Promise Keepers Courts Women Pastors

The ever-expanding Promise Keepers movement of Christian men is inviting women to be full participants in its current series of spiritual rallies--as long as they are members of the clergy.

Not many female pastors are expected, however, among the more than 3,600 ministers registered for the regional clergy conference Thursday at the San Diego Sports Arena. The daylong, free conference is the third of nine nationwide in which pastors are being urged to support men’s ministries in their churches.

Promise Keepers has drawn enthusiasm mostly from Baptist, Pentecostal and other conservative evangelical churches in which traditions of culture and doctrine often oppose women pastors.

Known for its large gatherings of laymen at stadiums and its huge rally last fall in Washington, Promise Keepers held a national conference in Atlanta for 39,000 clergy in 1996. Few women were seen in that gathering.

Of the 3,500 clergy who showed up in Philadelphia on Jan. 15 for the first rally of the current series, only 10 to 15 were women, said Steve Chavis, national spokesman for the Colorado-based Promise Keepers.

One of those going to the all-clergy meeting in San Diego is the Rev. Roberta Hestenes, pastor of Solano Beach Presbyterian Church.

“I find it surprising that I am going,” said Hestenes, who was president of the evangelical Eastern College near Philadelphia from 1987 to 1997.

“But I’ve heard [Promise Keepers founder] Bill McCartney say that they desire to be supportive of women pastors, and I’m taking him at his word.”

McCartney, former head football coach at the University of Colorado, will speak at the San Diego meeting, as will the Rev. George McKinney, pastor of St. Stephen’s Church of God in Christ in San Diego and Ed Cole of Dallas, who leads the Christian Men’s Network.

Today, the day before the Super Bowl in San Diego, McCartney will speak at the 2,200-seat Shadow Mountain Community Church there. The noontime appearance to promote his book “Sold Out: Becoming Man Enough to Make a Difference” (Word Publishing) will be aired later in the day by the Trinity Broadcasting Network.

ECUMENICAL

Bishop Paul Egertson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will preach today at an ecumenical service in Hollywood to mark the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The Lutheran leader for the Los Angeles area is substituting for Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, who was to leave this weekend to join a group of U.S. bishops flying to Cuba for the end of the papal visit.

The annual gathering, sponsored by the Southern California Ecumenical Council, for the first time will feature music, readings and prayers signifying the cross-cultural nature of Southland churches as well as reflecting Christian unity. The service, starting at 3 p.m., will be at Hollywood United Methodist Church at Highland and Franklin avenues.

PEOPLE

CBS Television President Leslie Moonves will receive the American Jewish Committee’s annual Sherrill C. Corwin Human Relations Award on Thursday at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Comedian Bill Cosby will speak, and actor George Clooney will present the award, named for a film industry figure who promoted humanitarian causes.

Moonves, the grandnephew of David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister, serves on President Clinton’s Advisory Committee on the Arts, on the Los Angeles Free Clinic’s board of directors and on the Motion Picture Assn. of America’s Executive Committee on Television Violence, among other activities. (310) 282-8080, Ext. 306.

DATES

Scholars Marcus Borg of Oregon State University and Karen Jo Torjesen of Claremont Graduate University--both specialists on early Christianity--will be joined by Cal Lutheran’s A. Joseph Everson, an Old Testament scholar, in lectures Wednesday and Thursday at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks. Eric W. Gritsch, an expert on Martin Luther and the Reformation, will also speak during the annual Winter Break Theological Conference. The emeritus professor from Gettysburg Theological Seminary was recently named to a chair in Lutheran theology for the spring semester. The conference is open to clergy and laity. $50. (805) 493-3228.

* In what is now an annual tradition, Cerritos Valley Baptist Church at 8201 Moody St. in La Palma is inviting residents of that Orange County city to watch Super Bowl XXXII on its 168-inch television screen and two 35-inch monitors. Doors open at 2:30 p.m. for food, prizes and the game itself. (714) 952-8422.

