Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, June 12, 1993 TAG: 9308250338
SECTION: RELIGION PAGE: C4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
George Weigel of Washington, a Roman Catholic theologian and currently president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in the national capital, will speak June 22 at 7 p.m.
The presentation, which is free and open to the public, will be at Our Lady of Nazareth Catholic Church, 2505 Electric Road S.W.
Wiegel, who has traveled extensively in Poland and the Czech Republic, will discuss the decline of communism and the part the church played in bringing it about.
Registration is requested by June 21. Call 774-0773.
\ Meeting in Roanoke
About 8,000 Jehovah's Witnesses from Southwest Virginia and southern West Virginia are meeting through Sunday at the Roanoke Civic Center. The annual meeting is one of 160 district conventions scheduled this summer throughout the nation.
A second convention is planned June 17-20 at the same place; both have the theme ``Divine Teaching.''
Remaining sessions of this weekend's meeting will begin at 11:30 a.m. today when baptism is administered. Public addresses are scheduled on the two Sundays starting at 2:10 p.m.
The second weekend meeting starts Thursday with an address at 1:40 p.m.
The Roanoke Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau estimates that the church meeting will bring more than $1 million to the valley this summer.
\ For newlyweds
Registration is open for a marriage enrichment weekend for couples engaged or wed two years or less. It will be Aug.6-8 at Oak Grove Church of the Brethren.
An innovation for Western Virginia, the newlywed event will be led by Carole and Michael Elmore for the Association for Couples in Marriage Enrichment. Call 389-6414.
\ N-tests opposed
Leaders of the United Methodist Church's social action agency have requested of President Bill Clinton that the United States not resume nuclear weapons testing after July 1, the date a moratorium is scheduled to expire.
Bishop Joseph H. Yeakel and the Rev. Thom W. Fassett said the United States currently is engaged in talks for a comprehensive test ban treaty with other nations and that resuming testing would give the impression that America's commitment is weak. In addition, France is considering renewing testing in the Pacific ``where the United States already owes an unpayable debt to the people there.''
\ Event for children
Seven Bedford congregations will unite in sponsorship of an outdoor education experience July 26-31 for children 3 through sixth grade level. Marketplace 29 A.D. will be set up on Virginia 122 just south of Bedford and will have the format of a Palestinian village with tents for groups of children. Registration will be limited to 156 and is now open; call 586-4023 or 586- 8878.
The site is property owned by Bedford Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) which is one of the sponsoring congregations. Others participating will be Main Street United Methodist, Washington Street Baptist, Bedford Presbyterian, Word of Life, St. John's Episcopal, and Holy Name of Mary Catholic.
\ Job shortage
BOSTON - Newly graduated Protestant ministers are having a hard time finding gainful employment.
Divinity school graduates, numbering about 13,000 in the United States and Canada in 1992, are finding some churches are cutting back because of the recession.
``Students are finding it more and more difficult to get entry-level positions,'' said the Rev. Hector Cortz, a regional coordinator for the American Baptist Church. ``Many smaller churches can't afford full-time pastors. Those that can are finding experienced pastors who have been laid off and are willing to take a pay cut.
Unlike the Roman Catholic Church, which is suffering a priest shortage and where bishops assign clergy to parishes, many Protestant denominations hire ministers at the local congregation level.
\ Name changed
SALT LAKE CITY - The Hotel Utah, being renovated into Mormon Church offices, will be called the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in honor of the church's founder.
Church officials originally planned to call it the Utah Building, but that sounded too much like the new Utah One Center.
``They would like to avoid any confusion in the names,'' said Don LeFevre, spokesman for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ``But the primary reason was it was an opportunity to give honor to the founder of the church.''
The building will be dedicated in a private service June 27 and a public open house is planned for July 3, 6 and 7.
The $42 million renovation has taken three years.
Most of the building will be offices.
by CNB