Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, July 15, 1993 TAG: 9307150268
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S-13 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BY FRANCES STEBBINS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
The present church, erected nearly 35 years ago, will be converted to a multipurpose fellowship hall.
\ WESTHAMPTON CHRISTIAN CHURCH, 2515 Grandin Road S.W., has scheduled a Christian Hospitality Weekend July 23-25. The Friday night speaker at 7:30 at the Disciples of Christ parish will be the Rev. Noel C. Taylor, pastor of High Street Baptist Church and former mayor of Roanoke.
An ice cream social for the community will be held at 7 on Saturday. The Victors Gospel Quartet will provide music.
The final event will be a Sunday night barbecue dinner at 6. A former Roanoke pastor, the Rev. Jack Johnson of Lynchburg, will speak. the speaker. Call 343-8194 for more information.
\ SOUTH ROANOKE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 24th street at South Jefferson, has scheduled vacation Bible school Aug. 2-6 daily from 9 a.m. to noon. Registration is open for children 3 years through fifth grade. To register, call 344-4437.
\ THE REV. STEVEN R. "RANDY" RULE has become pastor of St. Andrew's Catholic Church, succeeding the Rev. Carl Naro, who retired and moved to the Charlottesville area.
Rule, 44, was born in Roanoke and spent his early life here before moving to the Richmond area. He is a graduate of Virginia Tech and of St. Francis Seminary at Loretto, Pa. After studies at the University of Notre Dame and his ordination in 1975, Rule taught at the now-closed St. John Vianny preparatory seminary near Richmond. He also has worked in the campus ministry at the University of Richmond and was on the diocesan staff.
Rule, who still has relatives in Roanoke, also was an associate pastor of Holy Trinity parish at Ocean View. For the past 12 years, he has been pastor of Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Chesapeake.
He said that St. Andrew's, which was made accessible to the physically handicapped last year, soon will begin a major building project to add needed fellowship and education space to its historic worship area.
\ LOIS BETTIS, a member of First Baptist Church in downtown Roanoke, is marking this monthher 45th year as director of the City Rescue Mission. Bettis and her late husband, the Rev. Gustaf Johnson, started the mission to meet practical and spiritual needs of the city's destitute. The mission, now housed in Southeast Roanoke, is supported by many churches as well as non-affiliated individuals.
\ THE REV. JOHN BODDIE, formerly an assistant at Our Lady of Nazareth parish, is returning to Roanoke as pastor of St. Gerard's Catholic Church.
The 35-year-old priest is coming from a two-year pastorate as an assistant at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Virginia Beach. The Newport News native took undergraduate study at St. Meinrad's College in Indiana and earned his theological degrees from St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore before his assignment to Nazareth.
Before going to Virginia Beach, Boddie was an assistant pastor at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Richmond for two years.
\ THE REV. DR. ALTON WASHINGTON has begun his ministry at Huntington Court United Methodist Church. He has come from a six-year pastorate at Princess Anne Plaza United Methodist Church of Virginia Beach, a parish with 50 percent of the membership made up of minority groups.
A native of Charles City County, Washington is married to the former Kathleen Shelman of Richmond. He took undergraduate education at St. Paul's College and further study at the divinity school of Howard University. He earned a doctor of ministry degree from New York Theological Seminary.
Washington began his ministerial career in the Baltimore Conference and later spent five years in the Chicago area. He was accepted into the Virginia Conference 13 years ago and has served churches in Richmond and Alexandria as well as Virginia Beach. He and his wife have three adult children.
\ THE REV. MICHAEL LYLE has begun his duties at Fincastle United Methodist Church. Lyle earned degrees in English from Emory & Henry College and Wake Forest University and worked in television production and electronics before entering Wesley Theological Seminary. Since his ordination, he has been an associate pastor in Loudoun County and Winchester. During the past five years, he served two congregations in Madison County.
The pastor and his wife, the former Brenda Nichols, are native Roanokers. They have two daughters.
\ BONSACK BAPTIST CHURCH has sent 40 youth and 10 adults to Ocean City, Md., this week to participate in a number of resort ministries at campgrounds and on the beach. In addition, two adults, Patti Poch and Patti Shorner, will be in Venezuela July 30 to Aug. 8 on a medical mission team. They will provide dental services to needy residents in Maracaibo.
\ THE ALLEN CHAPEL GOSPEL CHOIR of Washington will perform Saturday at 7 p.m. at Pilgrim Baptist Church, 1415 Eighth St. N.W. The program is sponsored by the John Hubbard Memorial Ensemble.
\ A GOSPEL EXPLOSION is scheduled Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Guiding Star Church of God in Christ, 804 Madison Ave., N.W. The Mass Choir of Pilgrim Baptist Church with Dwight and Connie Steele will be the featured group in the event sponsored by the Roanoke Community Choir.
\ THE REV. WAYNE HARRISON, formerly of Norton, will begin his ministry Sunday at Belmont Baptist Church. A reception for the new pastor and his family will follow the 7 p.m. service.
Deadline for religion briefs for Neighbors is Thursday. Material must be delivered to Neighbors Religion Briefs, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke 24010, by noon in order to run in the following Thursday edition.
by CNB