fire insurance, can help pinpoint what protocols are most needed, according to McChesney, who now leads a firm that consults on employee misconduct investigations and policy development. Once concrete anti-abuse measures are in place, ongoing education can remind people at all levels of the organization to remain vigilant.

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — In office buildings in Silicon Valley, at closed-door meetings in Rome and in private audiences with Pope Francis at the Vatican, programmers pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence are mining the church’s insight on what makes human beings tick.

The rapid development in the field of AI “is asking us to think again fundamentally about what it is that makes us human. What distinguishes humans from machines?” said Bishop Paul Tighe, secretary of the Vatican Council for Culture and among a handful of Catholic clergy who are bridging the divide between scientific knowledge and the church’s spiritual and theological tradition.

In conversations with AI programmers and experts, Tighe said he talks about consciousness and “relationality” as key prerogatives of human beings that distinguish us from machines. But the creators of AI are not trying to re-create humans, he said in a recent interview with Religion News Service. “They are creating another type of entity.”

RELATED: Preparing Your Kids for Artificial Intelligence

As Silicon Valley fills with wannabe gods, they are turning to the Catholic Church’s 2,000-year-old study of the human condition for answers, and boundaries. “They are asking questions about ethics and the ramifications of what they are doing,” said the Rev. Philip Larrey, who teaches a course on technology and AI at Boston College.

The Rev. Philip Larrey. (Photo courtesy of Boston College)

Larrey frequently meets with movers and shakers in the field of AI, challenging them about the possibilities and possible threats of this developing technology. “Whenever you speak to these people you need to have a framework that makes sense. The Catholic tradition has an amazing framework that is incredibly relevant today,” he said, describing his role as translating “the language of tradition to the language of Silicon Valley.”

Larrey said he is asked about whether AI, which doesn’t need a body and can compute at a much higher level than humans, can be considered to be similar to angels. Transhumanists — who welcome technological improvements on human consciousness — ask him whether the human soul can be disconnected from the body.

“I tell them, ‘You can. It’s called death,’” Larrey said.

Pope Francis’ engagement in the field of AI has been growing steadily as the technology develops, and the Vatican announced on Friday (April 26) that the pontiff will participate in the session dedicated to AI of the next G7 summit, a meeting of representatives from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union, which will take place in southern Italy June 13-15.

While the Vatican also engages with the tech industry officially, its greatest influence on the field of AI — as with other scientific endeavors — is mostly through unofficial channels. “There is a strong effort by individuals in the Catholic Church to make a difference, to influence the policies that are coming out,” Larrey said, explaining that it is “not a unified or organized effort.”

“It’s about different actors who are using their networks, friendships and relationships to get the Catholic perspectives across,” he added.

Several tech CEOs visit the Vatican regularly for private meetings with Pope Francis, Larrey said, including Sam Altman, known as the “father” of ChatGPT; Demis Hassabis, who directs Google’s DeepMind AI project; and Elon Musk, who has already secured half a billion dollars for his xAI startup.

The Minerva Dialogues, an annual gathering in recent years of tech leaders and Catholic prelates at the Monastery of St. Mary Sopra Minerva in Rome, is an example of the deep mutual interest between the Vatican and Silicon Valley.

Founded by the Rev. Eric Salobir, a Dominican priest, the group has no website and operates under the Chatham House rule, which ensures privacy and anonymity for those who don’t want to tie their companies to the Catholic brand.

St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. (Photo by Arnold Straub/Unsplash/Creative Commons)

Salobir is the founder of Optic, a network committed to bringing the Catholic perspective to the field of AI. In 2018, he organized the first “Vatican Hackathon,” where hundreds of young U.S. students came to Rome to workshop creative solutions to the world’s most pressing issues, from poverty to migration to climate change.

Among the participants in the Minerva Dialogues are Eric Schmidt, who was CEO of Google from 2001 to 2011 and its executive chairman from 2011 to 2015; LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman; James Manyika, former head of the McKinsey Global Institute; Maurice Lévy of the Publicis Groupe, the world’s third largest advertising and communications group; and Carlo D’Asaro Biondo, former president of Google for Eastern Europe.

