After an Act of God or Nature, Persevere : The record shows this to have been an ecumenical earthquake. . . . It seems that this quake left no faith unscathed.

The day before, John Moody had run more than 26 miles. If he was feeling a bit stiff, he was also feeling good. This was his seventh consecutive Los Angeles Marathon, and though he’s run it faster in the past, this was his most satisfying yet.

A month ago, Moody, the 41-year-old pastor of First Presbyterian Church in North Hollywood, figured there’d be no way he’d be able to run this year. The earthquake that some fundamentalists interpret as the wrath of God had severely damaged the sanctuary at the corner of Colfax and Addison, earning it a red tag from city inspectors. For a month the minister was just too busy tending to quake chores to jog. Then, with the marathon a few weeks away, Moody decided to, as the shoe company advises, just do it.

Shielding his eyes from the glare of the sun, the minister seemed to be pointing toward the heavens. “The quake snapped the rebar in the columns that support the roof,” he explained. “It’s like someone took a slice with a hacksaw.”

Repairing the sanctuary might cost $1 million. And this is the work of God?

“Most of my congregation, if not all,” Moody suggests, “would say this was a natural disaster--that God didn’t cause the earthquake.”

*

This is an irony that seems to have escaped certain preachers. On TV the other night, I saw an evangelist suggest that the Almighty wasn’t just punishing Los Angeles for its general wickedness, but the San Fernando Valley in particular. The Valley, he correctly pointed out, is the hotbed of the porno industry. A mere coincidence? He thought not.

Now, perhaps the preacher went on to explain why places of worship were hit harder than the smutmeisters. I don’t know. I changed the channel.

The record shows this to have been an ecumenical earthquake. In some parts the damage was minor, but it seems that this quake left no faith unscathed. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has estimated the damage to its churches and schools at between $85 million and $100 million. Kimberly Hall, a spokeswoman for the San Fernando Valley Inter-Faith Council, notes that within her Mormon faith, three churches have been shut down.

Another telltale sign: This quake, according to Judson Studios of Highland Park, has caused more damage to stained glass than any disaster before it. The Judson family, which for 100 years has designed stained glass for churches and synagogues, has business backed up for months.

The good news for the religious community is that the constitutional separation of church and state doesn’t prevent the federal Small Business Administration from making loans to repair structural damage.

“Any kind of nonprofit is eligible for a loan for physical damage,” said Diane Brady, an SBA spokeswoman. Religious institutions, she said, are treated “pretty much like a business”--with one exception. Other businesses may apply for loans to cover “economic injury,” a stopgap measure to make up for lost profits. Churches may not seek SBA money to compensate for a hardship in passing the plate.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, meanwhile, may provide grants to some churches that provide “government-like” assistance on their sites. First Presbyterian of North Hollywood, for example, is hoping that the community services it provides or hosts--the preschool, the county-run senior meals program, the Alcoholics Anonymous meetings--will help the church qualify for a grant.

*

Several congregations face the quandary that burdens First Presbyterian. One option at Moody’s church is to repair the building. The other is to salvage the pews, the stained glass, the organ, the marble chancel and then demolish the sanctuary and build a new one.

If that’s the option, they should also the salvage ‘60s-era light fixtures that look like a tribute to Sputnik. They are magnificently tacky examples of the so-called Googie style in architecture, typified by the coffee shop of that era. “Every time I come in here,” Moody says, “it reminds me of Ship’s.”

In some ways, First Presbyterian is luckier than some churches. Only the sanctuary was red-tagged, so worship and programs were squeezed into auxiliary buildings. Its small chapel, with seating for 140, survived the quake and is nearly large enough to seat the entire congregation. To many members, the sanctuary, built in the early 1960s to seat 750, was a financial albatross.

There’s a history here. Back when the sanctuary was built, the congregation had about 1,000 members. But not long after the sanctuary went up, the congregation was riven by a theological and political dispute. About 35% of the congregation left, taking 60% of its financial resources. Those left behind were saddled with the debt created by a larger congregation.

By the time Moody arrived 10 years ago, the membership had dwindled to its current size. Since then, Sunday attendance has risen and the church has launched several programs, opening its doors to the community. Right now, there are many more questions than answers. “To ask this congregation to take on a million-dollar mortgage--it would be very difficult.”

Moody, the marathon man, figures to take it a step at a time.

“Perseverance and endurance are two qualities important in doing ministry,” he says. “The marathon is certainly a lesson about that.”

Scott Harris’ column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Readers may write Harris at The Times Valley Edition, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth, Calif. 91311.

for box: