The Episcopal Church landed into the crosshairs of a MAGA tantrum after it scrapped a long-standing agreement with the government over a controversial Trump policy.
The church’s decision came after 49 white South Africans arrived in the U.S. as refugees, part of a ruling from President Donald Trump who accused their nation’s government of discriminating against whites.
The church declared that it would refuse to help resettle them, following criticism that white Afrikaners were being allowed to leapfrog a system in which thousands of people were stuck in dangerous circumstances for years.
It defies a longstanding partnership with the government to help newly arrived refugees.
The church came under immediate attack.
According to the Episcopal Church Jesus doesn't love white people,” wrote right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.
And the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones demanded an end of support for the church.
"All Federal Funds MUST Be Pulled From The Episcopal Church. It's Time To Enforce The Separation Of Church And State,” he wrote, according to Newsweek.
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The church received $50 million a year from the Joe Biden administration to resettle refugees, conservative research Parker Thayer said, according to a report in the outlet.
It’s resettled, "6,533 people from 48 different countries in the U.S. during 2024 alone. Being asked to resettle <50 white people from South Africa is too much though..."
Vice President JD Vance also chimed in. “Crazy,” he said.
Rev. Sean W. Rowe, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, told members in letter that it had refused to help resettlement.
said that about two weeks ago, the government contacted the church and said it expected the ministry to resettle some of the South Africans under terms of its grant.
"In light of our church's steadfast commitment to racial justice and reconciliation and our historic ties with the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, we are not able to take this step," he wrote.