As a wave of xenophobic violence continues rippling across South Africa, the country’s national church council is urging its members to open their doors for the resulting humanitarian emergencies and for dialogue.
We need to learn again from the Black Church tradition
Growing up, my parents — Evangelist Idella Cora Thomas and Leonard Thomas — guided me spiritually. They emphasized the importance of spiritual discernment in navigating the world and advocating for justice. They wanted me to understand where evil lurks within…
Special Report: South African Ministries Helping Women Leave Prostitution Behind
Financial instability, high unemployment and poverty in South Africa have led some women to choose prostitution as a means of supporting their children.
The Episcopal Church refuses to help Trump Make Apartheid Great Again
On Wednesday, May 21, President Donald Trump once again sullied the presidency and our nation’s reputation by ambushing South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with a made-for-social-media propaganda stunt that was peppered with lies and misleading video about an alleged white…
There’s no ‘white genocide’ in South Africa
President Donald Trump has claimed, without evidence, there is “white genocide” in South Africa. Once more, he has pulled a rotten apple out of his barrel to embellish his own sense of superiority and power. There is no “white genocide”…
While denying refuge to Black Africans, Trump welcomes white South Africans
Refugee resettlement has resumed in the U.S., but only for white South Africans President Donald Trump considers to be victims of the country’s post-apartheid government. The first group of 49 Afrikaners landed at Washington Dulles International Airport May 12, The…
Bishop Budde’s sermon, one month later
Unless you’ve been in a coma, you’re no doubt aware of the sermon Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde gave at a “Service of Prayer for the Nation” held at Washington National Cathedral Jan. 21. The bishop preached a gospel message and…
The first openly gay Muslim imam is killed in South Africa, prompting claims of an assassination
A man regarded as the first openly gay Muslim imam has been fatally shot while sitting in a car in South Africa in what many are calling an assassination because of his teachings.
White Christian leaders in South Africa refute Trump’s claims
More than 300 white Christian leaders in South Africa have signed a statement rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s claims that white people are being victimized there. On Friday, Feb. 7, Trump signed an executive order “to address serious human rights…
Gallup report highlights the impact of religion on gender inequality in Africa
Nearly three decades after the Beijing Conference on Women — where concerns about gender inequality were expressed — Africa still has a long way to go in bridging that gap, a new Gallup study has found. The report, Gender Power…
In an ironic twist, South Africa calls out Israel’s genocide
Yesterday marked the six-month anniversary of the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. Still, we see the images of dead bodies wrapped in white sheets, women lamenting their fate, Gaza residents young and old with empty bowls and pots wondering when…
Every December, some South African churches convert to beer halls
Every December, scores of township churches in South Africa convert into beer pubs, underscoring the underbelly of dire alcohol abuse tearing apart the social fabric of South Africa. Township churches becoming beer taverns just for December is a common phenomenon…