News from the North American Scene: April 25, 1994

PRESLEY CHURCHES

King of Kings? Some Say Elvis

Elvis Presley—for some, the undisputed king of rock and roll—is being revered as a god. A handful of the “king’s” die-hard supporters deify him in semiorganized services similar to some traditional forms of worship.

According to the British Broadcasting Corporation, fans raise their hands, first spelling then chanting Presley’s name, working themselves into a heated fervor as they pray to the rock idol, who died in 1977.

Pockets of Elvis worship have been discovered in New York, Colorado, and Indiana. Participants freely admit their humorous intentions but have not escaped sharp criticism from Christian pastors. Martin Rush of the First Presbyterian Church in Denver, who uses the stage name of the Reverend Mort Farndu, says Elvis worship is spreading, and “E,” as his closest friends called him, watches over people. “We do religious training, tent revivals, exorcisms, guitar lessons, and weight reduction.”

Dana Cain and Kent Cordray, however, hold Elvis worship services if there is a reported sighting of Elvis. Both high priests at the Church of the Risen Elvis, also in Denver, they have enshrined a doll look-alike of Presley in an altar surrounded by candles and flowers.

By Perucci Ferraiuolo.

NAZARENE CHURCH

Three Top Leaders Resign

Church of the Nazarene executives in charge of finance, Sunday school, and missions resigned in February in what church spokesman Jack Stone called “an effort to realign the church so we can get on with our mission.”

Finance director Moody Gunter resigned in early February after denominational leaders announced the consolidation of his office with that of general treasurer Norman O. Miller, who plans to retire within a year. Gunter has been appointed superintendent of a district in northern Florida.

Phil Riley, director of Sunday school products and programs since 1981, and Robert Scott, director of Nazarene missionary work in 109 countries, both resigned February 21. Riley has not yet announced his future plans. Scott accepted a newly created job of researching world evangelism methods and suggesting strategies for the church.

By Stephen M. Miller.

ABORTIONIST SHOOTING

Shannon Found Guilty in Kansas

Rachelle Renae Shannon faces up to seven years in prison after being found guilty of attempted first-degree murder for the August 19, 1993, shooting of Wichita, Kansas, abortionist George Tiller. She was also found guilty of aggravated assault for pointing a gun at one of Tiller’s employees. The jury took only 90 minutes to reach its verdict March 25.

Shannon, 37, of Grants Pass, Oregon, told the jury she had planned the shooting. “I had debated it beforehand … cause he’s murdering 20 people a day, six days a week.”

She testified that she posed as a patient in an unsuccessful attempt to see Tiller. After leaving the clinic, she shot Tiller as he was driving away. She will be sentenced April 29.

YELLOW PAGES

Faith Symbols Under Fire

U.S. West, one of the largest publishers of Yellow Pages, reversed its ban last month on printing religious symbols in nursing home ads. It had briefly barred the symbols to comply with federal rules against housing discrimination but faced criticism after two church-affiliated nursing homes in Minnesota had to remove symbols from their ads. U.S. West backed down, but it did require the nursing homes to include a disclaimer of any religious-based discrimination.

“To argue that a cross or Star of David or other symbol in an ad constitutes discrimination under the Fair Housing Act is ridiculous,” says Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest (R-Md.). Last month Gilchrest and three-dozen other House Republicans urged Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry Cisneros to clarify federal policy regarding faith symbols in Yellow Pages ads.

HIGHER EDUCATION

Coalition, Colleges Name Presidents

Denver-area resident Robert C. Andringa, president of CEO Dialogues, will become president of the 85-member Christian College Coalition on July 1. He succeeds Myron Augsburger, who is retiring after six years.

Several leadership changes are in the works at Christian institutions. Maxie D. Dunnam will become president of Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, on July 1, succeeding David L. McKenna, who has been the school’s president for 12 years. Dunnam, 59, has pastored the 5,800-member Christ United Methodist Church in Memphis since 1982, and has been on the Asbury Seminary board the past 12 years.

David H. Gyertson was installed as president of Asbury College on April 8. Gyertson, 47, has served as president of Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and as vice president for advancement at Asbury Theological Seminary. He succeeds interim president C. R. Hager.

