ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, June 15, 1996 TAG: 9606170084
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH
SOURCE: Associated Press
College drinking is among the social issues to be considered by the Virginia United Methodist Church's annual conference.
The four-day gathering of about 3,000 state church leaders, both clergy and lay officials, opened Thursday night.
The conference will take up a resolution Saturday to reduce funding for three of the state's six Methodist-related schools: Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk, Randolph-Macon College in Ashland and Randolph-Macon Woman's College in Lynchburg.
The resolution calls for cutting church funds that the schools receive by 10 percent, while increasing by a like percentage the amount the church gives to Ferrum College, Shenandoah University and Randolph-Macon Academy, a secondary school.
The resolution is aimed at the schools because they allow keg parties, church officials said. According to the Methodist ``Book of Discipline,'' the church's stand on alcohol is one of ``long-standing support of abstinence from alcohol.''
A similar resolution was defeated last year. Lee Shaeffer, director of the church's Virginia Conference council, predicted it would again fail.
``There is a very small percentage of people trying to impose restrictions we don't impose on homes and churches,'' Shaeffer said. ``The colleges have outstanding programs on drugs and alcohol.''
Alumni groups and students at the colleges have one or two keg parties a year, Shaeffer said.
James Bergdoll, vice president of college relations at Virginia Wesleyan, said fraternities and similar groups have been allowed to have alcohol at functions. But getting permission is complicated, he said.
LENGTH: Short : 41 linesby CNB