(RNS) — The leader of Anglican churches in South Africa thanked the American head of the Episcopal Church for refusing to resettle white Afrikaners in the United States who have been deemed refugees by President Donald Trump’s administration, arguing the government’s justification for taking in members of the group is inaccurate.

In a letter sent to Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Sean W. Rowe on Thursday (May 15), the Most Rev. Thabo Makgoba, archbishop of Cape Town and head of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, lauded Rowe for announcing on Monday that his church would end its decades-long relationship with the U.S. government to resettle refugees. Rowe explained the decision was rooted in moral opposition to being asked to resettle white Afrikaners, especially as the U.S. refugee program has been mostly shut down since Trump took office in January.

In his message, Makgoba thanked Rowe for calling him ahead of the announcement and rejected the Trump administration’s arguments for accepting white Afrikaners, who the president has insisted are the target of genocide — a claim widely disputed by the South African government as well as faith leaders in the country.

“What the administration refers to as anti-white racial discrimination is nothing of the kind,” Makgoba’s letter read. “Our government implements affirmative action on the lines of that in the United States, designed not to discriminate against whites but to overcome the historic disadvantages Black South Africans have suffered.”

Makgoba argued white South Africans “remain the beneficiaries of apartheid” by “every measure of economic and social privilege,” noting that, despite the end of the apartheid regime, South Africa’s society remains deeply unequal.

“Measured by the Gini coefficient, which measures income disparity, we are the most unequal society in the world, with the majority of the poor Black, and the majority of the wealthy white,” Makgoba wrote. “While U.S. supporters of the South African group will no doubt highlight individual cases of suffering some members might have undergone, and criticize TEC for its action, we cannot agree that South Africans who have lost the privileges they enjoyed under apartheid should qualify for refugee status ahead of people fleeing war and persecution from countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and Afghanistan.”

The letter comes as the Episcopal Church — which is part of the Anglican Communion, a global church body that also incudes the Anglican Church of Southern Africa — has faced both praise and backlash for its decision as 59 white Afrikaners arrived in the U.S. this week. The church arm Episcopal Migration Ministries had long been one of 10 groups — seven of which are faith-based — that partner with the federal government to resettle refugees. It will now wind down its existing contracts by the end of this fiscal year.

Conservatives condemned the Episcopal Church’s move, with Vice President JD Vance, who has feuded with faith leaders over immigration policies, offering a one-word response to the news on the social media platform X on Monday: “Crazy.”

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly also condemned the decision, saying it “raises serious questions about (the church’s) supposed commitment to humanitarian aid.”

“President Trump has made it clear: refugee resettlement should be about need, not politics,” Kelly said in a statement.

Rowe defended the decision during an appearance with CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Wednesday evening. Rowe said that Afrikaners appear to be the only refugees allowed into the country since Trump suspended the program in January, despite thousands of others seeking entry being locked in limbo. The prelate also appeared to reference that the Afrikaners were vetted over the course of months instead of the normal yearslong application process to become a refugee.

“I agree — it should be about need,” Rowe said on CNN. “As you’ve reported, look at the thousands of people fleeing war and violence. … People who have helped our military that are being left in camps on a daily basis, while white Afrikaners have been fast-tracked. … This is about people who have jumped the line.”

Bourbonnais, Ill. (RNS) — The gym at the Adventure Commons was filled with sounds of pickleball — squeaking sneakers, the thwack of a paddle hitting a ball and cheers from players after a good shot.

A dozen players filled three courts at the athletic center, run by the Adventure Christian Church, located just off exit 315 from Interstate 57 in south suburban Chicago.

Among those playing pickleball on Wednesday morning (May 14) was Kathy Henricks, a retired real estate agent and member of Adventure Church. She’s been playing the game with friends for about four years — and is largely responsible for the church having pickleball.

“I said, ‘How come we don’t have pickleball?’” she told RNS, during a break between games. “And a little while later we had nets and were ready to roll.”

