CROUCH SUCCESSOR: The Rev. J. B. Hackworth,...

CROUCH SUCCESSOR: The Rev. J. B. Hackworth, pastor of Testimonial Cathedral Church of God in Christ in Los Angeles, will succeed the late Bishop Benjamin Crouch of Pacoima as bishop of three dozen churches in the Los Angeles area, according to Bishop Charles Blake of West Angeles Church of God in Christ.

No decision has been made on who will follow Crouch, who died Dec. 17, as senior pastor of Christ Memorial Church, Blake said. Bishop Wilbur Hamilton of the San Francisco Bay Area is in charge of the local congregation and will handle the selection of a new pastor, Blake said.

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RADIO PERSONALITY: Warren Duffy, a 20-year veteran of radio broadcasting and former executive administrative assistant to the Rev. Robert Schuller at the Crystal Cathedral, began this week as host of the afternoon talk show at KKLA, a Glendale-based Christian radio station at 99.5 FM.

Currently managing a public relations firm in Huntington Beach, Duffy was known as “Captain Crystal” on West Coast radio and was program director of radio station KMET-FM in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The KKLA program, “L.A. Live,” will air from 4 to 7 p.m. daily.

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MAYORAL TALK: Mayor Richard Riordan will speak on his plans for Los Angeles during the 7 p.m. service Friday at Temple Beth Hillel, 12326 Riverside Drive, North Hollywood.

For more information, call the synagogue at (818) 763-9148.

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JONI APPEARANCE: Inspirational speaker-author Joni Eareckson Tada will speak at 7 p.m. Monday to a disabilities support group at Church in the Canyon in Calabasas. Tada, a quadriplegic who heads an evangelical ministry based in Agoura Hills, will address the theme of building self-esteem in children during the public meeting at the church library, 4235 Las Virgenes Road.

For information, call Kathy at (818) 880-1808 or Chantal at (818) 880-5476.

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FATHER MANNING: Divine Word Father Michael Manning, who directs the mass media work of his religious order in the Western states, will speak at the Monday luncheon of the East San Fernando Valley District of the Los Angeles Council of Catholic Women at Holy Family Catholic Church, 209 E. Lomita Ave., Glendale.

The council’s meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. and ends at 1:30 p.m. The charge is $5.50. For reservations, call JoAnn Oliver at (818) 790-7392 or Jan Kubsni at (818) 244-9815.

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MARTIN LUTHER KING: Three groups from First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles will perform gospel music Wednesday night at the University of Judaism’s Gini Auditorium as a part of Martin Luther King Jr. birthday observances.

First AME’s Cathedral Choir, the Men of FAME and the Praise Team--all directed by the Rev. Joe Westmoreland--will begin at 8 p.m. Admission is $12. For information, call the campus, which is located at 15600 Mulholland Drive, at (310) 476-9777, ext. 335.

News and announcements for this column may be sent to Religion Desk, Los Angeles Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth 91311.