Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, July 8, 1993 TAG: 9307080293
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BY FRANCES STEBBINS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
\ AN OPEN-AIR PAVILION for large gatherings in warm weather is under construction at Camp Alta Mons, the United Methodist retreat center near Shawsville. Volunteers are doing much of the work. The pavilion will be used for a camp meeting program in early fall.
\ THE REV. D.B. MARTIN, pastor of Natural Bridge Baptist Church, will speak Tuesday at a 7:30 p.m. meeting of conservative Baptist pastors and laymen at Pecks Baptist Church in Bedford County. Music will be led by Joani Tabor, a Roanoke gospel singer. Call 343-4204 for more information.
\ FOURTEEN LATTER-DAY SAINTS YOUTH from congregations throughout the Roanoke Valley have completed a four-year gospel study based on the King James Version of the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the history of their church.
The recent graduates are: Mary Jane Conklin, Daffney Dutton, Colby Warr, Freddie Tucker III, Keith Mann, Bradley Turnmire, Karma Anderson, Lee Nichtman, Laura Christley, Courtney Cooper, Shari Billings, Dawn Carter, David Haswell and Thomas Leech.
\ THE REV. EUGENE BURRIS, pastor of Airlee Court Baptist Church for nearly 11 years, will leave its ministry by the end of July. Burris, 55, who has been receiving training in interim pastoral care for churches temporarily without ministers, said he will remain in the Roanoke area. The church serves the Williamson Road neighborhood from its building on Hershberger Road Northwest.
\ THE REV. JOHN W. "TONY" NEAL is concluding a nine-year pastorate at Mill Creek Baptist Church north of Troutville. Neal will re-enter the field of engineering, in which he worked before going to theological seminary.
\ MIRIAM CALDWELL, music director at Mill Creek Baptist Church for more than 30 years, has retired from the staff for health reasons. Caldwell, who also has taught for years in the Botetourt Weekday Religious Education Program, expects to return to her family home in Maine. SUSAN HECK is interim music director.
\ THE REV. ROBERT BALDWIN, formerly a pastor and hospital chaplain in the Roanoke Valley, has become pastor of Eagle Rock Baptist Church.
\ MOUNT MORIAH BAPTIST CHURCH, 3521 Orange Ave. N.E., has scheduled open house for its new facilities Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. The church, one of the oldest in use in the Roanoke area, dates to pre-Civil War days; in recent months financial gifts have made possible a new kitchen and restrooms.
\ OAKLAND BAPTIST CHURCH, 3623 Round Hill Ave. N.W., has scheduled a program of sacred music July 18 at 7 p.m. Ouida Shotts, a soprano from Lincolnton, N.C., will perform for the free concert.
Shotts, a graduate in applied voice from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, has performed in more than 50 churches and has made two recordings including patriotic and sacred songs.
\ YOUTH REVIVAL SERVICES will be held Monday through Thursday nights at 7 at Williams Memorial Baptist Church, 2105 Carroll Ave. N.W. Several choirs will present music with the Rev. William Howard Whitaker II as the evangelist.
Whitaker, born and reared in Roanoke, is a 1992 graduate of James Madison University and is preparing for gospel ministry in the theological school of Virginia Union University in Richmond. He also produces a radio program from First Baptist Church in South Richmond, where he is an intern.
\ THE SPIRITUAL SEVEN, a gospel singing group, will be featured Sunday at 4 p.m. at Macedonia Baptist Church, 2910 Cove Road N.W..
\ THE GOSPEL ENSEMBLE of Melrose Avenue Seventh-day Adventist Church will perform Saturday at 6 p.m. for the annual concert and robe dedication. The church is at 1601 Melrose Ave. N.W.
\ THE REV. DAN STANLEY has resigned as pastor of Haran Baptist Church in the Back Creek area to become the minister of Vesuvius Baptist Church near Staunton.
\ THE REV. DR. JAMES R. HENRY, a part-time assistant at Christ Episcopal Church for the past two years, has been chosen the full-time associate rector of the parish. Henry, who has professional training in pastoral counseling, will develop a pastoral care committee and will take on Christian education duties from Elizabeth Bunce-Nichols, who is retiring.
Henry, the rector of a Bedford church for a decade, will work with the Rev. Deborah Hentz Hunley, rector of Christ Church in Old Southwest Roanoke.
\ WINDSOR HILLS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH will send 28 adults and youth to Harlan County, Ky., next week to repair homes for needy residents. The team, which has been trained for several weeks, is part of a national Appalachian Service Project program of the United Methodist Church.
\ ROANOKE AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH, 2202 Roanoke Ave. S.W., will hold vacation Bible school Monday through July 16 from 7 to 8:30. Classes will be for children from 3 through 18. A picnic will be held at noon Sunday. Call 345-5624 for more information.
\ THE REV. BERNARD S. VIA JR., is the new pastor at West End United Methodist Church. Via, who retired from full-time ministry last year, Via was educated at Randolph-Macon College and Candler School of Theology in Atlanta. He has served congregations in North Georgia, Richmond, New Market, Hopewell, Arlington, Roanoke and Fairfax. He also was superintendent of the Richmond District for six years.
He and his wife, Carolyn Vance Via of Chilhowie, have three grown children.
\ THE REV. CARLOTTA COCHRAN begins her work Sunday as an assistant rector of St. John's Episcopal Church in downtown Roanoke. Cochran is a recent graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary and a former Newport News teacher. Married to Thomas Cochran, she will become the third ordained person on the church staff.
\ SUMMER ENRICHMENT, a daily program for Roanoke children living in the West End neighborhood, is in progress under sponsorship of five inner-city parishes of different denominations. Ellen Brown of St. John's Episcopal will direct the program at West End United Methodist Church. The ecumenical classes and activities with free lunch fill the July gap of summer recess of the nearby West End Center. Summer enrichment has been held for more than a dozen years and is for children ages 5 through 12.
\ JERUSALEM BAPTIST CHURCH, 1014 Norfolk Ave. S.W., has planned Men's Day on Sunday. King Harvey Jr., a deacon and Sunday school teacher, will speak at the 11 a.m. service. The Men's Chorus will sing.
\ BETH ISRAEL and TEMPLE EMANUEL, Roanoke's two Jewish congregations, have begun their summer series of joint Friday night services, at 8:15. This week's worship will be at Beth Israel at 920 Franklin Road S.W. For a full schedule, call 343-0289.
Deadline for religion briefs for Neighbors is Thursday. Material must be delivered to Neighbors Religion Briefs, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke 24010, by noon in order to run in the following Thursday edition.
by CNB