“The continuity of the dialogue has created a context of friendship,” said Tighe, who is among the organizers of the Minerva Dialogues. “There is a determined effort by all participants to try and ensure that the development of AI will ultimately be in service to humanity and trying to put the human person at the center,” he added.

On Sunday (April 28), Real Life Ministries Silver Valley in Pinehurst, Idaho, held worship for the first time since their pastor apparently died by suicide. As ChurchLeaders reported, Gene Jacobs, 59, went missing early April 22, and search teams found his body later that evening. Although an investigation is ongoing, officials indicated he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. They said they don’t suspect foul play.

The Silver Valley congregation has been gathering for prayer and grief counseling. A GoFundMe page was set up for the pastor’s widow, and other fundraisers are also in the works.

RELATED: Idaho Pastor Who Went Missing This Week Died From Apparent Suicide

Leaders at Real Life Ministries posted a video to help home-group facilitators address tough questions and offer members assurance and hope. On the church’s Facebook page, elders shared a list of practical ways to love and comfort people the way Jesus does.

Message After Gene Jacobs’ Death: ‘Jesus Saved Gene’

When Gene Jacobs’ congregation gathered for worship Sunday, Real Life Ministries founder Jim Putnam delivered the sermon. He acknowledged that “without Christ’s help,” only pain and confusion exist during such times.

If Jacobs did indeed die by suicide, Pastor Putnam said, then “he was wrong” and based a wrong choice on lies from the devil. But, he added, it’s “not biblical” to teach that people who kill themselves go to hell.

“Gene absolutely believed every word he said, and…every word he said concerning Jesus in the Scriptures is true,” said Putnam. “What’s also true is that people can fail and struggle, that people can make mistakes. People can get caught up in emotion. People can have thoughts run through their mind that are not true.

“Knowing Gene,” Putnam said, “he may have thought, ‘People will be better off without me…I can’t share this with other people because they already have enough burdens of their own.’”

Those are all lies from Satan, who’s a murderous manipulator, Putnam added. “What’s true is even a believer like us…can listen to the enemy, be lied to, make stupid decisions. But what is [also] true is Gene is with the Lord Jesus right now.”

Jacobs’ cause of death doesn’t change his legacy, Putnam added. Just because what the beloved pastor apparently did was “wrong and stupid, it does not discount all that he has said and…done,” he said. “We will not allow people to question Gene…We will not allow people to discount what God did through Gene in this place and in this time, because [the pastor] made a difference in all of our lives, and we will stick to the Word.”

Pastors ‘Deal With Fires All the Time’

While offering comfort from Scripture, Putnam told listeners he appreciates that the biblical authors expressed their struggles, honesty, and discouragement. That transparency reveals why humans can’t rely on their own understanding, he said.

Openness and honesty are essential for all Christian relationships, Putnam said, and so is allowing others to help carry our burdens. Although Pastor Jacobs was usually honest and transparent, “in this case he wasn’t,” Putnam said, noting that no one on the church staff realized the pastor was suffering.

Angela Kinsey, who played uptight Christian Angela Martin on “The Office,” said that there were a couple times she refused to say jokes on the show that she felt misrepresented Christianity. Kinsey shared this tidbit with Rainn Wilson, who played Dwight Schrute, during a conversation on his new podcast, “Soul Boom.” 

“There were one or two times where there would be a joke written for her that I thought was just really stereotypical, maybe one-note. And I like to think of her as a full, well-rounded person,” Kinsey replied after Wilson asked if she ever experienced tension between her character’s portrayal and her personal experience with Christianity.

“I do remember there was a particular storyline between Angela and Oscar where Angela was being super judge-y,” said Kinsey, “and I never [usually] went up to Greg [Daniels] about any joke. But there was a joke at Oscar’s expense.”

RELATED: ‘The Office’ Actor Rainn Wilson Shares His Views on Jesus, Spirituality

Kinsey’s character “invoked Jesus in the moment, and I just was like, ‘I don’t feel good about it. I don’t feel good about that.’ I don’t feel like that’s what Jesus represented to me.” So Daniels took the joke out.