That same question is being asked at churches all over the country — from downtown megachurches to smalltown congregations — that are hoping to tap into the power of pickleball to build community and bring a little joy to their neighbors. About 20 million Americans played pickleball in 2024, according to data from the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, and that number continues to grow.

More than a few play at churches.

Todd Katter, pastor of Willow Creek Community Church’s Huntley campus in the Chicago suburbs, said as many as 150 people have taken part in pickleball events sponsored by the church campus in local venues and in the church parking lot.

“Which was a bad idea,” said Katter, as it turned out the parking lot sloped downward. He called pickleball a “playground” for adults and a new third space where people hang out and make friends — and it appeals to folks from 17 to 70.

“There was an era where people went to Starbucks to hang out, he said. “Now, people drive through and grab a Starbucks and go play pickleball.”

Katter, who picked up the game a few years ago, said pickleball is a great outreach for churches. It’s easy to play and is widely popular. And it doesn’t take long for people to get hooked, because the skill level-to-enjoyment curve isn’t very steep.

“Even if you don’t have a lot of skill, you can still have a lot of fun,” said Katter.

Jason Young, the care and ministry pastor at Hope Community Church in Glenview, Illinois, said sports like pickleball can have both social and spiritual benefits. Young said he started going to church in his 20s, after his brother invited him to join a church volleyball team. At the time, he’d had no interest in religion, but he loved to play volleyball, so he said yes. Over time, he said, being around folks on the team rubbed off on him and he eventually started going to church.

Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho, led by controversial Pastor Doug Wilson, is planting a church in Washington, D.C., that is set to launch July 13. Wilson announced the church plant in a May 12 blog post titled, “A Mission to Babylon.”

“So why are we doing this just now? The first reason is that we are reading providence in a particular way,” Wilson said. “With the change in administration, we believe that there will be many strategic opportunities with numerous evangelicals who will be present both in and around the Trump administration.”

“These believers are obviously culturally engaged already, but we happen to believe that every form of cultural engagement needs to have a solid theological foundation and support, and we want to help to provide it,” Wilson continued. “Without a theological foundation, cultural engagement tends to morph into something that resembles wind surfing on the various breezes of doctrine that tend to blow through evangelicalism. We don’t want anything like that.”

Doug Wilson’s Christ Church Expands to DC

Doug Wilson is the senior minister of Christ Church, which is part of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), a denomination Wilson helped form.

He is a controversial figure for reasons including his views on race, his church’s desire to make Moscow a “Christian town,” his identification as a Christian nationlist, and his expression of complementarianism. Other reasons include how his church has handled allegations of sexual abuse and that Wilson officiated the wedding of a convicted pedophile, who married one of the church members.

Some have also criticized the pastor for his use of vulgar language. In a blog post in 2019, Wilson referred to progressive Lutheran Pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber as a c***. 

RELATED: ‘The Apostle Paul Wants the Women to Make the Sandwiches,’ Says Pastor Douglas Wilson

In November 2023, Pastor Kevin DeYoung critiqued what he called the “Moscow mood.” Wilson responded to that critique, defending himself and doubling down on his decision to write “the famous piece where I used the c-word.”

In his blog about the church plant, titled “A Mission to Babylon,” Wilson compared the church’s mission to Nehemiah’s task of rebuilding the wall and to the idea of bringing “Babylon into the New Jerusalem.”

“We do grant that we have landed upon an unusual method for church planting,” said Wilson. “Part of our prep work for this consisted of raising sufficient funds to able to fly different ministers in each week. This will consequently be a team effort.”

Last month, fellow NBA players anonymously voted Tyrese Haliburton “most overrated.” Since then, the Indiana Pacers point guard has been proving them wrong. “I’m at my best when people are talking [badly] about me,” said Haliburton, who’s known for his quiet presence on the court.

During round one of the playoffs, fans in Milwaukee taunted Haliburton with chants of “Overrated.” On April 29, he silenced them with a game-winning shot as overtime expired. “Overrate THAT,” Haliburton posted afterward.

