Imani Showalter (‘BBW LA’) & Rev. Marvin Sapp an Item?

*It looks like Imani Showalter (“Basketball Wives: LA”) is doing the dating thing again.

Showalter, the ex-fiancé and baby mama of NBA player Stephen Jackson, was quite vocal on season one on “Wives” about not having dated since she and Jackson  ended their relationship.

As they say, time changes things. And according to Hip Hollywood, last fall when Showalter met Grammy-nominated gospel singer Marvin Sapp, who also pastors the Lighthouse Full Life Center Church in Grand Rapid,MI., her dating status instantly changed.

How’d they meet you ask? Well, Sapp was in Los Angeles judging Verizon’s “How Sweet the Sound” choir competition on Oct. 28 at the Staples Center and Showalter was introduced to him before the show.

“The two exchanged information and immediately started corresponding after the show. A week or so later Marvin flew her to Grand Rapids to visit him and so she could experience his church,” said a source.

“They’ve been spending quite a bit of time together. They’re definitely falling in love and I wouldn’t be surprised if they ended up getting married,” the source added.

In case you didn’t know, Sapp is a father of three and a widower. His ex-wife Malinda died of colon cancerin 2010.

OK, if this is a story about a “Basketball Wife,” where’s the drama?!

Ask and ye shall receive. 

It seems that the good church folk at Rev. Sapp’s church were originally fine with their pastor dating the reality TV star, buuuut they recently became all put out, shall we say, when Ms. Showalter tweeted photos of herself in a itsy bitsy leopard bikini (see below) to show off her recent weight loss via @IamMelissaImani.

“If she seriously wants to be with him and plans to become the First Lady of his church, the last thing she needs to be doing is tweeting risqué photos of herself. That’s just a big no-no!” one member reportedly said.

Well, all we have to say is, “Lawd, hav’ mercy. Go ‘head Rev.  Sapp, don’t hurt yo’ self!”