Angela Kinsey and Rainn Wilson Reminisce About Life, ‘The Office’

Rainn Wilson published the book, “Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution,” last year and launched his podcast, “Soul Boom,” in March. He told Kinsey that one of his goals for the podcast is to explore spirituality, which he believes is “under-discussed.” Angela Kinsey herself has a podcast called “Office Ladies,” which she cohosts with her good friend Jenna Fischer, who played Pam Beesly on the show.

During their conversation, Kinsey and Wilson reminisced about their childhoods and the many experiences they have in common, including the deaths of their fathers [Editor’s note: This video contains language some may find offensive]. Kinsey, who said her father was “her life anchor,” observed that grief never leaves but that “grief and gratitude really go hand in hand.”

Wilson said his father was extremely thoughtful toward others and made any room he entered a better place. “He never sucked energy from the room,” said Wilson, who aspires to be like his father in this way. Wilson believes American culture does not handle grief well, which is partly why he wanted to discuss the topic.

The two discussed the incredible experience of being in “The Office,” expressing amazement not merely at how popular it became but also at how many people have said it impacted their lives and even their mental health for the better. Wilson said the “love and camaraderie” present on set “was astonishing.” The cast members keep up with one another on a text thread to this day.

RELATED: Actor Rainn Wilson: ‘The Last of Us’ Typifies ‘Anti-Christian Bias in Hollywood’

A faith-based film, “Unsung Hero,” proved to be a contender against Hollywood movies. The film celebrated reaching the No. 2 spot at the box office on its opening weekend. Based on the true story of the Smallbone family uprooting from their home in Australia, “Unsung Hero” follows the Smallbones as they move to the United States where their children rose to Christian music stardom.

“Family’s not in the way. They are the way,” said Grandpa James in the film.

‘Unsung Hero’ Opens in Second Spot at the Box Office

In its opening weekend, “Unsung Hero” went up against several new movies, including “Challengers” and “Boy Kills World.” According to Box Office Mojo, “Unsung Hero” came in second for the weekend, behind “Challengers.”

Lionsgate Films, the same distributor that launched “Ordinary Angels,” “Jesus Revolution,” and “I Still Believe,” also took on this heartfelt film honoring the strength of family bonds.

“Unsung Hero” grossed $7.8 million during its opening weekend—which coincided with David and Helen Smallbone’s 49th wedding anniversary.

David Smallbone built a successful music company in Australia. But after a series of events, his company, career, and life fell apart.

“With nothing more than their six children, their suitcases, and their love of music, David (for KING + COUNTRY’s Joel Smallbone) and his pregnant wife Helen (Daisy Betts) set out to rebuild their lives from the ground up,” the film’s description reads.

The film depicts a faith-filled family posting notes of encouragement and prayer requests on the walls of their new home and sleeping on the floor before they could afford furniture.

“Unsung Hero” focuses on the faith of Helen Smallbone, who holds steadfastly to her relationship with God amid her family’s turmoil and setbacks. This “mum’s faith” proves to be an inspiration for her struggling husband and growing children.

Earlier this year, for KING + COUNTRY led worship at Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, where Pastor Greg Laurie serves as pastor. At this event, brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone were also able to show a screening of the movie before it was released country-wide.

When Laurie asked Luke about the movie, Luke responded, “I believe in the power of family. I believe family is more important today than it ever has been in the history of the world. But I’m not quite sure we value it as such.”

Joel Smallbone mentioned that people have been known to “shove” faith into Christian movies. But not so with “Unsung Hero.” From the beginning, the family’s authentic faith was their foundation. The film, he said, is about mothers, miracles, community, migration, and a family “coming together in desperate times, not fighting against each other but fighting for each other.”

After exploring spirituality and realizing he needed a personal relationship with God, actor and comedian Russell Brand got baptized Sunday (April 28) in the River Thames. On social media, the 48-year-old podcaster described the experience as incredible, profound, and “literally overwhelming”—because he was under water.

“I felt changed, transitioned,” Brand said about being baptized. The ceremony had very “intimate and personal aspects,” he noted, and several “bizarre incidents” occurred that felt “serendipitous and laden.”

Brand, who recently sought advice about which Christian denomination to join, didn’t indicate which one he chose. But he said he’ll share more information in upcoming videos.

