Dennis Prager, radio talk show host, lecturer...

Dennis Prager, radio talk show host, lecturer and publisher of a quarterly on ethical issues, has founded the Micah Center for Ethical Monotheism in Culver City with a grant from James E. Cayne, president of Bear, Stearns Cos.

Named for the biblical prophet Micah, who admonished mankind to “act justly, love goodness and walk humbly with your God,” the center’s purpose is to work with Christians, Jews and Muslims to emphasize the role of ethics within each of these monotheistic religions.

One of the center’s first projects, said Prager, its president, is arranging dinners for blacks and whites--and for Jews and Muslims--at each other’s homes. “It’s such a simple principle,” he said, “but with profound implications: You cannot hate a group if you see its members as individuals. We want to combat racism on all sides--but without further civil rights legislation.”

Calling the center’s position “passionately centrist,” Prager said the center favors the separation of church and state but opposes efforts by the American Civil Liberties Union to “remove every reference to God from public life” and is troubled by other organizations that work to prevent any public display of religion.

He said it will work with clergy, parents, educators and the media to oppose secularist extremism in American society. But, he added, it will also oppose religious extremism, such as efforts to prohibit public schools from teaching theories about the creation of the world that differ from a literal reading of the biblical story. For information, call (310) 287-0394.

MERGER

Two Presbyterian congregations will join forces Sunday in a merger that they hope will breathe life into one and provide elbow room for the other.

St. James Presbyterian Church of San Gabriel, whose aging, white membership has dwindled over the years from 700 to 130, will officially open its facilities to more than a hundred congregants of True Light Presbyterian Church in Lincoln Heights.

The Lincoln Heights church houses an English and Chinese-language ministry for its members, most of them U.S.-born Chinese-Americans. About half of the English-speaking congregation will join with St. James’ congregants to form a church in the St. James facility. The merged congregation will vote on a new name for the church and elect elders and deacons--50% from each constituency--after worship services Sunday.

The Rev. Peter Lai, pastor of True Light, said: “This merger exhibits the kind of unity that the Christian spirit can inspire. I think more churches could consider this kind of pairing within their denominations.”

The Rev. Jeff Powell, St. James’ pastor, said: “We wanted to reach out to our Asian neighbors. . . . Instead of their having to start from scratch out here and meeting in a school, we decided to create a co-pastorship and share the physical facilities of St. James.”

Powell’s co-pastor in the newly formed church will be the Rev. David Woo. Services are Sunday at 9:30 a.m., 200 W. Las Tunas Drive, San Gabriel. (818) 287-0561.

HONORED

Caty Konigsberg recently received the first Jacob Burns Endowment in Ethics Recognition Award in New York. During four years as director of the Los Angeles Hillel Council’s Mitzvah Project, Konigsberg enlisted more than 500 Jewish students from Southern California colleges into programs to visit hospitals and convalescent homes, run food pantries for the poor, plant “sensory gardens” at schools for the blind, and befriend newly arrived Soviet emigres.

The Rev. Jane Adams Spahr will receive the 1992 Lazarus Award from the Lazarus Project at a dinner at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 6 p.m. The project is a ministry of reconciliation between the Presbyterian church and the lesbian and gay community. Dinner is $35. (213) 851-1388.

WORSHIP

A baptism renewal service will take place at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at the Culver-Palms United Methodist Church, 4464 Sepulveda Blvd., Culver City. (310) 390-7717.

CELEBRATION

LaDoris McClaney has been appointed honorary chairwoman of the weeklong celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Guidance Church of Religious Science in Los Angeles. Kickoff is Jan. 13 at the church, 7225 Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles. (213) 778-0773.

The Religious Coalition for Abortion Rights holds a “Candlelight Vigil for Choice” celebrating the 19th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, the Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion, on Jan. 19 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Westwood United Methodist Church. After an interfaith service, participants holding candles will line Wilshire Boulevard between the church and the Federal Building in Westwood. (818) 333-8976.

EDUCATION

UCLA Extension offers courses each quarter that examine major spiritual writings of the world’s religions. Classes beginning this month include “The Methodical Path to Enlightenment: Readings in Early Buddhist Scriptures,” “Back to the Sources: A Guided Introduction to the Classical Texts of Judaism” and “The Ultimate Experience of God: Texts from Jewish, Christian and Muslim Mysticism.” For information or a free catalogue, call (310) 825-5362.

Please address notices to: Southern California File, c/o Religion Editor, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, 90053. To receive consideration, an item must arrive at least two weeks before the event to be announced.