A converted warehouse at Main Street and...

A converted warehouse at Main Street and 58th Place in South-Central Los Angeles is the official home of the new Mt. Zion Computer Learning Center.

The Rev. E.V. Hill, pastor of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, and Franklin Graham--son of the Rev. Billy Graham and president of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief organization based in Boone, N.C.--officiated at ribbon-cutting ceremonies June 12. About 20 students have been receiving instruction there for several weeks.

A joint project of the church and Samaritan’s Purse, the center was established to train and educate inner-city youths and adults. Samaritan’s Purse provided $100,000 in start-up funds and three months in operational costs.

Under the direction of clinic staff, four shifts of students spend two hours a day at 10 electronic workstations. They progress at their own rate, learning basic computer literacy, mathematics and other skills that will enable them to earn a high school diploma, take an equivalency exam, or enter a corporate or private accredited computer training program. Writing and basic reading instruction are also offered. Besides computer instruction, students receive individualized lessons from staff members, as well as counseling on motivation, attitude and personal hygiene.

The learning program, called NOVA, uses computers, videophonics, word processing, software tutorials and multimedia tools. It was developed by Ronald Gonzales, founder of Innovative Learning Systems in Los Angeles, who provided staff training for free.

Three students spoke about the center at the ceremony. One student, a recovering alcohol and drug abuser, told the audience of 100 that he had been off drugs for six months and was rebuilding his life because of the center’s help. “I’m going to make it,” he said.

Hill said the center’s goal is to “take people who are not presently making a contribution to society and equip and empower them with the academic, social and spiritual tools necessary to become responsible working members of our community. If we are ever going to rebuild Los Angeles, we must do more than rebuild our buildings, homes and stores. We must rebuild our people.”

In his remarks, Graham said: “Unfortunately, we don’t have the resources to train everyone who needs help, but if we can educate 40 people each session and empower them with the skills necessary to become gainfully employed, we can make a difference in Los Angeles.

“After all,” he said, “when Jesus was here on Earth, he helped one person at a time. That is what we intend to do through this learning center.”

CELEBRATIONS

* The Church in Ocean Park (United Methodist) celebrates its 20th anniversary and the 20th year of leadership by founding minister the Rev. James Conn, a former mayor of Santa Monica, with two events. A “roast” will be held for Conn during the festivities, to be held from 6 p.m. to midnight tonight. Other events include a festival and silent auction. Admission is $20. At 10 a.m. Sunday, Conn will be honored with a special presentation by Robert Edgar, president of the School of Theology at Claremont and a former congressman from Pennsylvania. 235 Hill St. (310) 399-1631.

* The Rev. Daniel Payton Fuller, a theologian and the son of the pioneer radio evangelist Charles E. Fuller, has retired from the seminary his father co-founded in 1947. During commencement ceremonies at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena on June 12, he was presented with an honorary doctor of divinity degree from the seminary, where he served for 40 years as academic dean and professor of hermeneutics (biblical interpretation). He holds two doctoral degrees, has written four books and has been president of the Fuller Evangelistic Assn. since 1968.

* The St. James Armenian Apostolic Church’s 52nd Annual Picnic will be held from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday on the parish grounds. Music, dancing, shish kebab dinners and other Armenian food will be featured. Admission is free. Proceeds from raffles, games and food benefit the church. 4950 W. Slauson Ave., Los Angeles. (213) 295-4588.

* Final approval of plans for a new Lutheran Seminary, American Lutheran Theological Seminary, was given recently by the American Assn. of Lutheran Churches. The Rev. Fred P. Hall, a pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in San Pedro, has been elected to the faculty of the St. Paul, Minn., school, which opens in September. Hall holds a doctorate in historical theology from Fuller Theological Seminary and has taught there and at Lutheran Bible Institute-California. He has served as the Lutheran body’s West Coast coordinator for seminary training since 1988.

DATES

* “My Three Years of Teaching a True American Patriot: the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” is the message of the Rev. Glenn Smiley at 9:30 a.m. Sunday at the Panorama City Church of the Brethren. Smiley directs the Martin Luther King Center for Nonviolence. 14517 Osborne St. (818) 891-2231.

* Christ the Shepherd Lutheran Church in Altadena celebrates a “New Life Mass of Victory” for those in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. The service includes the Sacrament of New Life, baptism and sermon by a guest preacher who is celebrating a new life of recovery. A complimentary barbecue luncheon follows. 185 W. Altadena Drive. (818) 794-7011.

Notices may be sent to Southern California File by mail c/o Religion Editor, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, Calif. 90053, or by fax to (213) 237-4712. Items must be brief and arrive at least three weeks in advance of the event announced. Include a phone number, date, time and full address.