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Greg Zanis, carpenter who built crosses for mass shooting victims, dies at 69

Few knew him by name, but many saw his signature handiwork on the side of the road or in media images from scenes of tragedy—squat, white wooden crosses with the names of gun victims scrawled in black ink.

Greg Zanis estimated he made more than 26,000 such memorials, iconic testaments to the nation’s mass shootings.

Zanis died May 4 of bladder cancer, said his daughter, Susie Zanis, whose GoFundMe account, initially set up to support his work and his medical expenses, is now being devoted to his funeral. He was 69.

Gayraud Wil­more, famed scholar of black church history, dies at 98

Gayraud Wil­more, a pastor, renowned scholar of African Ameri­can church history, and key figure in the civil rights movement, died April 18 at the age of 98.

Wilmore received his call to the ministry in 1943 while dodging bullets in a foxhole. He had been drafted into the army and, as a member of the famed Buffalo Soldiers, served with the all-black 92nd Infantry Division in Italy during World War II.

Louisana pastor Tony Spell arrested for backing church bus toward COVID-19 protester

Louisiana authorities arrested a pastor on an assault charge on April 21 after he admitted that he drove his church bus toward a man who has been protesting his decision to continue holding mass gatherings at church in defiance of public health orders during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Cameron Strang returns to Relevant after sabbatical, 'spiritual abuse' accusations

Cameron Strang, the founder of the evangelical Christian media company Relevant, has returned as CEO more than six months after criticism of his leadership and allegations of “spiritual abuse” induced him to step away.

Relevant, based in Orlando, Florida, announced Strang’s return in a blog post on April 13, saying that Strang had engaged in an “extended period of counseling and introspection” and that his team has worked “to internally address the criticisms in substantive and tangible ways” and “pivot to a new direction as a healthier organization.”

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