ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, January 2, 1997 TAG: 9701030042
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: N-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: FRANCES STEBBINS
PEOPLE
The Rev. Dr. Norman E. Witthuhn, pastor of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Pulaski, will move to the pastorate of Melrose Christian Church on Jan. 16. The native of Wheeling, W.Va., is a graduate of Bethany College and the Lexington Theological Seminary in Kentucky; he received a doctor of ministry degree with a major in pastoral care from the Lexington school in 1975. Before going to the Pulaski parish, Witthuhn served a Disciples of Christ congregation in Covington for several years. He has been active in the Virginia Region of the denomination, and in 1989 helped set up the Southwest Virginia Emmaus Community. He and his wife, Mary Jo, a staff nurse at Community Hospital of Roanoke Valley, have two grown daughters.
The Rev. Kirk Lashley, executive director of the Roanoke Valley Association of Southern Baptists, in an annual report to the 43,000 members covered by the association, said that while Sunday school growth continues stable, small groups continue to attract new members to churches. Over the past two years an increase of $2.7 million in giving has been noted, though the amount for missions outside the community has not kept up. However, Lashley concluded, many church members are giving to such local projects as Habitat for Humanity and youth mission trips, which indicates that mission giving is not diminishing so much as changing. |SPECIAL EVENTS| The Evening Chapter of Women's Aglow International is scheduled to hear a Lynchburg woman, Kaye Prillaman, at its meeting Tuesday at 6:30 at the Sheraton Inn. "Hearing God's Voice" will be her theme. Call 362-2479 for reservations for the $10 meal.
Michael Brown, gospel musician and director of the Living Free Choir, will perform Jan. 24 at Praise Cafe, a youth lounge without alcohol or smoking at the Clarion Hotel, 2727 Ferndale Drive N.W. Brown's choir uses all offerings for a ministry to those addicted to drugs. Call 774-9798 for more information.
Physician-Clergy Dialogues, especially for those in the medical or religious professions, will feature "Essential Ingredients for Caring Relationships" Jan. 21 in the Roanoke Memorial Hospital cafeteria. The free breakfast meeting will begin at 7 and includes time to discuss the presentation by Dr. Rick Castle, physician, and the Rev. Larry Sprouse, Baptist pastor.
Christian Parenting, a Sunday afternoon series of guidance sessions sponsored by several congregations in the Raleigh Court neighborhood, will begin Jan. 19. Sessions will be held at St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church each week through Feb. 23 from 3 to 5 p.m. Call 774-5394 to register.
Send material to Neighbors, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke 24010-2491 by noon Thursday. Please include a daytime telephone number.
LENGTH: Medium: 55 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshot) Witthuhnby CNB