DATE: Saturday, October 11, 1997            TAG: 9710100082

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E3   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: From staff and wire reports 

                                            LENGTH:   54 lines

NEWS AND NOTES

Deep Creek Baptist plans

to break ground Sunday

Deep Creek Baptist Church will break ground Sunday for a new, 900-seat sanctuary on Mill Creek Parkway in Chesapeake.

Founded in 1869, Deep Creek Baptist has grown to a congregation of 2,000 members, among the fastest-growing Southern Baptist Convention churches in Virginia.

The new, $3.35 million facility will include the sanctuary and educational and family life centers. Construction is to be complete by Nov. 1, 1998.

The ground-breaking ceremony, expected to be attended by Chesapeake Mayor William E. Ward, is scheduled to begin at

11 a.m. Sunday.

Regent U. honors fitness

trainer Jake Steinfeld

Regent University last week honored fitness trainer and television actor Jake Steinfeld for his consistent support of the university's film school.

Steinfeld has starred in the ``Big Brother Jake'' series for the Family Channel as well as several movies. He helped finance several student films at Regent in recent years. Most recently, he created ``Fit TV,'' a 24-hour health and fitness channel, and launched a fitness magazine called Body by Jake.

U.S. Park Police draw

flak for ending rally

Religious activists have criticized the U.S. Park Police for not allowing the Oct. 4 Promise Keepers rally to extend 15 minutes beyond its 6 p.m. deadline.

The assembly, dubbed ``Stand in the Gap,'' was one of the largest gatherings ever in the nation's capital. Organizers had planned a memorable end to the six-hour assembly, complete with a video message from the Rev. Billy Graham, musical selections from a men's choir and a benediction. But a few minutes after 6 p.m., Park Police pulled the plug on the event.

``Everyone noticed the abrupt end of the rally,'' said the Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, leader of the Washington-based Christian Defense Coalition.

Mahoney made his criticisms in a letter Tuesday to the Park Police. Halting the event ``reflected poorly on the Promise Keepers,'' Mahoney said.

U.S. Park Police spokesman Maj. James McLaughlin said that around 5:20 p.m. organizers of the rally informed the police they were running behind schedule. McLaughlin said the police were willing to grant an additional 15 minutes, but it became apparent that would not be enough.

``We had to say no,'' McLaughlin said. ``We had to have a cut-off point. We've pulled the plug on other events.''

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