RELATED: 9 NBA Players Who Boldly Share Their Christian Faith

LeBron James is among those who’ve taken notice. “Where the lames who said he was overrated??!!” the Lakers superstar wrote on X. James described Haliburton as quiet and nice, calling him “someone everyone would love to play with!”

In the second round of the playoffs, Haliburton helped his fourth-seed Pacers dispatch the heavily favored Cleveland Cavaliers, the East’s top seed. Now the Pacers are preparing for a second consecutive Eastern Conference Finals matchup, against either the Celtics or Knicks.

Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton: ‘I’m Made in the Image of God’

In addition to his offensive prowess and exceptional passing, Tyrese Haliburton is also known for his growing Christian faith. Before last year’s Paris Olympics, where he won gold as a member of Team USA, the athlete listed 10 “essentials” he can’t live without. Atop the list was God’s Word.

“Over the last two years, my religion has become very important in my life,” Haliburton explained, holding up a Bible. “Just understanding that I’m made in the image of God in a world where you have a bad game and they’re killing you on social media, or confidence goes up and down, I can always come right here. This is my peace.”

Scripture also helps Haliburton “understand that I’m made in [God’s] image, and he’s the only one who can really judge me.” Although he “always believed” in popular verses such as Philippians 4:13, he admitted, “I never read the Bible… I [didn’t] go to church or nothing like that growing up.”

(RNS) — The Rev. Calvin Robinson, a priest and British transplant living in Grand Rapids, Michigan, whose Nazi-like salute cost him his license in January, is once again unable to serve as priest after an Anglican bishop granted, then rescinded, Robinson a temporary license.

“After much prayer and counsel from fellow bishops, who have not required me to revoke licensure, I have decided that I must withdraw it effective this day,” wrote the Most Rev. Ray Sutton, presiding bishop of the Reformed Episcopal Church, in an email posted on Robinson’s Instagram story Wednesday (May 14). Sutton confirmed to RNS that he withdrew the license.

Nearly four months ago, the Anglican Catholic Church revoked Robinson’s license to serve in that denomination after he concluded his speech at the National Pro-Life Summit with a brief, straight-arm salute. The gesture, which he has since apologized for, was similar to Elon Musk’s controversial salute during an Inauguration Day speech at Capitol One Arena, which was also compared to a Nazi salute. Robinson had also been accused of making antisemitic statements and was “warned repeatedly to desist from his overtly provocative behavior,” according to the Anglican Catholic Church.

On Monday, Robinson announced he would resume his priestly duties at St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Grand Rapids, where he had previously served as rector beginning in fall 2024. St. Paul’s, he shared in a video update, disaffiliated with the Anglican Catholic Church on May 4. Robinson said he had also resigned from the Anglican Catholic Church and had been licensed by another jurisdiction, allowing him to preach and administer the sacraments.

That jurisdiction was the Reformed Episcopal Church, a distinct jurisdiction in the Anglican Church in North America, known as ACNA, which broke away from the Episcopal Church in 2009. Earlier this month, Sutton, the presiding bishop of the Reformed Episcopal Church, who also oversees its Diocese of Mid-America, granted Robinson a one-year license to serve as a priest. The arrangement, Sutton told RNS previously, did not grant Robinson or his parish membership in the Reformed Episcopal Church (or, by extension, ACNA)—instead, the parish was considered “independent.”

RELATED: Priest dismissed for Nazi-like salute is restored to service by ACNA jurisdiction

However, on Monday, ACNA Archbishop Steve Wood released a public statement expressing concerns about Robinson’s public profile. The Reformed Episcopal Church is self-governing but operates under the umbrella of the Anglican Church in North America, according to a spokesperson for the denomination.

“I am concerned to have the Anglican Church of North America affiliated with a leader whose public comments and persona consistently fail to exhibit the love and grace of Jesus Christ,” said Wood’s statement.

By Wednesday evening, Sutton had emailed Robinson to say that he revoked Robinson’s license. Sutton’s email did not provide a reason for the decision. In an Instagram story post, Robinson wrote a caption that said, “Bp Ray Sutton is a good man. One of the best Anglican bishops I know. If even he cannot find a place for me, even temporarily, perhaps God is sending me a message.” Robinson’s Twitter account no longer appears active.

