Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, November 4, 1995 TAG: 9511060021
SECTION: RELIGION PAGE: A-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"How Can I Know That I Am Right?" will be the theme of the first seasonal Physician-Clergy Dialogue breakfast meeting Nov. 21. The program, which will be in the cafeteria of Lewis-Gale Hospital in Salem, is jointly sponsored by the Roanoke Valley Ministers Conference and the Roanoke Academy of Medicine. Each program explores ethical issues common to the two professions and is open especially to Western Virginia adults employed in church or medical fields. The free breakfast begins at 7 and is followed by discussion until 8. Presenters for the first session are David Peterson, a licensed professional counselor, and the Rev. David Miller, pastor of First Church of the Brethren.
Va. Southern Baptists
Virginia's Southern Baptists will hold their annual meetings next week in Virginia Beach.
The gathering of the Baptist General Association of Virginia - the denomination's official state body - is expected to be relatively quiet this year, but a pre-convention meeting of the state's more conservative congregations may include discussions about forming a new state convention.
States and regions form autonomous and self-governing conventions that may affiliate with the national Southern Baptist Convention - the country's largest Protestant denomination with more than 15 million members.
In recent years, the denomination at all levels has split into so-called ``conservative'' and ``moderate'' factions, with conservatives dominating the national organization. The opposite is true in Virginia, however, with moderates controlling state Southern Baptist agencies and institutions.
Many ``conservative'' congregations have joined a group called Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia in protest of the state association's policies. The conservatives' annual meeting will be held Tuesday, at which its members will discuss hiring a full-time executive director and will likely discuss the possibility of forming a new state convention.
The moderate-led General Association will elect a clergy president this year. Roanoke Valley Baptist Association director Kirk Lashley will preside over the Thursday afternoon session.
Evangelizing E.T.'s
A Roman Catholic priest and theologian has called on his church to consider the possibility of evangelizing extraterrestrials, according to published reports.
After two Swiss astronomers announced they had discovered the first planet in a solar system similar to Earth's, Piero Coda, a theology professor in Rome, said any beings living on the planet would be in need of salvation.
Another unnamed Catholic professor told Ecumenical News Service that might not be true. ``We know that earthmen sinned, but we know nothing of beings on other worlds.''
Service recognitions
Beth Israel Synagogue last week honored three members with its Outstanding Service Award. The recognition honors contributions to the congregation.
Awards were presented to Morton Rosenberg and Julien Sacks, as well as a posthumous recognition of Burton Levine.
All three men have records of service to the community as well as their religious congregation.
The awards were presented by Rabbi Jerome Fox at a dinner Oct. 29.
Child-abuse statement
Nathan Musselman, a member of Oak Grove Church of the Brethren and a student at Patrick Henry High School, was one of five youth members asked to draft a ``Statement on Child Exploitation'' for the denomination.
Musselman and the other youths presented their paper to the national denomination's General Board last week. The statement, which focuses on the abuse of child labor and child prostitution, will be refined and presented to the General Board again at its March meeting. It would then be presented to the denomination's Annual Conference in 1996 as a proposed study document and returned again in 1997 for final approval.
by CNB