Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, April 13, 1995                   TAG: 9504200029
SECTION: NEIGHBORS                    PAGE: S-21   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: FRANCES STEBBINS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

ROANOKE VALLEY CHURCHES ARE MOVING INTO THE COMPUTER AGE

A random sampling of congregations of fewer than 400 members - the typical size for many churches in the valley - showed only one where " a typewriter, adding machine and copier" still comprise the secretary's equipment for producing the worship bulletin, letters and other communications.

The Rev. Roger Griffith at Word of Life Fellowship in Salem and the Rev. Lynn Riddle at Hollins Church of the Nazarene are among the clergy who, despite small congregations, are depending increasingly on computers to keep donations, addresses and letters in a machine on the desk.

Riddle, who came to the Nazarene congregation in 1993, said the church has used computerized records for about eight years. Recently, the church bought a new model for about $1,500 and the pastor now writes his sermons on it.

Griffith praised the capabilities of his machine to do graphics for more attractive Christian education materials. His IBM clone has been in use for three years, he noted.

Forest Park Baptist doesn't have a computer in the church office, but the Rev. Frank Feather has one at home that doubles for some functions. In the church office, there's a typewriter with the capabilities of a simple computer.

At St. Elizabeth's Episcopal, the Rev. James D. Smith, rector, admitted he didn't expect to become computer literate six years ago when he took an interim pastorate in another Virginia community. He did, however, and when he left, he received his first computer as a farewell gift. Now he does everything from his sermons to the church newsletter on computer.

Though St. Elizabeth's secretary, June Hutchins, admits to having limited capabilility with the computer, two members of the church fill in regularly when it's needed, Smith said.

Others who are computer literate also help Harold Sumner, minister of the 25-member Roanoke Valley Church of Christ. Though he doesn't run a computer himself, Sumner has several people in his congregation who share the duties. The congregation also gets a lot of help from New Hope Christian, a sister church in Southwest Roanoke County, which is fully computer-equipped, Sumner said.

"We're in the process of doing more [work by computer]" said the Rev. Harold J. Uhl, pastor of St. Timothy Lutheran Church in Vinton, said. Though software is on hand for church records, Uhl and the volunteer secretary aren't up to more than some limited word processing at present, he said. What is needed now is a member who can assume responsibility for learning the capabilities of the machine.

The distinction of a computerless office belongs to Nadine Stover, who has been secretary at Melrose Avenue United Methodist Church for 42 years. Stover said church leaders have talked about getting a computer - "and I'd learn it if they did" - but she expects to retire before it's purchased.