Robinson is known for his strong opposition to feminism, women’s ordination, abortion and what he sees as the “liberal infestation of the church.” Since being denied a position in the Church of England in 2022, he’s been affiliated with several conservative Anglican jurisdictions, including the Free Church of England (also known as the Reformed Episcopal Church of the United Kingdom and Ireland), the Nordic Catholic Church in England, the Anglican Catholic Church and, most recently, the Reformed Episcopal Church.

RELATED: Anglican priest Calvin Robinson dismissed by church over Nazi-like salute

This article originally appeared here. 

On Thursday, May 15, Lionsgate announced that it is officially partnering with Mel Gibson for his highly anticipated film “The Resurrection of the Christ.”

Lionsgate is the studio that brought audiences the films “Jesus Revolution,” “I Can Only Imagine,” “The Unbreakable Boy,” “Ordinary Angels,” Unsung Hero,”  and “I Still Believe,” and the studio will also bring next year’s release of “I Can Only Imagine 2.”

In a press release, Lionsgate said:

Multiple Oscar-winning director and producers Mel Gibson and Bruce Davey, and their Icon Productions banner, have chosen Lionsgate to be the studio partner on the highly anticipated motion picture “The Resurrection of the Christ,” the follow-up to their landmark 2004 film “The Passion of the Christ,” which until last year was the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time domestically.

Despite having a production budget of only $30 million, an R-rating, and being primarily filmed in Aramaic, “The Passion of the Christ” gathered more that $610 million at the box office globally.

“For many, many people across the globe, ‘The Resurrection of the Christ’ is the most anticipated theatrical event in a generation,” Adam Fogelson, chair of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, said.

Fogelson added, “It is also an awe-inspiring and spectacularly epic theatrical film that is going to leave moviegoers worldwide breathless.”

RELATED: ‘Nobody Dies for a Lie’—Mel Gibson Discusses Jesus’ Resurrection With Joe Rogan

Fogelson described Gibson as “one of the greatest directors of our time” and said that this “project is both deeply personal to [Gibson] and the perfect showcase for his talents as a filmmaker.”

“My relationship with Mel and Bruce dates back 30 years,” he said, “and I am thrilled to be partnering with them once again on this landmark event for audiences.”

Calling Brandon Lake and Forrest Frank “breakout stars in the Christian music world,” Billboard credited the musicians for a recent surge in the genre’s popularity.

For the first time since 2014, two Christian songs appear simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 chart: Lake’s “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” now in its twelfth week, and Frank’s “Your Way’s Better,” now in its third week.

After Billboard reconfigured its metrics in 2013, two Christian songs briefly charted at the same time in December 2014. But as Billboard noted, “Hard Fought Hallelujah” has “significant longevity” on the chart (peaking at No. 40), and “Your Way’s Better” is “still on the rise,” jumping to No. 61 from its debut at No. 72.

RELATED: ‘God Perfectly Orchestrated My Career’—Forrest Frank Shares How He Balances Faith and Success

In addition, Frank’s “Good Day” and Elevation Worship’s “Praise” (featuring Brandon Lake, Chris Brown, and Chandler Moore) are both climbing Billboard’s Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart of songs to watch.

So far, Frank has had 34 songs on Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs chart, including six in the top 10. Lake has had 42 entries on that chart, including nine in the top 10 and six that reached No. 1.

Since 2013, more than 50 songs have appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Christian Songs charts. But only 11 were neither Christmas-themed nor crossover rap songs, such as what Relevant called “mainstream aberrations” by Kanye West.

Brandon Lake, Forrest Frank Attract Young Listeners

According to Billboard, Brandon Lake and Forrest Frank are part of a “broader trend” in the popularity of Christian music. Citing a recent report about the genre’s growth among young Americans, it said the average person spends 19% more time listening to Christian music now than in 2022.