European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 27, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 14 the stars and stripes saturday. November27. .1993 lutherans decry proposal on masturbation Gays from wire reports f a four year Effort by the evangelical lutheran Church in America to write a statement on human sexuality has nearly foundered since reports of first draft alarmed members of the 5.2 million my Mhor denomination. The proposed statement As written is mortally wounded wrote the Rev. Edgar a Trexler in the current Issue of the lutheran the Church s monthly Magazine which he edits. On oct. 19, newspapers radio and television carried reports suggesting that a Church panel had declared masturbation to be healthful homosexual marriages to be biblically supported and Condo distribution among teen agers to be a moral imperative. The Headquarters of the denomination in Chicago was immediately deluged with angry phone Calls. Lutheran pastors faced with distressed or puzzled parishioners complained that they had not received the statement before reporters did. T Many of the denomination s 67 Bishops voiced. Reservations about the statement. Some Bishop denounced it outright. The Rev. Karen l. Bloomquist who headed the 17-Mcmber panel that produced the draft statement was asked to give up that assignment. But she remains director for studies in the Church s division for Church in society. Evangelical lutheran officials Are now trying to Calm the storm by reiterating that the statement was Only a draft. It can be amended or even abandoned they said in the Long process leading to a final vote at the Church s National Assembly in 1995. Priests keep in touch Bridgeport neb. The Catholic Church in Western Nebraska is dealing with a combination of a shortage of priests and wide open spaces with the help of answering machines and cellular telephones. Priests in the diocese that covers 45,000 Square Miles West of grand Island often May serve two three or even four parishes in different towns. The Rev. Bryan Ernest of Alliance diocesan director of vocations said the average number of catholics per priest in the diocese is 800 to 900.some priests serve More than 1,000 parishioners. Nine men arc studying for the Priesthood in the grand Island diocese. There Are 60 Active priests and 25 july Catholic churches in Bayard and Rushville became missions to Bridgeport an Gordon respectively. Churches in Broadwater Mcrriman and Minatare were closed for regular sunday masses. Parishioners calling All souls Catholic Church in Bridgeport often reach an answering machine and a voice directs them to try the pastor s cellular Telephone Rev. Reggie Urban pastor in Bayard Bridgeport and Dalton averages 3,000 Miles month commuting among the three parishes. He spends one Day a week in each town in addition to weekend celebrations of mass. Widow to get peace award Independence to. A Jehan Sadat widow of assassinated egyptian president Anwar Sadat will receive the first International peace award from the reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of latter Day saints. The award will be presented to Sadat next Friday during a peace colloquy at the recently completed Temple part of the rods world Headquarters Complex. Funding for the $25,000 award comes from the Guy i. Bromley charitable Trust administered by Boatmen s first National Bank of Kansas has asked that the Money from her award go to the recently established Anwar Sadat chair and peace at the University a Maryland. Anwar Sadat egyptian president for 11 years shared the 1978 Nobel peace prize with Israel prime minister Menachem begin. He was slam in 1981 by Muslim fundamentalists opposed to Egypt s peace treaty with Israel. Sadat s wife earned a doctorate in literary criticism from Cairo University. She now has a Home in suburban Washington and lectures at universities in Virginia and Maryland. Visitors to heritage Usa in South Carolina were greeted by a billboard featuring Jim and Tammy Bakker in 1997. Bakker s influence Tough to shed at religious resort fort Mill . A former to evangelist Jim Bakker is Long gone from new heritage Usa but the new owners can t erase his memory from this Roll ing 2,200-acre Christian resort. The resort 18 Miles South of Charlotte n.c., was built in the 1980s with donations from Bakker s pal Praise the lord television ministry. The ministry Dis integrated after allegations of fraud and an extramarital affair by is in the fourth year of an eight year sentence at a minimum Security work Camp in Jessup ga., for defrauding investors in the resort. The resort s new owners want to distance themselves from the past. Ask management about Bakker and the answer is Curt. That s been left behind said Billy Athey the resort s human resources manager. Aticy is More interested in talking about new construction. The malaysian investors who paid $42.5 million for the resort and reopened it 1w years ago recently broke ground on a Golf course and More residential construction is planned. What was envisioned by Bakker As a theme Park and Retreat for his assemblies of god follow ers is now a nondenominational resort that plays Host to religious conferences. We re trying to Cater to a whole new Christian Circle which includes reaching out past Bakker s evangelical focus said the Rev Charles Denton director of ministries. We re trying to forget the but Bakker s presence keeps creeping in looming like the unfinished 22-floor hotel and condominium Complex behind the stately heritage grand hotel. And for the holidays the new owners have decided to resurrect one of Bakker s most popular offerings two Miles of glittering Christmas lights 18-foot toy soldiers we re trying to Cater to a whole new Christian Circle we re trying to forget the past the Rev. Charles Denton and a North pole scene. It s a Concession to the popularity of Bakker s vision but that s As far As it goes. The original idea was a Good one. Unfortunately greed got in the Way said Elissa n. Fody taking a break from her Christmas shop at the mall style main Street to bask outdoors on a november Day. The new owners talk about their own vision in news re leases that Promise a management team that is committed to doing what is biblically right and morally respond they describe the resort As a place for All christians to recharge their spiritual batteries to be refreshed by the but Athey won t elaborate or talk about differences be tween the new ownership and Bakker s reign. Bakker was convicted in 1989 of defrauding 116,000 investors who each paid $1,000 for an annual three Day stay at the resort Good for life. His sex wife Tammy Faye has married again to a Kansas contractor who builds religious facilities. The first year and a half has had its fits and starts. A Large easter show fizzled at the Box office. A new $3 Park ing fee was dropped. Now the malaysians who invested $20 million in the resort since buying it want to charge for the Christmas show which was free when it Drew 1.5 Mil lion visitors at its Peak in 1986. Vicar weighing pay to Pray plan London up1 a vicar worried about empty col Lection plates wants to introduce a Price on prayer that would Force worshippers to pay weekly membership dues. The Rev. Derek Sawyer of St. A Date s in Gloucester of southwestern England said his Church is losing on aver age 40 pounds about $60 a week. He is afraid it will have to close unless he imposes a fee for membership. We be been running a debt for 10 years Sawyer said. Churches Are closing. Maybe the Only Way to go onis to say you can Only belong to a Church if you pay a sub Sawyer s pay to Pray proposal families would pay 12 pounds about $18 a wee for Church membership. Singles would pay 7 pounds about $ 10.70. Poorer families would pay 5 pounds $7.65 a week. And the retired unemployed and students would pay 3 pounds about $4.60. If anyone can t pay they be got to give a very goo reason Sawyer said. The Rev. John Penny a spokesman at Church of England Headquarters in London said the vicar s plan were not All that outrageous. It s not really unusual Penny said. He has no in Tention of turning people Penny added that it was unfortunate that Church goers might have to pay to Pray. But churches have to pay for heating and insurance too he said. And if there s no Money Well then there s no