Rodney J. Sawatsky will become president of Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania, on July 1. He succeeds R. Ray Hostetter, who is retiring from the Brethren of Christ—affiliated school after 30 years. Sawatsky, 50, has been at Conrad Grebel College in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, for 20 years, including the past 5 as president.

David Spittal will replace the retiring John Newby as president of Central Wesleyan College in South Carolina in June. Spittal has been vice president for adult education at Indiana Wesleyan University for seven years.

E. Arthur Self will become president of Seattle Pacific University on August 1. The Free Methodist-affiliated school has an enrollment of more than 3,400 students. Self has been president of Malone College in Canton, Ohio, since June 1989. Enrollment increased 32 percent there during his tenure. Self succeeds the retiring Curtis A. Martin.

RELOCATION

World Vision Pulling Up Stakes

After nearly 40 years in Southern California, World Vision will move the bulk of its headquarters to Seattle by September 1995. High medical-insurance premiums, salaries, and excessive government regulation are cited as reasons for moving.

The group expects to save $5 million annually by consolidating operations now spread across 11 buildings in suburban Monrovia into a single Seattle facility and “rightsizing” the employee count from 525 to 400.

World Vision joins Focus on the Family, Campus Crusade for Christ, the National Association of Evangelical Christian Schools, and Every Home for Christ in fleeing the once-attractive Southern California environs. Earthquakes, high taxes, and crowding have been cited by other groups as reasons for leaving. World Vision says it is required to spend $100,000 annually on a “ride sharing” program for employees, money that could have been diverted to other efforts. World Vision said it will keep its international operations headquarters in Monrovia.

PEOPLE AND EVENTS

In Brief

Billy A. Melvin will retire as executive director of the National Association of Evańgelicals (NAE) in March 1995. During Melvin’s 28 years in the top post, NAE has grown by 70 percent and today represents 50,000 local churches from 75 denominations.

• At the NAE convention in March, Jill Briscoe received the organization’s 1994 Layperson of the Year Award. Briscoe, a member of CHRISTIANITY TODAY’s board of directors, is the author of more than 40 books and directs the Telling the Truth media ministry in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

• Members of Parliament, by unanimous vote, have decided to remove three references to Jesus Christ in the prayer that has been recited to open the Canada House of Commons since 1877. A new prayer, instituted to consider religious diversity, does call upon “Almighty God.”

• Columbia (S.C.) Bible College and Seminary has changed its name to Columbia International University “in order to reflect the true scope of its programs.” President Johnny V. Miller says the multidenominational school has graduates in more than 100 countries and the term university rather than college “enhances the value of our credentials for alumni overseas.”

• The South Boston Allied War Veterans Council canceled its St. Patrick’s Day parade for the first time in 92 years rather than allow a homosexual group to participate. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled March 11 that the organizers must allow the Irish-American Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Group to march or else face violation of a state law banning sexual-orientation discrimination in public events.

• United Methodist Reporter has sold the 60-year-old Religious News Service to Newhouse News Service, which plans to move operations to Washington, D.C., from New York by July. Judy Weidman will remain as executive editor.

• Eleanor Lockman Willis, who cofounded The Lockman Foundation in La Habra, California, with her parents, Dewey and Minna Lockman, died March 10 at age 74. She served on the board of the organization that produced the Amplified and New American Standard Bible translations from 1942 until 1975.

• Patrick L. Clements has been appointed chair of the National Board of Christian Management, an association based in Diamond Bar, California, that strives to equip and encourage professionals through networking and training. Clements is president of Church Extension Plan in Salem, Oregon.

• Anthony J. Diekema, 60, has announced he will step down as president of Christian Reformed Calvin College in August 1995. Before winding up his 19-year tenure as head of the school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Diekema will see through the completion of a $50 million endowment campaign, which he launched.

• William W. Gothard, Sr., 88, died March 17 at his home in La Grange, Illinois. In his ministry career, Gothard had been executive director of the Chicago Christian Businessmen’s Committee, executive director of Gideons International, and board chairperson of Pacific Garden Mission.

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