Obituaries : Fletcher A. Harding; Author, Encino Community Church Minister

Fletcher A. Harding, 83, founder and former minister of the Encino Community Church in Tarzana. A native of Colorado, Harding was educated at Colorado College of Divine Science, Oklahoma College of Divine Science and College of Religious Science in Los Angeles. He taught in Denver schools and served as minister in St. Louis, Minneapolis, San Bernardino, Riverside and Redlands before moving to Los Angeles as dean of the College of Religious Science in 1949. Four years later, he founded the then-independent community church with 50 members. It affiliated with the Religious Science movement in 1962 and now has 2,000 members. Harding wrote widely, including books, articles, and radio and TV programs. Found to have cancer and given three months to live in 1977, he retired as minister. In the next 18 years, he lectured about the healing power of faith, prayer, vitamins and diet and immunotherapy. During this time, he also moderated 18 documentaries for PBS titled “The Conquest of Cancer.” On Dec. 16 in Camarillo.