European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 30, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes saturday july 30, 1994 Kathy Reeves talks with the Rev Sherrie Boyens Dobbs left alter recent services in Englewood no. Reeves is with the United methodist churches ministries for physically and mentally challenged people. Victim to ministries cuts by David Briggs the associated press no one in Ginny Thornburgh s Church Ever asked Why she left her third son at Home during sunday worship. They did no task about the mentally retarded boy and she assumed he would be unwelcome. But just How Little her Church cared about her disabled child became Clear when Thornburgh a fourth child was bom. This baby was not handicapped and her fellow congregants told her All about the Church Nursery and implored her to bring the child Quot that a when it hit me and in be never rested since Quot she said. Thornburgh wife of former attorney general Richard Thornburgh is now the director of the religion and disability program of the Washington ,-based National organization on disability. Her son Peter goes to a Church where he assists the minister at worship. But such gains soon May be in danger of slipping away As several denominations Cut Back on disability ministries because of budget woes. In the evangelical lutheran Church in America the disability ministry office has been Cut Back from full time to part time and in 1995, it will be eliminated. The episcopal Church already has done away with a disability ministry office at its new York Headquarters. And in the presbyterian Church  half time position was eliminated and the Job Given to another staff member who is Abe to devote less than a tenth of his time to disability ministry. Disability programs Are suffering the same painful cutbacks As other ministries As donations to National Church offices in Many Large protestant denominations have dropped some Church officials say. What concerns advocates for the disabled is that the very thing they have been fighting for a . Ability and recognition of the disabled a will be undermined As National Church bodies do away with offices that forced denomination to be sensitive to such Mim is tries. A until a person experiences a disability themselves or has a family member with a disability its far from their consciousness a says Alonna Gautsche Sprunger a consultant to the committee on disabilities of the National Council of  Outlook is not All bad. In the Southern Baptist convention the nation s largest protestant denomination a disability ministry staff person and publication lost to budget cuts earlier this year were restored after an outcry from the pews. And some churches Are considered to have Model programs. The Christian reformed Church for example has pledged to conform with the americans with disabilities act although churches Are exempt from Many of its provisions. A Church subsidiary Friendship ministries promotes one on one relationships with mentally disabled people so far the United methodist Church has kept its disability ministry staff despite budget pressures. A a Wco re very saddened by the fact that Many of our sister denominations have Cut Back Quot said Kathy Reeves the United methodist churches executive Secretary for disability ministries. Where both disabled people and churches will Benefit Reeves and other advocates say is when people with disabilities Are looked upon As untapped resources for the Church rather than As liabilities. A what people basically want is that they arc part of the Community Quot she said. A not just to give to that person but to receive the gifts that person has to  West Virginia county trying to bring Back tent revivals from the associated press. Prichard . A North Carolina minister is helping to boost the tent revival tradition in West Virginia. Several Baptist churches invited David Harrison an evangelist from Salisbury n.c., to hold a revival on the Buffalo High school Lawn. The 2 /2-week revival ended last week. Although tent revivals Are common summer events in other areas they arc rare in Wayne county. Quot i done to remember one being in this immediate area in my lifetime and in a 43,�?� said Jeff Lycans associate pastor of Buffalo Valley missionary Baptist Church. A old time preachers came out of this area a Harrison said., a but there have been no revivals in this  growth prompts problems Westminster nid. As roman Catholic officials in Baltimore consider closing Down 16 parishes in the City because of dwindling attendance Church leaders in the suburbs Are facing a different problem. Catholic churches in Carroll county have seen steadily growing congregations and occasional growing pains associated with the migration from Baltimore to the suburbs. Building projects for new and larger facilities Are in the planning stages at several local parishes. The Rev. Martin h. Demek pastor at St. Bartholomew a roman Catholic Church in Manchester estimates that 100 new households join the Parish each year. He said an average of 800 people now attend his six sunday masses. A we have a Little Brick country Church that seats 180 comfortably Quot he said. A a in be squeezed 300 in there during  the Parish is raising funds to build a bigger $2 million Church by the year 2000, the Rev Arthur Valenzano pastor of St. John roman Catholic Church in Westminster estimated his congregation grows by 3 percent each year St John was built in 1972 and seats 750 people. Valenzano said an average of 3,000 people attend sunday masses. Priest in England fired for no belief by Deutsche or Csc Agenter London a a Church of England diocese has fired a priest because he does no to believe in god the anglican Church confirmed thursday. The Rev. Anthony Freeman of St. Marks in Sta ple Fidd in West Sussex will celebrate his last mass next sunday. A the Bishop of Chichester in Southern England said Freeman was fired because he had admitted in a Book that he did not believe god existed a View which was at variance with his profession As a priest. A there is nothing out there a or if there is we can have no knowledge of it a f rec Man said in his Book cod with is published last year. Freeman who also teaches seminarians had had sufficient time to reconsider his views the Bishop said. Freeman a dismissal prompted 65 fellow clergymen to sign a letter protesting their superiors intolerance but a spokesman for the diocese dismissed the protest letter which was sent to the Independent newspaper saying even Freedom of opinion had its limits. A Dison buld by scr ppr Howard nows  Industry has inspiring plan Amsterdam Netherlands a the. Netherlands cellular phone Industry and the country a roman Catholic Church Are trying to put together a partnership of sorts. Three telecommunications groups seeking a government cellular network License in february need High Antenna Sites and do not have the time to build towers. Enter the dutch Catholic Church owner of hundreds of steeples Many of them High Points on the Flat dutch landscape. The cellular phone network will need 600 locations nationwide and 100 of them will Likely be Church Spires said Joep mounts a spokesman for the dutch archdiocese. With Church membership declining profit from renting Antenna space can provide needed Revenue he said but would not say How much. Members care for Church Rancho de Taos . A for two weeks every june parishioners come together at san Francisco de Asis Church in the Village of Rancho de Taos to perform an obligation of love. Every member Young and old Man and woman pitches in to re plaster the exterior of the centuries old Church with a fresh layer of Adobe mud a fall parishioners Are required to participate but for us it is an obligation of the heart a Church member Johnny Devargas told the Albuquerque journal. He says the tradition goes Back generations and that the 1,100 families w to make up the Church membership have always been involved in its Upkeep. Built by franciscan friars around 1710, san Francisco de Asis took about 40 years to Complete. 1 he Church has Long been a Mecca for artists and photographers. The play of Light and Shadow on the Church s Back Side has made it one of the most painted and photographed churches in America. 1 he Church about five Miles South of fans Plaza draws dozens of tourists each Day