ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, December 16, 1995 TAG: 9512190029
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: C-9 EDITION: METRO
New program director
Andrew Wells will become program director of Camp Bethel, the Church of the Brethren conference center in Botetourt County. Wells will begin his work Jan. 8 after his graduation from Virginia Tech.
He will succeed Mary S. St. John, who resigned after five years to devote more time to her family. Wells is from Staunton and has experience working with campers at a Brethren facility in the Shenandoah District. At Camp Bethel he will work with Glenn Stevens, camp director.
Election date set
June 22 has been set as the date for the election of a new bishop for the Episcopal Diocese of Southwestern Virginia.
The electing convention, which will be attended by the same clergy and lay delegates who represent their congregations at the Annual Council of the diocese in Blacksburg in January, will choose among several candidates presented by a screening and nominating committee. These candidates have been suggested by members of the diocese's congregations.
St. John's Episcopal Church in Roanoke will be the site of the election. After the bishop-elect has been approved by two-thirds of standing committees of dioceses throughout the United States, he or she will be installed at a consecration service later in 1996. The date and site for that have not been announced.
Bishop A. Heath Light, 66, will give up administrative and spiritual leadership following the consecration.
Ex-official arraigned
The former comptroller of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries has been arraigned in the New York State Supreme Court on larceny charges. William R. Jones, who had been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, is accused by the Board of Global MInistries of embezzling "close to $400,000." A trial date has not been set.
Jones left the board in October after working for it for two years. The funds were discovered missing a few days after his departure.
Methodist reorganization
Earlier this month the United Methodist General Council on Ministries in Indianapolis approved a plan for reducing the number of churchwide agencies governing members and a process for reorganizing the church. The proposals, approved by the 113-member body with no negative votes and a few abstentions, now go to the church's top legislative body meeting, which will be in Denver from April 16-26.
In 1992 the quadrennial general conference of the denomination asked the council on ministries to streamline the national structures of the church.
The Board of Discipleship, Higher Education and Ministry, the Board of Church and Society and Global Ministries shall be especially affected by the proposed "leaner" national church offices. Critics of the church have long charged that these agencies are top-heavy with employees who do not stay in close enough touch with grassroots United Methodists.
Best-seller updated
One of the best-selling Christian books in history, ``In His Steps'' by Charles M. Sheldon, has been updated and modernized by Sheldon's great-grandson, Clinch Valley College professor Garrett W. Sheldon.
Retitled ``What Would Jesus Do?'', Garrett Sheldon's novel follows his grandfather's message of implementing a biblical method of solving problems in the contemporary church.
``In His Steps,'' still in print, has sold more than 30 million copies since it was first published almost 100 years ago. A boxed set of the original and the updated version are available at some Christian bookstores.
Grants awarded
The Aid Association for Lutherans, a national fraternal benefit society, recently awarded $11,000 in grants to Roanoke College, which is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
A $5,000 grant will be used to recognize individuals and families who make significant contributions to the college's permanent endowment; $3,500 will help defray the costs of an annual fund-raising project aimed at increasing unrestricted contributions to the college; and $2,500 will be used for a ``Developing Responsible Leadership'' curriculum project.
NCC president
United Methodist Bishop Melvin G. Talbert of San Francisco has been installed as the president of the National Conference of Churches.
The national organization represents 32 Protestant and orthodox Christian denominations and faith communities.
Talbert, 61, said he will make fighting racism one of the top priorities of his two-year term.
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