* The 41-year-old Solid Rock Missionary Baptist Church is celebrating its new front entrance and refurbished building at 8218 S. Broadway in South-Central Los Angeles with a 3 p.m. concert Sunday, said Pastor Clarence Devereaux. The 150-member church will present James Mills and the Voices of Inspiration along with singers from Christ Community Church of Canoga Park, a congregation that has periodic exchanges with Solid Rock. (213) 759-5955.

* San Diego artist Lenore Tolegian Hughes, who holds a master’s degree in theology, will open an exhibition of her paintings--”New Year’s Revelations”--at the Judson Gallery, 200 S. Avenue 66, Los Angeles. The exhibit, which combines religious icons with pop culture illustrations from magazines and package wrappings, will run through March 7. She will be at the religious gallery for a public reception today from 2 to 5 p.m. (213) 255-0131.

* Daniel Matt, professor of Jewish spirituality at the Center for Jewish Studies at Berkeley’s Graduate Theological Union, will give a series of talks Friday night through Feb. 1 in Tarzana as Temple Judea’s scholar-in-residence. Free. Reservations: (818) 758-3800.

FINALLY

The adjective “freeway-close” has long been used by commercial ventures in Southern California. Now, a Jewish singles network has formed around that symbol of convenience--in this case, a long stretch of the San Diego Freeway.

On Friday night, nine Reform and Conservative synagogues from Orange County to the Los Angeles International Airport area will launch the “405 Jewish Singles.” Each house of worship is accessible from the freeway.

Congregations from the southernmost B’nai Tzedek in Fountain Valley to the northernmost B’nai Tikvah in Westchester will take turns hosting a Friday night service followed by a cocktail mixer for singles from 22 to 45.

The first service will be at 7:45 p.m. at B’nai Tikvah, 5820 W. Manchester Ave. Free. (310) 645-6262.

Other synagogues in the network include Temple Beth David (Westminster), Temple Israel (Long Beach), Temple Beth El (San Pedro), Temple Beth Zion-Sinai (Lakewood), Temple Menorah (Redondo Beach) and Congregation Tifereth Jacob (Manhattan Beach). Jewish singles who are unaffiliated with a temple are welcome.

The idea came from Rabbi Gary Davidson of Temple Beth Shalom in Long Beach, a single guy himself.

“I’m particularly sensitive to the needs of young unmarrieds,” said Davidson, adding that he was inspired by a successful, monthly rotating service for singles that he attended when he worked in Boston.

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 at (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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RAMADAN

Tens of thousands of Southland Muslims are expected to assemble Thursday morning at several public sites and about 50 mosques to mark the end of the daytime fasting month of Ramadan.

Astronomical data indicate that the slim crescent of the new moon will be sighted Wednesday night, signaling the start of the festive Eid al-Fitr (EED-al-Fitter) holiday for Islam. If not, the Eid prayers will take place Friday.

The largest gathering--from 7,000 to as many as 12,000--will be at the Tustin Marine Corps Air Station, where Muzammil Siddiqi, religious director of the Islamic Society of Orange County, will speak at the 7:30 a.m. rites. (714) 531-1722. Physician-thinker Maher Hathout will give the Eid message at the 7:15 a.m. assembly at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, where more than 9,000 Muslims are expected. The service is organized by Los Angeles’ Islamic Center of Southern California. (213) 382-9200.

Three mosques in the San Gabriel Valley area will combine for 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. Eid prayers at the Fairplex Building #22 in Pomona. Mahmood Hermoush will speak. About 6,000 people are expected to attend. (626) 964-3596. The Islamic Center of Northridge will hold services at its new Granada Hills mosque and at the Odyssey restaurant in Granada Hills. (818) 360-9963. The Islamic Center of Hawthorne will pray at the Hawthorne Mall at 7 a.m. (310) 978-8000.