Effort to Aid Ex-Inmates Gains Support

The Los Angeles Metropolitan Churches, a relatively new group of 27 African American congregations trying to help ex-convicts steer clear of crime, has hit a responsive chord among foundations and a major Catholic agency.

“Repeat crimes is an issue for our congregations,” said Baptist minister Eugene Williams, director of the organization, which was founded in 1994. “People are breaking into their churches, committing crimes around their churches, and there are members of their congregations who are ex-offenders.”

Though their members are all Protestant churches, the organization’s leaders have received annual grants from the Catholic Church’s Campaign for Human Development, which collects parish donations every November for community organizations addressing poverty and hunger.

“We see them as a success story,” said Barbara Stephenson, a spokeswoman for the Catholic campaign.

After the Los Angeles Catholic Archdiocese made small grants to the group in 1994 and 1995, the Washington-based U.S. Catholic Conference gave the organization $30,000 last year and $50,000 this fall.

The Los Angeles Metropolitan Churches drew more than 100 people last Saturday to Mt. Olive Second Baptist Church in Los Angeles for a rally supporting proposed state legislation that would require former inmates to pass a high school equivalency exam as part of their probation.

“If you got this population that can’t read or write, how can they fill out a job application?” asked the organization’s president, the Rev. Richard Byrd of Christ Unity Church.

Williams said the Los Angeles County-wide group invites former inmates to study at learning centers at some of the churches.

The biggest grant secured yet by the organization was $210,000 for two years, awarded in March by the James Irvine Foundation. The Ralph Parsons Foundation recently gave $40,000, Williams said, and grants of $25,000 each also have come from the California Community Foundation and a Unitarian Universalist foundation.

The 27 member churches are all small to mid-size congregations, ranging in membership from 75 to 300 people, he said.

Most grants have been in support of efforts to help former inmates pass high school equivalency tests. The funds also have gone to operational support, along with computer and leadership training programs for member churches.

“Some churches didn’t have fax machines,” Williams said. “We are teaching them how to use computer software and we are building Web pages for all 27 churches.”

REFORMATION OBSERVANCES

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Southland Lutherans will recall in coming days their Reformation roots in 16th century Germany, often in special joint services.

Choirs and pastors from six Westside Los Angeles congregations will celebrate at 3 p.m. Sunday at Bethany Lutheran Church of Hollywood, 4975 Sunset Blvd. Members of five San Gabriel Valley churches will hear theologian James Kallas of California Lutheran University preach at a service at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Mt. Calvary-Faith Lutheran Church, 2110 W. Francisquito Ave., West Covina.

Actress Laurel Kelsh Jones will portray Katherina Luther, the wife of Lutheranism’s founder, Martin Luther, in a monologue Sunday at the 11 a.m. service at the Lutheran Church of the Master, 10931 Santa Monica Blvd., West Los Angeles.

INTERFAITH

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One of the most enduring interfaith gatherings in Los Angeles, the 21st annual Catholic-Jewish Women’s Conference, will hear Sheila Briggs, USC associate professor of religion, and author Leila Bronner talk about women in the Bible at the 21st annual meeting Nov. 2 at Loyola High School, 1901 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles. Admission to the daylong event is $10. (310) 472-8669 or (310) 391-8642.

* The Rev. Cecil Murray of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles and Father Michael Manning, a priest who appears in syndicated television shows, will appear in each of three Sunday night interfaith panel discussions at the University of Judaism. Moderated by Michael Levine of Levine Communications, the multi-faith panels will start with discussion of the death penalty at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 2. Later topics will be “God and Forgiveness” and “Why Bad Things Happen to Good People.” Admission $12, or $30 for all three. (310) 476-9777.

DATES

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To mark the bicentennial of Franz Schubert (1797-1828), soloists, chorus and chamber orchestra at Pasadena Presbyterian Church will perform the Austrian composer’s Mass in C and Symphony No. 5 on Sunday with Gregory Norton conducting. The performance is at 4 p.m. at 585 E. Colorado Blvd. Admission $10. (626) 568-2608.

* Rabbi Richard N. Levy, executive director of the Los Angeles Hillel Council and national president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, will begin a two-part lecture series on “Can Reform Rabbis Really Pray?” at 9 a.m. Sunday at University Synagogue, 11960 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles. Levy also will speak on Nov. 2 at the same time. (310) 472-1255.

* Pasadena’s All Saints Episcopal Church will hold the first of four jazz vespers Sunday, a service combining meditative readings, a homily and jazz. Featured at the 5 p.m. event will be Alan Pasqua, a Sherman Oaks-based jazz pianist. The church is at 132 N. Euclid Ave. (626) 796-1172.

* “The Year 2000” and the spiritual and psychological expectations associated with the changing millennium will be examined in a UCLA Extension seminar next Saturday. Leonard Koff of the UCLA Center for Medieval Studies will moderate the all-day event, starting at 9 a.m. at 100 Moore Hall, with historian Patrick J. Geary and political scientist David C. Rapaport, both of UCLA. Fee $55. (310) 825-2301.

* The 50-voice Trinity Baptist Church Praise Choir will be featured in the Los Angeles church’s sixth annual gospel concert under the direction of composer-conductor Andre David Brooks. Free. The church is at 2040 W. Jefferson Blvd. (213) 735-0044.

FINALLY

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Some churches are providing a Halloween alternative to door-to-door trick-or-treating on Friday night.

“More and more families don’t want to celebrate Halloween because it represents violence or because they worry about their children’s safety,” said Drew Sherman, children’s pastor at Shepherd of the Hills Church in Porter Ranch, which last year drew an estimated 1,500 adults and candy-seeking kids.

This year’s free event, at 19700 Rinaldi St., includes a hayride, pony rides, games and music. (818) 831-9333.

In Costa Mesa, the Vineyard Christian Fellowship, 102 E. Baker St., will begin its four-hour Halloween alternative festival at 6 p.m. Carnival games, costume contests, a chili cook-off and music by the reggae band Love Tribe will be featured. Nearly 1,000 people attended last year. (714) 556-8463.

COLLEGE

With a big enrollment increase for the third consecutive year, California Baptist College in Riverside has topped 2,000 students for the first time.

There were 808 students in 1994, when Ronald L. Ellis became the fifth president of the Southern Baptist school, which was founded in 1950 at an El Monte church.

With 322 new students this fall, enrollment jumped to 2,009--making California Baptist the denomination’s fastest-growing college in the country.

Brenda Flowers, a college spokeswoman, said that California Baptist has been helped by a general upswing in enrollment. But the campus also added master’s programs in education and business administration in recent years, she said.

Yearly growth will probably slow a bit now because of strained housing and parking capacities, Ellis told a recent trustees meeting. Nevertheless, the board of trustees voted unanimously to seek university status by January 1999.

Notices may be mailed for consideration to Southern California File, c/o John Dart, L.A. Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth, CA 91311, faxed to Religion desk (818) 772-3385, or e-mailed to john.dart@latimes.com Items should arrive two to three weeks before the event, except for spot news, and should include pertinent details about the people and organizations with address, phone number, date and time.