European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 16, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                I but the Bible says Jesus Christ was baptized in the flowing Waters of the Jordan rivet. And there Are some denominations for whom water Quality Isnit a real Issue. Quot done to mind the stuff that a in it a said elder Joe Evans at the Church of Jesus Christ of old regular baptists called Sardis in Delbarton . A a it a not what baptism is All about a to clean your body. Jesus has nothing to do with  Quot i believe god makes it pure when one of his goes in a said elder John Thacker of the Philadelphia old regular Baptist Church at Pompey in Pike county near the Ken Tucky Virginia Border. Evans said Stream pollution is a a part of life in Appalachia. Quot you be got everybody up and Down this Creek running their sewers in it Quot he said. A what Are you going to do they be got no place else to put n. Its a vast problem a but the problem is not so widespread that it has caught the attention of National Church leaders. Others question whether it is a problem at All. Quot the act of baptism is so Quick that there a not much exposure to it whatever you do a said Mark Poppenger vice president of the Southern Baptist convention in Nashville which has 15 million members nationwide. Honolulu apr the beatification of father Damien de Seuster delayed this year because of a broken leg suffered by Pope John Paul ii is being postponed until next year Church officials said wednesday. Father Damien a beatification was set for May in his native Belgium. Local roman Catholic Church officials had hoped to reschedule the ceremony for sept. 4, but officials at the Vatican said the Popes broken leg the Rev. Mike Baker. Spokesman for the Church of god in Cleveland tenn., said the move away from the Creek Banks is More a natural progression than a Public health matter. "1 would liken it with air conditioning a said Baker who himself was baptized in flowing Waters. Quot it just is much More convenient for year round climate of course for sanitary reasons. And its also in a worship  but Vanhoose said his decision to install a baptistery at his Church followed an experience he had several years ago. Vanhoose said he had pulled up to a Creek and found a place that appeared deep enough for the ceremony. He waded in to make sure. A i Felt some debris under my feet and i started trying to move it out of the Way and in the process without knowing it i was moving debris out of a sewer line that was coming straight from a House a a he said. Quot that la cause you to  Vanhoose realizes that Creek baptism is deeply rooted in the traditions of his Mountain Home. A but when it gets to that Point a he said of his sewage run in a we need to have a change of heart and see what a going  Caudill of the Toms Creek Church is More Blunt. A they say they want to be baptized like the lord was a he said of some parishioners. A and i say a get you a plane ticket and go to the Jordan   be healed enough for him to travel by that time. \ a Damien ministered to leprosy patients at Kalaupapa Molokai More than 100 years  done to want to hold the ceremony in the Winter so local Church officials Hope it can be held next May 10, Damien a feast Day. A saturday july 16, 1994 baptists selecting Leader for fort Worth Seminary from the associated press Dallas a the Rev. Kenneth Hemphill an Atlanta specialist in Church growth is the front runner to become president of the southwestern Baptist theological Seminary according to Baptist news agencies. A selection committee unanimously has chosen Hemphill to replace Russell Dilday As the head of the fort Worth based Seminary the Baptist press and the associated Baptist press reported. The full trustee Board has a special meeting scheduled for july 29 in fort Worth to vote on the selection committees Choice. Dilday was fired in March. William Tolar has been the acting president. The Rev. Miles Seaborn jr., selection committee chairman declined to discuss the panels decision. Hemphill also declined to comment. Hemphill 46, is director of the Southern Baptist Center for Church growth a joint venture of the Southern Baptist convention Home Mission Board and Baptist sunday school  southwestern Baptist theological Seminary is the largest in the Southern Baptist convention with More than 3,000 students. Zapped mom born again Dresden n a a a woman who survived a lightning strike has decided to return to the Church she had stopped attending. A i wanted to go to sleep but i saw this Guy who held my hand and my two Little boys and i knew i was Back and i knew god was going to let me raise them a Rene Gebo 30, said after she was struck by lightning while closing a refrigerator door. The refrigerator was set up outside under a tent at a campsite. The lightning strike hit a transformer blew through a fuse Box and surged along an Extension Cord to the refrigerator. The charge hurled Gebo to the ground and burned a Hole in her left foot. She was treated at Rutland regional medical Center. When she was released she went to a. Service at a nearby Baptist Church with her father. Church head 55, has boy Corwin Springs Mont. Church Universal and triumphant spiritual Leader Elizabeth Clare Prophet has Given birth to a boy Church spokesman Murray Steinman said. The 5-Pound, 13/2-ounce baby was born last week. Prophet 55, and her husband Church vice president de Francis have not announced their songs name. Steinman said All three Are doing Well. He would not say where Prophet gave birth citing the family a privacy. The Church has its Headquarters in Corwin Springs in Paradise Valley. Prophet has four other children from her marriage to the late Mark Prophet. They Range from 22 to 30 years old. Church to help aborigines Sydney Australia a the uniting Church will give at least 10 percent of its funds to the aboriginal  the Church to help compensate for its wrongdoings against aborigines and Torres Strait islanders. The uniting Church australians third largest denomination with about 1.2 million members formed from the merger of the methodist congregational and presbyterian churches in 1977. The Church made a formal and Public apology recently for past treatment of aborigines and islanders by Christian churches. Uniting Church president Jill Tabard said members of the churches seventh National Assembly would discuss giving about 10 percent of the churches a designated funds to the uniting aboriginal and islander Christian Congress. A Church spokeswoman later said the percentage May be higher. The Church did not specify How much Money 10 percent of its a designated funds would be. The action by the uniting Church widely regarded As a progressive Church because of its approaches to social issues comes six years alter a similar statement by the anglican Church. Page 14 the stars and stripes religion Rivers baptisms by immersion by Allen g. Breed associated press writer Meta by. A when it came time for Christine Murphy to be baptized the Eastern Kentucky woman went to the Creek like her ancestors did. A you just feel like you re ,. Closer to god in the Creek than you would inside a Church said the 21-year-old Pike county woman who was dunked last month in the Waters of Johns Creek. A a it a just like being in a Bathtub in the other  but if cleanliness is truly next to godliness a lot of pastors say the creeks not the place to go any More. Quot there a none of. Them fit to baptize a dog in to be honest with you a said the Rev. James Kelly Caudill pastor of the Toms Creek free will Baptist Church at Nippa in nearby Johnson county. Quot its sad to say but its true.�?�. Evangelical churches have been slowly switching from outdoor baptisms to indoor ceremonies during the last few decades mostly for convenience Sake. But open dumping and raw sewage from Remote households seem to have seeded up the changeover in some areas pastors say. A my reasoning was that if you walk into a River or Stream and you be got dead animals you be got open sewers and All other types of debris a said pastor Dick Vanhoose of the Salyersville free will. Baptist Church who has been Moderator of he Kentucky state association of free will baptists for the past six years. Quot that just in my opinion makes it unsafe to take someone for water  about 29 percent of the nations Stream Miles were at least partially unfit for swimming because of pollution according to the . Environmental Protection Agency s National water Quality inventory released in March. The report said another 3 percent were threatened if no pollution control actions were taken. In Kentucky 52 percent of the Stream Miles assessed in 1992-93 were at least somewhat impaired said spokeswoman Maleva Chamberlain of the state division of water. Most of that was because of focal contamination she said. A so you be got a 50-50 Chance of being exposed to something that could make you sick a she said. A a baptism in the River Jordan in Israel May be the Only Way to avoid sewage Laden american creeks during a baptism by immersion. Father Damien s beatification set for next May