A traveling team of youth workers trained...

A traveling team of youth workers trained by the Nashville-based Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention is bringing low-cost religious day camps to several cities, including Los Angeles, this summer.

Up to 250 seventh- through 12th-graders from the inner city will have a chance to attend Centrifuge ’94 from Aug. 15 to 19. About 250 member churches of the Long Beach Harbor, Los Angeles and Crescent Bay Southern Baptist associations are lending their support locally to offer the camp at Compton Community College.

Participating youngsters will take part in basketball, volleyball and track, among other sports, and spend time each day on a special interest such as choir, drama, photography or crafts. They will also study the Bible and share worship experiences with new friends, said Juanita Lewis, volunteer youth director of the Long Beach Harbor Southern Baptist Assn.

“There is no staff at many of the medium and small churches in the area to offer summer programs other than a vacation Bible school for two to three hours each evening for a week,” she said, “so the camp is a good opportunity for kids to be involved with over the summer.”

Although Lewis enjoyed overnight camp growing up in Tennessee, she said that for many inner-city youths, the experience is unappealing. “They didn’t grow up in the rugged countryside and they’re not interested in saving up their money for it,” she said. “A day camp offering sports and things they’re used to is more appealing.” She said the fee would be $50 for the weekday camp. A limited number of scholarships are available.

Lewis, who will be taking time off from her position as a management consultant at Southern California Gas Co. to serve as camp coordinator, believes that a week of religious experience in a day camp environment can make a difference in the life of an inner-city boy or girl.

“Having them eight hours a day for five days gives us a lot more possibilities than seeing them just on Sunday,” she said.

“We plan to present the Gospel to them in motivational ways. We will equip them for survival in the inner-city by presenting the Scriptures in a way that will offer them spiritual guidance in their daily life,” she said.

Parents interested in enrolling their teen-agers in Centrifuge ’94 must attend an informational meeting at a local church. For further information, contact Juanita Lewis at (310) 537-7911.

DATES

* The Rt. Rev. Edmund Yeboah, the Anglican bishop of Kumasi, Ghana, currently visiting Los Angeles, will speak during High Mass at 4 p.m. June 18, at the Chapel of St. Francis in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles. An African feast and dancing will follow. 3621 Brunswick Ave. (213) 663-2063. At 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. June 19, he will be the guest of honor at Mass at the Parish of St. Mary in Los Angeles. A reception follows. 961 S. Mariposa Ave. (213) 387-1334.

* Islamic solutions to social problems affecting minority communities will be discussed at “Unity and Humanity,” a humanity conference sponsored by Masjid Ibaadillah on June 18 and 19 at the Airport Hilton Hotel. Topics include drugs and AIDS, racism and culture in Islam, men and women in Islam and youth peer pressure. Scheduled speakers include former Los Angeles Councilman Robert Farrell; the Rev. Cecil Murray; Imams Yahya Abdullah of Dallas; Qasim Ahmed of Houston, and Fahim Shuiabe of Oakland. Imam Masjid Bilal will conduct marriage ceremonies for participants who wish to renew their wedding vows. For a schedule, registration and other information, call (213) 734-9940.

* The Westside Jewish Community Center will hold its gala 40th birthday celebration Sunday, with reunions for all those who played sports over the past four decades on Price Playground, beginning at 10:30 a.m., former swimmers at 11 a.m., and old campers and nursery school alumni beginning at noon. At 2 p.m., everyone will meet for music, games, prizes and a giant birthday cake. Admission is free. 5870 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles. (213) 938-2531.

* Father Raymond E. Brown, Auburn distinguished professor emeritus of biblical studies at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, will speak about his new book, “The Death of the Messiah,” from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. on the Doheny campus of Mt. St. Mary’s College. Admission is $5; reservations are recommended. (213) 746-0450, Ext. 2131.

* Three West Hollywood churches have jointly announced free weekly Bible study programs, taught at 7:30 p.m. on three different evenings from three differing theological perspectives. Choose from: Mondays at St. Ambrose Roman Catholic Church, taught by Father Jack Beattie, (213) 656-4433; Tuesdays at Crescent Heights United Methodist Church, taught by the Rev. Tom Griffith, (213) 656-5336, or Wednesdays at First Baptist Church, taught by the Rev. Tom Stringfellow, (310) 276-3978.

* Rep. Howard Berman (D-Panorama City), Sen. Herschel Rosenthal (D-Los Angeles) and Assemblywoman Barbara Friedman (D-North Hollywood) will attend Adat Ari El Synagogue’s dedication of a new school building, playground, chapel and auditorium at 10 a.m. Sunday. Rabbi David Wolpe will be the keynote speaker. 12020 Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood. (818) 766-4926.

HONORS

* A priest in the Los Angeles Roman Catholic Archdiocese, Father Steven B. Zak, has received a five-year appointment to serve as an official in the Secretariat of State of the Holy See.

* David Ackerman will join the University of Judaism as associate dean and academic head of the Fingerhut School of Education, beginning next month. Succeeding him as educational director of the Jacob Pressman Academy of Temple Beth Am in Los Angeles will be Aviva Lebovitz, director of education of Sinai Temple in Westwood.

* Historian Father Michael Engh has been appointed to a six-year term as rector of the Loyola Marymount University Jesuit Community, effective July 1. . . . Westchester resident Marie Anne Mayeski, professor of theological studies and director of the Marymount Institute for Faith, Culture and the Arts, received the LMU President’s Fritz B. Burns Distinguished Teaching Award.

* Laurie Oester, a campus minister at Cal State Long Beach since 1989, has been named director of campus ministry for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

* On May 14, Marvin Abrams and Cynthia Abrams became the first father and daughter to graduate the School of Theology at Claremont together. Both received the master of divinity degree.

* A service and reception celebrating the 50th anniversary of the ordination of the Rev. Virgil F. Bjerke will be held at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Long Beach.

* Yeshiva University honored Rabbi Yisroel Avrohom Sharfman, its first ordained rabbi to settle in California, at Madison Garden on May 26 on the occasion of his 50th year in the rabbinate. Sharfman, a founder of the Rabbinical Council of California and current president of the national Orthodox Rabbinical Assn., is rabbi of the Beis Hamedrash Reb Yaakov Emden and honorary rabbi of Beth Israel Synagogue in Minot, North Dakota.

Notices may be sent to Southern California File by mail c/o Religion Editor, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 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.