DATE: Friday, September 5, 1997             TAG: 9709050075

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E15  EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY BRENT STACKHOUSE, HIGH SCHOOL CORRESPONDENT 

                                            LENGTH:   68 lines

GEN X TURNING ON TO RELIGION

regeneration n. a) being renewed, reformed, or reconstituted b) a spiritual rebirth c) the renewal or replacement of any hurt or lost part

YOU COULD CALL them Re-Generation X. They've got attitude. But instead of preaching pessimism, violence, or disconsolation, they're preaching the Word.

That's the Word of the Lord.

``God wants everyone to feel his presence and feel his power,'' said Luther Leacock, 15, who writes sermons and is actively involved in the faith community at Rock Church in Virginia Beach.

Luther, born in Guiana in South America, came to the United States in 1988. His family moved to Brooklyn, and he moved to Norfolk last August to live with his aunt. He started preaching after seeing his aunt's example.

Luther is one of a small, but growing number of teen-agers who are turning to ministry, reaching out and recruiting their peers.

Is there a regeneration, a spiritual rebirth, going on? Some in the ministry answer with a resounding ``yes.''

``The concept of Generation X of having no destination or purpose is wrong,'' said Joseph Umidi, a professor in Regent University's School of Divinity.

``I've seen more young people involved in serving the community and church than I've ever seen before.''

Although their experiences vary, teens who have turned to the Lord say their generation is crying out for peers who can relate to their experiences and can teach about the Gospel.

``Teen-agers are looking for something to die for as well as something to live for,'' said Matt Stafford, youth director of New Life Christian Fellowship in Chesapeake.

Teen-agers are the future of the church in America, Stafford and others agree.

According to Umidi, as many as 100,000 churches will close or drastically lose members by the year 2006. ``The churches that are growing are the ones involving youth,'' he said.

But being a teen-age minister can be rewarding and challenging.

Stafford uses a rubber band analogy to explain teen ministers' responsibilities.

You can stretch them to certain goals, he said, but they will break if you place too many pressures on them. Those pressures are: not having guidance, and pastors not helping the teen-agers who want to preach.

That's not a problem for Jon-Al Sawyer, 15, who's preached in more than 300 churches from Richmond to North Carolina since the age of 10.

Jon-Al is a licensed minister and a member of Rising Star Baptist Church in Norfolk. He also hosts ``Joy in the Morning,'' a gospel radio show on 103-JAMZ every Sunday.

In middle school, Jon-Al said his peers used to tease him about his strong convictions. The jokes didn't stop him from trusting in the Lord.

Teen minister Matthew Harrell of Norfolk has appeared on ``The 700 Club.'' He also participated in Washington for Jesus - a Christian rally to preach to the masses.

Matthew preaches against ``anything the devil would use to trap a teen-ager,'' he said. He shuns the labels given to his generation.

``Now that I think about it,'' he said. ``Generation X is the label for the greatest generation of ministers ever.'' MEMO: Brent Stackhouse is a senior at Tallwood High School in Virginia

Beach. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

BETH BERGMAN/The Virginian-Pilot

Matt Harrell preaches to teen members of Rock Church in Virginia

Beach.

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