I got baptised!!!!

And… pic.twitter.com/c1JamCk49x

— Russell Brand (@rustyrockets) April 29, 2024

Russell Brand Is Baptized: ‘I’ve Made the Decision—for Myself’

Russell Brand, who admits to being a former “junkie,” said all the substances he’s tried in the past left him disappointed, unable to provide the tranquility, peace, and transcendence he was seeking. But now, Brand said, “Some new resource in me has switched on.” He added that after being baptized, he knows that “my resources are coming from somewhere else and someone else now.”

RELATED: ‘I Need a Personal Relationship With God’—Russell Brand Says Jesus Is ‘Becoming More Important’ to Him

This path of following Jesus is new to Brand, who acknowledged he’ll make mistakes. Hours after being baptized, he admitted he’d “already felt irritated,” noting he has three children, a job, and challenges and that he lives “in the world.”

Yet Brand added that he already feels “incredibly blessed, relieved, nourished, and held.” Spreading his newfound joy is now “part of my mission and my ministry and part of my service,” he said.

In his post-baptism video, Brand thanked all the social media followers who’ve “embraced me” and encouraged his faith journey with supportive comments. The actor said he even understands the “cynicism” some people have expressed about his transformation.

“I’ve made the decision—for myself,” he assured viewers, adding that he prays his baptism will be relevant to his family, especially his children. Brand said his wife is Catholic and has made her own faith decision.

Russell Brand’s Followers: Ditch the Tarot Cards

Hours before his baptism post, Russell Brand shared a video on Instagram asking for people’s opinions about tarot cards. Many Christians consider practices such as tarot and yoga “heresy,” he said, but the symbolism is helpful for him. Tarot “does serve as a tool for reflection and personal analysis,” said Brand.

Then he described something he’d just read on the Hallow meditation app. It was a reminder to give all your worries to God and focus on him, because he’s in charge. “What do you think about that?” Brand asked his social media followers.

Reagan Gray, a 26-year-old teacher in Little Rock, Arkansas, has been arrested and charged with sexual assault of a teenager. The alleged victim was a 15-year-old student at the youth group of Immanuel Baptist Church. 

At the time of the alleged abuse, which is said to have taken place in 2020 and 2021, Gray was teaching at Little Rock Christian Academy and worked as a volunteer for Immanuel Baptist’s student ministry.

The victim was not a student of Little Rock Christian Academy. Gray met the teen through Immanuel Baptist Church’s youth group and music ministry. 

Gray’s arrest comes amid an ongoing scandal centered on Immanuel Baptist Church’s handling of sexual abuse allegations. In March, Dr. Steven Smith resigned as pastor of the church, roughly three months after he disclosed to the congregation that its former assistant children’s ministry director, Patrick Stephen Miller, had been criminally convicted after allegedly assaulting two young girls at the church.

According to THV11, an arrest affidavit said that the parents of Gray’s alleged victim first learned of Gray’s inappropriate relationship with their child when they discovered a text thread between the teen and Gray on the teen’s phone in 2020. 

RELATED: SBC Pastor Discloses Years-Old Child Abuse Allegations Against a Former Church Staffer

The parents said that after telling Gray to stop communicating with their son, they reported Gray to Smith. Smith is said to have questioned Gray, who said that her relationship with the teen was not “physical.”

Gray was then reportedly removed as a volunteer from Immanuel Baptist’s student ministry and instructed to undergo counseling. She was subsequently reinstated as a volunteer for the student ministry. The police were not notified. 

The arrest affidavit said that when Smith was interviewed in 2024, he said that Gray revealed during a counseling session in the fall of 2023 that her relationship with the teen had been sexual in nature and that she had continued communicating with the teen via Snapchat following her confrontation with the teen’s parents.

RELATED: Church Staffer, Elementary School Volunteer Faces Felony Peeping Charges After Being Caught Placing Camera Under Women’s Skirts

In an interview with FBI investigators, the teen said that Gray sent him nude photos of herself on a daily basis and expected him to send nude pictures of himself in return. He also said that Gray performed oral sex on him but did not have intercourse with him so that he could “stay pure,” according to Mirror.