Moving Barely Slows Prolific Pollster

Religious pollster George Barna, whose small research outfit has been based in Glendale for 10 years, is moving his home and office to Ventura County, but the prolific author has only slowed slightly.

The Barna Research Group rivals the larger Gallup Organization in the frequency of its national surveys on religious topics. And within evangelical circles Barna is also well known for his survey-based recommendations on ministries and church life.

Barna has two books coming out before the July 13-20 Christian Booksellers Assn. convention at the Anaheim Convention Center, and another one due out later this year. That is down a bit from his usual pace of four a year.

The Barna family will move from its Glendale home on June 26 to a house in

Oxnard. His staff is temporarily using that house as an office but will move soon to a office in Ventura.

Coincidentally-- but not intentionally, Barna said--Ventura is also the home of Gospel Light/Regal Books, the Christian publishing house that produces most of his books.

According to publicist Gloria Moss of Gospel Light, Barna has sold half a million books written for it and other publishers.

Later this month, Gospel Light will publish Barna’s “Turning Vision Into Action,” and Texas-based Word Publishing is releasing his statistics-laden “Index of Leading Spiritual Indicators.”

In the recent premiere issue of a Barna newsletter published by Word, Barna said surveys show that personal contact is much more effective than sermons in leading people to faith. Barna surveys found that 44% of Christians were led to faith “through personal/family witnessing,” whereas only 13% attributed their new faith to preaching.

“The people most likely to have responded to evangelistic preaching are those who are now senior citizens, African Americans and Hispanics, and individuals who accepted Christ when they were an adult,” the pollster wrote in the bi-monthly Barna Report newsletter.

MUSIC

Parts II and III of Handel’s “Messiah,” which tell the stories of Jesus’ trial, crucifixion and resurrection (Part I is based on the Christmas story), will be performed at 9 and 11 a.m. Sunday at Westwood Presbyterian Church, 10822 Wilshire Blvd., by the chancel choir and full orchestra under the direction of Donn Weiss. (310) 474-4535.

* The Kry, a popular Christian band that plays both inspirational and rock music, will perform at 6:30 p.m. today at Calvary Chapel of Pacific Palisades, 701 Palisades Dr. Tickets are $5. (310) 454-6537.

* The Los Angeles Jewish Symphony will play the music of David Nowakowsky (1848-1921), a prolific composer of choral music while he was choirmaster at a synagogue in Odessa, Ukraine, at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at University Synagogue, 11960 Sunset Blvd., Brentwood. Tickets are $12 to $36. (818) 753-6681.

* Russian pianist Kirill Gliadkovsky will perform in an all-Beethoven concert 4 p.m. Sunday at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 580 Hilgard Ave., Westwood. He will play the Fourth Piano Concerto. James Vail will conduct the orchestra and soloists in the Mass in C. Suggested donation is $7. (310) 208-6516.

DATES

The recent elections in Israel will be analyzed Friday night at Stephen S. Wise Temple by the University of Judaism’s Yoav Ben-Horin, associate director of the Wilstein Institute of Jewish Policy Studies. The talk will be during the 8 p.m. service at the synagogue off Mulholland Drive. (818) 788-4778.

* Muzammil Siddiqi, president of the Islamic Center of Orange County, will speak on the origins and teachings of the Koran on Wednesday at the June luncheon of the Newport Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council. The lunch and 12:45 p.m. talk will be co-sponsored by University Synagogue and Irvine United Church of Christ, 4915 Alton Parkway, Irvine. For reservations, call the council office at (714) 548-4942.

* Clergy and lay leaders have been invited to discuss “The Changing Face of AIDS: Our Spiritual Challenge” on June 19 at the Serra Retreat House in Malibu by the spiritual advisory committee of AIDS Project Los Angeles. The daylong event costs $18. Call by Wednesday for reservations at (818) 989-0770.

* About 400 students will take part today in Fuller Theological Seminary’s graduation exercises at the Lake Avenue Congregational Church in Pasadena, starting at 10 a.m. Graduates of the 49-year-old seminary will receive master’s or doctoral degrees.

* A marriage counselor and a Catholic priest will lead a retreat on “Men and Prayer” on June 15 at Holy Spirit Retreat Center, 4316 Lanai Road, Encino. Kevin Buck, a counselor practicing in Orange County, and Father John McAndrew of St. Norbert Church in Orange will lead the retreat from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The cost is $39. (818) 784-4515.

* Copies of “The Words of Christ,” published in April by New World Library, will be signed by author Dale Salwak, an English professor at Citrus Community College, in a speaking appearance 7 p.m. Friday at Borders Books & Music, 1415 Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica.

* In honor of St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church’s 50th anniversary, Cardinal Roger M. Mahony will celebrate Mass outdoors at 3 p.m. Sunday at the parish, 11987 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles. For $15 dinner reservations, call (310) 476-7403.

* The Rev. Laurene Lafontaine, a Presbyterian minister active in gay and lesbian rights issues in Colorado, will be the guest preacher 11 a.m. Sunday at West Hollywood Presbyterian Church, 750 Sunset Blvd.

Notices may be mailed to Southern California File, c/o John Dart, Los Angeles Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth, CA 91311, or faxed to Religion Writer (213) 237-4712. Items should arrive about three weeks before the event, except for spot news, and should include pertinent details about the people and organizations with address, phone number, date and time.

PEOPLE

San Bernardino Superior Court Judge Patrick J. Morris, an elder at First Presbyterian Church of San Bernardino, will receive the 1996 Restorative Justice Award at his denomination’s General Assembly July 3 in Albuquerque.

The award is given annually to a person or group that addresses “the hurts and needs of the victim and the offender in such a way that they and the community might be healed.”

Morris is being honored for establishing a drug court program, primarily for young offenders who are willing to admit their drug dependency and desire to change and accept peer counseling and drug testing.

Past president of the California Judges Assn., Morris was named trial judge of the year in 1994 by the California Judicial Council. At his church, he helped establish a shelter for at-risk children and a latch-key program for neighborhood children.

* The Kwan Um School of Zen, founded by Zen Master Seung Sahn, has appointed Paul W. Lynch, abbot of Ocean Eyes Zen Center in Stanton, director of the six Southwest Zen Centers. Lynch will coordinate activities between the Dharma Zen Center, 1025 S. Cloverdale Ave., Los Angeles, which serves as the regional headquarters, and centers in Santa Barbara, Signal Hill, Stanton, Whittier and Las Vegas, said Guiding Zen Master Robert Moore.