Fundamentalists Anonymous, a concept in counseling aimed...

Fundamentalists Anonymous, a concept in counseling aimed at distressed ex-fundamentalists, has a fledgling Los Angeles chapter, one year after the organization was started in New York City.

The establishment of such chapters around the country has attracted considerable attention of the news media. Appearing at a time of public concern over the impact of fundamentalism, the organization’s name, similar to Alcoholics Anonymous, suggests that beliefs about God, judgment, salvation, heaven and hell are so guilt-producing for ex-fundamentalists that prolonged group counseling is needed.

Los Angeles chapter organizer Gary W. Hartz, a clinical psychologist, said it remains to be seen whether former fundamentalists who are so distressed may need no more than a few weeks of group discussion and support. But he said many ex-fundamentalists have a lingering “mind-set” that bothers them.

“When this mind-set is combined with loneliness, fears that God has condemned them and confusion about what they believe, they become very distressed,” Hartz said.

Hartz said he abandoned his fundamentalist upbringing while earning a master’s degree in theology and a doctorate in psychology at evangelical Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena. He said he now works as a psychologist for a federal institution.

Hartz said the chapter will hold its first official meeting Monday night. At the request of the core group already formed, Hartz said that inquiries about location should be made by writing to Fundamentalists Anonymous, 8306 Wilshire Blvd., Box 359, Beverly Hills 90211, or calling the New York office, (212) 696-0420.

CONGREGATIONS

A large sand sculpture of Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus is taking shape outside Hope Lutheran Church at Melrose and Mansfield avenues in Hollywood. The two-story creation made from 75 tons of sand is by Todd Vander Pluym, who last Easter constructed a Jerusalem scene for the congregation. Pastor Mark Rasbach said the “Holy Family” sculpture will be dedicated at an outdoor service at 6:30 p.m. Monday and will remain through the Christmas season. Donations will be sought to help the congregation, victimized by an arsonist’s fire four years ago, reduce its new church debt.

A former associate of the Rev. Jerry Falwell is the new pastor of Central Baptist Church of Anaheim, a once-booming church whose founding pastor recently retired after 30 years. The new pastor, Robert K. Knutson, 51, was chairman of the missions department at Falwell’s Liberty Baptist College (now Liberty University) and missions director at Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Va., from 1979 until 1985, a church spokesman said. The Anaheim congregation, which had upwards of 2,000 active members and a Sunday school served by a fleet of buses, suffered some attrition by groups of breakaway congregants several years ago, the spokesman said. Sunday attendance is between 300 and 400 people. Founding Pastor Bob Wells, 71, announced his retirement in late October.

Undaunted by vandalism incidents, Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in Beverly Hills on Sunday plans to “reconsecrate” its parish hall used for services by Christians of Jewish heritage. Mt. Calvary Pastor R. John Perling said that on Oct. 14 unknown vandals broke the glass covering the church sign and sprayed graffiti on walls in what he said was the ninth such incident in the three years that Ahvat Zion Congregation has used the facility. While not condoning destructive acts, some Jewish community leaders expressed opposition to the Messianic Jewish congregation’s proselytizing aims when the group first started meeting there. Perling said representatives from many other Missouri-Synod Lutheran churches in Southern California are expected to attend the reconsecration ceremony at noon Sunday.

DATES

The Southern California Mormon Choir has performed George Frederick Handel’s “The Messiah” at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion every Christmas season since the Los Angeles auditorium was completed in 1954. Musical Director Russell L. Fox said the upcoming concert Friday night may be its last there. “We are not assured of getting a date next season because of the competition for performance time by resident opera, orchestra and ballet companies,” Fox said. By midweek, few tickets remained for this year’s concert by the 111-voice choir (“a few singers are away on maternity leave”), Fox said. The Latter-day Sentinel, a Mormon regional newspaper, recently billed this year’s concert as the “final” one at the Music Center, but Fox said that may not be known until the spring.

The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, still without a permanent bishop since the death July 16 of the Rt. Rev. Robert C. Rusack, will open its two-day annual convention Friday at the Los Angeles Hilton. Recently retired Anglican Archbishop E. W. (Ted) Scott of Canada is the Friday evening banquet speaker. Diocesan officials, who earlier said an election of a new bishop would be held next June, have announced that the election is now unlikely before the fall of 1987 to allow more time for assessing diocesan priorities.