Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, September 16, 1995 TAG: 9509180020
SECTION: RELIGION PAGE: B9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: STAFF REPORTS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
The Roanoke Valley Pastoral Counseling Center remains open and will continue its sliding-scale fee policy despite the absence of its founder and director, the Rev. Leo Howard, who is on sick leave.
Lillian Hagan, president of the board of the nonprofit ecumenical center, and the Rev. Julie Hollingsworth, its temporary director, agreed that continuing need exists for low-cost counseling especially since many medical plans do not cover emotional disorders.
"We expect Leo [Howard] to return at least on a part-time basis," Hollingsworth said. "Until then, I am serving as administrator and referring clients to one of three fully qualified part time pastoral counselors."
She said the counselors represent mainstream Christian denominations and are accountable to the Rev. Dr. William B. Gold, of Lynchburg, who, like Howard, is certified to supervise working counselors as well as provide counseling himself.
The center - regarded as an ecumenical ministry to the Roanoke Valley since its beginning 20 years ago - receives about half its financial support of $97,000 annually from church budgets and individuals, Hagan said. The rest comes from fees of clients and from the counselors who pay supervisors like Howard and Gold to give them accountability. Hagan said certified pastoral counselors must not only fulfill stringent requirements to practice their specialty but also must be supervised.
Howard, 57, is a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) minister who opened the center in the mid-1970s at Second Presbyterian Church. A chronic respiratory problem forced him to go on sick leave several months ago, but he is recovering at home, the interim director said. Hollingsworth herself recently left the job as director of Roanoke Area Ministries.
Though an ordained Presbyterian minister and in training as a pastoral counselor, she said she is not yet qualified to practice.
The center will remain at Second Presbyterian and the program is undergoing evaluation, Hagan noted. Efforts are being made to increase its cost effectiveness.
Though finances have been tight lately, "We're still very much in business,'' Hagan emphasized.
First woman chancellor
Anne Edwards, a member of the secretarial and administrative staff of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond for 13 years, has become the first lay woman to fill the role of chancellor in the 175-year history of the diocese.
The Chesterfield County resident, who began her career with the Central Intelligence Agency in Northern Virginia, will be an assistant to the bishop especially in keeping records. Edwards also will process applications for marriage dispensations.
Bishop Walter F. Sullivan also has announced that the Rev. Robert Perkins will become vicar general, a position that permits him to act for the bishop in certain instances. Perkins, who also has worked from the Richmond diocesan office, has most recently been vicar for priests. Western Virginia Catholic parishes are part of the Diocese of Richmond.
Seminarian to speak
The Rev. Paige Patterson, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C., will be a guest of Pecks Baptist Church in Bedford County on Oct. 7 and 8. Patterson, a leader in the fundamentalist faction in the Southern Baptist Convention, will speak at 7 p.m. for a Saturday service. The following day he will be heard at 11 a.m.
Guest musicians for the centennial observance at Pecks will be the Movin' Up Quartet of Winterville, N.C. They will present a concert at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday following a luncheon in the fellowship hall. Pecks Church is on Virginia 43 seven miles south of Bedford.
Counseling class
A class to teach basic counseling skills to lay people will be offered in Galax on Tuesday nights beginning Sept. 26 at 6:30. Under sponsorship of the Galax Education Center, an arm of Wytheville Community College, it will be taught by the Rev. John Williams, pastor of First Baptist Church at Fries. The curriculum was developed by professional counselors in cooperation with the Southern Baptist Convention Sunday School Board, and the class is a project of the New River Baptist Association. For more information about the $25 class, call 236-8306 or 800-838-7487.
AIDS prayer service
A service of prayer for persons with AIDS and their loved ones takes place today at 3 p.m. at Grace Memorial Episcopal church, 1021 New Hampshire Ave. in Lynchburg. The service is ecumenical in style and sponsored by the Lynchburg AIDS ministry.
Call (804) 384-0549 for more information.
Foster care training
Virginia Baptist Children's Home and Family Services, which is based in Salem and serves the state, is seeking individuals and parents who can temporarily care for children who cannot remain at home. Training for certified foster parents and/or maternity foster care will be offered Oct. 3 through Oct. 24 on Tuesday nights at Melrose Baptist Church, 3520 Peters Creek Road N.W. To register for the 7 to 9 classes, call Cathy Mitchell at 389-5468.
Nott gets 2 pastorates
The Rev. David L. Nott, ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood in 1993, has become pastor of the two congregations, both named Sacred Heart, in Covington and Hot Springs. Nott previously was an assistant in Williamsburg and Richmond churches. He succeeds the Rev. Robert Judge, a Jesuit now in campus ministry in Baltimore.
Anniversary observation
The 125th anniversary of Flint Hill United Methodist Church on Virginia 122 in Franklin County will be observed Sunday with the Rev. Louis Carson, superintendent of the Danville District of the denomination, as guest preacher at 11 a.m. Special music and a historical program will begin at 1:30 p.m.
Ephesus anniversary
Ephesus United Methodist Church on Virginia 715 in Bedford County will mark its 140th anniversary Sunday beginning with an 11 a.m. service. A former pastor, the Rev. Willie B. Guill, will be the guest speaker. A potluck luncheon follows, according to the Rev. Patrick J. Simon, the current pastor.
Support questioned
Peter D. Hart Research Associates says a recent poll it conducted found that the Christian Coalition's "Contract with the American Family" doesn't have the huge levels of support that the coalition claims.
The poll found narrow support for four of the contract's 10 proposals, including restrictions of pornography on the Internet and restitution for crime victims, but found opposition to the rest.
The poll found 54 percent reject abortion restrictions; 58 percent oppose a "religious equality" amendment to the Constitution; 59 percent oppose shifting public assistance to private charities; 55 percent oppose ending federal support for public broadcasting; 57 percent reject a reduced federal role in public education; and 60 percent oppose school vouchers.
The poll surveyed 1,252 registered voters who identified themselves as pro-family (71 percent), strongly religious (59 percent) and born-again Christians (39 percent).
About 20 percent agreed with the statement, "The Christian Coalition speaks for me."
Volunteers needed
The Crisis Pregnancy Center of Roanoke Valley, a Christian organization offering alternatives to abortion, is seeking volunteers to serve as receptionists, in-office counselors and home hotline counselors.
A required training program for volunteers will be held Oct. 17 through Nov. 9 on Tuesday and Thursday nights from 6:30 until 9:30. Those interested in volunteering should contact the center by Sept. 29 at 362-3007 for an interview before training begins.
Volunteers also are needed for positions that do not require the training course, according to Executive Director Ruth Fielder.
Children's Sabbath
The Mental Health Association of Roanoke Valley is again sponsoring Children's Sabbath to draw attention to ways religious congregations can respond to child poverty.
The program was developed nationally by the Children's Defense Fund and is scheduled this year for Oct. 20-22. It aims to help churches respond to children's needs through prayer, service, education and advocacy.
Specialized materials are available for Protestant churches, African-American Protestant churches, Catholic parishes, Jewish congregations and multifaith congregations. They include sermon outlines, bulletin inserts, lesson plans for youth and adults and ideas for children's activities.
The materials are available free of charge from the Mental Health Association by calling 344-0931.
by CNB