Published: October 10, 2008 01:18 pm            

RELIGION IN BRIEF | Bishop will ordain priest, two deacons

BY JANICE RAINEY

JRAINEY@TRIBDEM.COM

The Most Rev. Joseph V. Adamec, bishop of the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese, will ordain a priest and two deacons during an Ordination Mass at 10 a.m. today at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Altoona.

He will ordain the men through the imposition of hands and the invocation of the Holy Spirit.

Deacon Chinemere Raphael Onyeocha, a native of Nigeria, will be ordained a priest (Sacred Order of Presbyter) for the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown.

Onyeocha is serving at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament since his ordination to the dioconate (Sacred Order of the Deacon) in May.

He will receive his first full-time assignment as a priest from Adamec following the Mass.

Matthew B. Baum and Michael A. Wolfe, diocesan seminarians, will be ordained deacons.

They will be considered transitional deacons as they prepare for ordination to the priesthood in May.

Following the ordination, Baum and Wolfe will receive assignments as deacons at diocesan churches.

Baum, 26, is a member of Holy Rosary Roman Catholic Church, Altoona.

He is in his final year of seminary studies (Fourth Theology) at St. Vincent Seminary in Latrobe.

Wolfe, 27, is a member of St. Agnes Roman Catholic Church, Lock Haven, Clinton County.

He is in his final year of theology studies at the Pontifical College Josephinum, Columbus, Ohio.

First Presbyterian names new pastor

Effective Nov. 1, the Rev. Alice Plotts will become the new pastor at First Presbyterian Church, 309 Lincoln St., downtown Johnstown.

Plotts, who is coming to Johnstown from North Carolina, will preach her first sermon on Nov. 9.

Evangelist to preach at Kantner UM

Tom Fuller, an appointed general evangelist for the United Methodist Church, will preach during the 9:50 a.m. Sunday worship service and at 7 p.m. Sunday through Tuesday at Kantner United Methodist Church, 626 Forbes Road, Stoystown.

His presentation, titled “The Amazing John Wesley,” uses music, dramatic stories and humor to tell the story of Wesley, organizer of the Methodists.

A meal will be offered at 6 each evening in the fellowship hall.

A children’s program will be provided.

A love offering will be received.

Information: 893-6216.

Services will mark church’s 91st date

Members of Second Baptist Church in Blairsville will celebrate the church’s 91st anniversary during the 10 a.m. Sunday worship service.

A dinner will be held at 2:30 p.m., followed by a program at 4.

Jeremiah Hunter, pastor of Mount Sinai Institutional Baptist Church, Conemaugh, will preach.

Ronnie C. Morris Sr. is the pastor, with his wife, LaVonne Morris, first lady.

Russel Whitfield is associate pastor.

Shade Creek books guest ministers

Guest ministers have been announced for the 10:30 a.m. