”. . . Every step toward...

“. . . Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals. . . . The hope of the world is still in dedicated minorities. The trailblazers in human, academic, scientific and religious freedom have always been in the minority. . . . It will take . . . a small committed minority to work unrelentingly to win the uncommitted majority. Such a group may well transform America’s greatest dilemma into her most glorious opportunity.” --from “The Words of Martin Luther King Jr.” Two respected religious leaders will ask about 350 community activists to reflect on those words early Wednesday morning as they gather to break bread, pray and sing together in remembrance of modern America’s foremost civil rights leader.

The occasion is the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Interfaith Prayer Breakfast, sponsored by the Los Angeles regions of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The keynote speakers will be the Rev. Michael M. Mata, professor of urban ministry at the School of Theology at Claremont, and the Rev. M. Cecilia Broadous, associate minister of mission support and community development for the American Baptist Churches of Los Angeles.

Hosted this year by Holman United Methodist Church in Los Angeles, the 8 a.m. program begins a week of local recognition of the life and legacy of the civil rights leader and Baptist minister. The King birthday holiday will be officially observed Jan. 16.

In their address to the breakfast, Mata said he and Broadous will “tell our own stories” as a way of sharing the common humanity that transcends ethnic diversity.

A Texas-born Latino, Mata was greatly influenced by his father, a Nazarene minister. “My dad’s motto was, ‘I’m always going to root for the underdog.’ He meant anyone marginalized in society because of color, disability or by just being different,” Mata said. “As a result, I took it for granted that to be a Christian meant that we would be involved in certain kinds of issues.

“What Dr. King was trying to do was see that all people, regardless of their station in life, can experience themselves as truly human--with dignity, with a future. Under his leadership, the human rights movement of the ‘60s made it possible for everyone--not just for African Americans--to aspire to that,” Mata said.

Nevertheless, he pointed out, even in multicultural Los Angeles, inter-ethnic relations “don’t just happen. They have to be intentional . . . and more than just appreciating each other’s foods.”

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Broadous--one of five clergy members in her family--also spoke this week about her story. Born and raised in Pacoima, where her father founded the Calvary Baptist Church, she paid tribute to both her parents, who “loved and prayed for the rebellious college student” she was before she entered the seminary and was sent by the Baptists to volunteer in Zaire for three years and to monitor the first free elections in South Africa in 1994.

Broadous and Mata express a sense of optimism about the possibilities of fulfilling the dream of social justice--optimism based on the “passionate concern of dedicated individuals” that King wrote about.

“ Hopeful is the word that comes to me,” Broadous said, “with all of our trials, tribulations and turmoil. I still have hope, not only because of Dr. King’s legacy, but because of the people in this city who have such a concern about it.

“There are many ‘Dr. Kings’ among us now,” she said. “Some will never see a TV camera or be quoted in the L.A. Times. But in their communities, on their block, in their neighborhood, their churches, synagogues and homes, they’re continuing to be voices for the people who have no voice. We have to encourage and affirm those people,” she said.

In addition to the speakers’ presentations, the program will include prayers and music from representatives of numerous and diverse ethnic and religious traditions.

The breakfast is being held in cooperation with the Interreligious Council of Southern California and the American Jewish Committee. Holman United Methodist Church is at 3320 W. Adams Blvd. Admission is $15. For information and reservations, phone the National Conference at (213) 250-8787 on Tuesday.

OTHER KING EVENTS

* The Rev. Kenneth J. Flowers, senior pastor of Messiah Baptist Church in Los Angeles, will speak at a joint service of his congregation and its “covenant partner,” Temple Israel of Hollywood, at Sabbath eve services at 8 p.m. Friday. Members of both congregations will participate in the service honoring Martin Luther King Jr. The church and synagogue are now in their fifth year of joint celebrations and programs. 7300 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles. (213) 876-8330.

* The South Coast Ecumenical Council, together with 50 local congregations and organizations, will hold its fourth annual Martin Luther King Jr. Interfaith Celebration at 3 p.m. Jan. 15 at First United Methodist Church in Long Beach. Among the dozen or more participants in the multicultural event are the Rev. Paula Ferris, host pastor; Imam Hareen Abdullah of Masjid Al-Shareef, the International Peace Choir and a Bahai dance/rap group. A reception follows the interfaith worship event. Donations will benefit the Dwight Prince Bone Marrow Donor Fund, which targets potential African American and Latino donors for testing. 507 Pacific Ave., Long Beach. (310) 595-0268.

* “Carrying the Dream Forward” will be the theme of the San Fernando Valley Interfaith Council’s seventh annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration service from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 16 at Mary Immaculate Church in Pacoima. The event will begin with a sing-along and will include performances by an interfaith choir led by Granada Hills Chorale director Maryann Mendenhall and the Mary Immaculate Choir and Latin Combo. Tributes and readings about the King legacy will be shared by such community leaders as the Rev. Zedar Broadous, president of the San Fernando Valley Branch of the NAACP, Imam Ahmed El-GaBalawy, director of the Islamic Center of Northridge, and Tyree Wieder, acting president of Los Angeles Valley College. A reception will follow. Donations accepted. 10390 Remick St. (818) 718-6460.

* The First African Methodist Episcopal Church Choir will present “An Evening of Gospel Music” at the University of Judaism’s Gindi Auditorium at 8 p.m. Jan. 18, in honor of the Martin Luther King Jr. birthday. Three of the church’s music groups--the Cathedral Choir, the Men of FAME and the Praise Team--will perform under the direction of the Rev. Joe Westmoreland. Admission is $9, with discounts for groups. (310) 476-9777, Ext. 335.

* The African American/Jewish Dialogue group of Second Baptist Church and Wilshire Boulevard Temple will present a screening of the documentary film “Freedom on My Mind” at 3 p.m. Jan. 22 at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood. The film, which won the 1994 Sundance Grand Jury Prize for best documentary, tells the story of the violent confrontation between the Mississippi Voter Registration Project and the segregationist establishment between 1961 and 1964. Admission is $5, $2.50 for children 12 and under. 650 N. Bronson. Seating is limited; reservations suggested. (213) 388-2401.

DATES

* OneHeart, an ecumenical Christian meditation group, is offering a free four-week series of classes on spirituality in everyday life at Church of the Angels Episcopal Church in Pasadena. The classes meet Tuesdays, beginning this week, from 7 to 9 p.m., and will be conducted by licensed clinical psychologists Mal Schleh and Deborah Spaine of Los Angeles. The organization was founded to teach contemporary Christians to use the ancient Christian tradition of contemplative prayer to deepen and personalize their relationship with God. Members use weekly teaching, sharing and meditation to complement and enhance the spiritual and liturgical experience they have in their home parishes. 1100 N. Avenue 64. (213) 664-7856.

* A women’s communications skills workshop titled “Voices in Responsible Dialogue” will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. next Saturday at Aldersgate Retreat Center in Pacific Palisades. Sponsored by Westwood United Methodist Church, the workshop will be led by Ilene Blaisch, a licensed clinical social worker who is the former director of Women Helping Women. She will use a variety of techniques to enhance women’s listening and response skills for use at work, at home and in the community. A $40 fee includes lunch, child care and workshop materials. The registration deadline is Monday. (310) 474-4511.

* “The Future of Jewish Monuments,” an exhibit currently on view at the Jewish Community Building, is designed to raise awareness of the endangered state of many Jewish architectural and historical sites throughout the world. In conjunction with the exhibit, the Jewish Historical Society of Southern California has organized a series of events, including a Tree Planting and Cemetery Beautification Day on Jan. 15. The Jewish Community Building is at 6505 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. For the operating hours of the gallery in which the exhibit is being shown, phone (213) 852-1234. For information about and reservations for historical society events, phone (213) 653-7740.

* B’nai David-Judea Congregation will celebrate the dedication of a Torah scroll rescued from the Holocaust and restored by the synagogue over the past year at 11 a.m. Jan. 15. The public is invited to enjoy live music, dancing, food and a parade down Pico Boulevard. Parents and children are invited to plant trees to celebrate Tu B’Shevat, the Jewish New Year of the Trees. Admission is free. 8906 W. Pico Boulevard. (310) 276-9269.

* St. Matthew’s Music Guild will present the Stanford String Quartet performing works of Mozart, Beethoven and Webern at 8 p.m. Thursday at St. Matthew’s Church, 1031 Bienveneda Ave., Pacific Palisades. Admission is $10. (310) 454-1358.