Methodist Delegates to Help Build House

Almost like clockwork, United Methodists from 400 Southern California and Hawaii churches will hold their annual meeting next week in the same month at the same place, the University of Redlands, as last year and deal with assorted resolutions--including the perennial issue of church stances toward gay and lesbian Christians.

But something different was added to the schedule this year.

During plenary sessions of the meeting, which will begin Wednesday and end June 22, as many as 100 clergy and lay delegates will don work clothes to help build a house in Redlands under the guidance of Habitat for Humanity, the well-known housing ministry.

The foundation for a $40,000, three-bedroom, two-bath house already has been laid by volunteer teams from churches. Delegates will work on the frame and exterior of the 1,300-square-foot house during the annual meeting, said project coordinator Toni Ethridge of Sun Valley.

The city of Redlands donated the land and waived building permit fees, she said. Though the interior work will continue after the Methodists leave, delegates will dedicate the structure, with the family that will occupy the house present, on the convention’s final day.

When the idea of the project was adopted months ago at the Methodists’ California-

Pacific headquarters in Pasadena, Ethridge said she thought it would be easy to raise donations to cover about $35,000 in building materials but difficult to recruit enough volunteer workers.

Instead, “we have 400 people volunteering besides the conference delegates--more than we need,” she said. “And we have a little less than half of the money raised, and we welcome any contributions.”

During the annual meeting, about 3,000 participants also will hear reports on church ministries in low-income communities and consider resolutions dealing with work conditions of strawberry pickers and garment sweatshops.

The biggest issue, said conference spokesman James W. Johnson, may be whether the regional conference will call itself a “reconciling conference,” welcoming gay men, lesbians and bisexuals to its churches. A dozen or so individual churches in the conference call themselves “reconciling congregations.” But a resolution last year to adopt the stance at the regional level was returned to committees for further study.

GRADUATION

Hajime Nakazawa, who came from Japan to study at Pasadena’s Fuller Theological Seminary four years ago, will be joined in graduation ceremonies today by his 86-year-old pastor and half of his tiny, 25-member congregation in the Tokyo area.

Nakazawa is receiving a master of divinity degree, but will postpone work in the ministry for a while. After returning to Japan, he will work as a high school English teacher while supporting his pastor as a lay leader.

He is one of more than 550 students receiving degrees this year at the nation’s largest nondenominational seminary. At commencement, which starts at 10 a.m. at Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena, Fuller President Richard Mouw will address graduates.

DATES

The Chicago-based Evangelical Covenant Church will open its 112th annual convention Thursday at the Anaheim Marriott. The Rev. Paul E. Larson, president of the denomination, will speak at the 7:30 p.m. service launching the four-day event.

* Comedian-TV weatherman Fritz Coleman will be the featured speaker at the Entertainment Fellowship dinner at Barone’s Italian Restaurant, 10123 Burbank Blvd., Toluca Lake, at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. The fellowship has set goals to improve ethical standards in Hollywood. $20. (818) 909-0841.

* Brush Arbor, a popular country Christian music band, will perform in a free concert at 7 p.m. Friday at Shepherd of the Hills Church, 19700 Rinaldi St., Porter Ranch. (818) 831-9333.

* A nondenominational Protestant service, led by KKLA-FM (99.5) talk show host Warren Duffy, and a Catholic Mass honoring St. Patrick will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Sunday at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia during the Great American Irish Fair and Music Festival. Discounted fair admission tickets are available for $8.50 between 9:45 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday for people who bring two cans of food for the homeless. (818) 503-2511.

* Mata Amritanandamayi, a spiritual teacher from India also called Ammachi, will hold free teaching programs next week in the San Fernando Valley. Ammachi, whose U.S. tours are managed by a center in San Ramon, Calif., will speak at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and at 9:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Warner Center Hilton Hotel, 6360 Canoga Ave., Woodland Hills. (818) 623-0503.

* Vivaldi’s “Gloria” will be performed by choir and a full orchestra, conducted by Donn Weiss, at the 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. services Sunday at Westwood Presbyterian Church, 10822 Wilshire Blvd. (310) 474-4535.

FINALLY

The Hollywood-based Aetherius Society will make its annual pilgrimage June 28 to Mt. Baldy, which the group regards as holy.

Founded in 1954 in London by George King, now 78, the Aetherius Society is classified by the Encyclopedia of American Religion as a UFO religion.

“This mountain is one of 19 globally which was charged with power by advanced intelligences to become a New Age power center,” says an Aetherius Society news release.

Notices may be mailed for consideration to Southern California File, c/o John Dart, L.A. Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth, CA 91311, faxed to Religion desk (818) 772-3385, or e-mailed to john.dart@latimes.com Items should arrive two to 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.

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ACADEMICS

UCLA’s new Center for the Study of Religion has received permanent status on the Westwood campus with Scott Bartchy as chairman.

Bartchy, a history department veteran, recently was granted tenure as associate professor of Christian origins and history of religion.

The center, previously directed by political scientist David C. Rapaport, held special lectures and seminars on religious topics over the past two years in order to demonstrate both the subject’s appeal and relevance to academic studies.

Some University of California campuses, such as those at Santa Barbara and Riverside, have long had strong religious studies departments. However, UCLA has generally limited itself to faculty specialists in Jewish and Asian religions, but none teaching about Christianity.