THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 30, 1994 TAG: 9409280105
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 2B EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY GARY EDWARDS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
Hundreds of youthful eyes stared in awe as Bubba, a 500-pound black-maned African lion, made a quick meal of 5 pounds of raw sirloin as a lamb rested on his back.
``Behold,'' boomed the bass voice of the big man holding the lamb, ``the lion and the lamb are brought together by the grace of God . . . and 5 pounds of sirloin.''
Bubba, a tiger, a spotted leopard, a mountain lion and a zebra were among the wild creatures who spent Saturday afternoon lounging in the lot next to Haygood United Methodist Church on Haygood Road. Don't be alarmed. It was all in fun and for a good cause.
Bubba and the others appeared to perform for the church's second annual Funday. More than 500 people, parents and children, attended the animal show.
The Rev. Jim Lavender of Richmond appears with Bubba nationwide as part of his Thank God for Kids ministry. Lavender and his ministerial menagerie live on Bear Creek Hollow Farm when they are not traveling.
Thank God for Kids is among the largest Christian children's ministries in the world, said Phyllis Porter, chairperson for Funday and a member of the church.
``We wanted to bring the message of Christ to the kids, and have fun doing it,'' she said. ``It's not just for our own members. Neighborhood kids and families are welcome. And, as you can see, we have kids of all ages.''
What better way to have the biblical symbolism of the lion and the lamb portrayed than to show them doing so, up close and personal, asked the Rev. Allen G. Reifsnyder, minister at the church.
Reifsnyder met Lavender during the latter's entertainment career. ``He was a ringmaster with the Clyde Beatty Circus once,'' said Reifsnyder.
Lavender became ordained during his years as a performer.
``I played Lil' Abner on stage,'' he recalled with a grin. He has been traveling the country for 10 years, preaching and fascinating crowds with his pets.
The crowd watched wordlessly as Lavender gently held a dove upside down in his big right hand. ``A bird won't fly away if you hold him like this,'' he told his audience.
Funday spectators could eat grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, bounce around on the inflated Star Walk trampoline, visit the duck pond, and throw baseballs at a target set above a dunking tank.
``The minister and other volunteers were dunked several times,'' said Porter. ``We sold more than 3,000 tickets for the games and activities at 10 cents each and every kid received a prize, a little something for coming out.
``We want to thank the Davis Corner Volunteer Fire Department for bringing over fire trucks to show the children, too.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by GARY EDWARDS
Avis Lavendar reaches into a cage pets Prince, a 400-pound tiger,
during the Haygood United Methodist Church's annual Funday.
by CNB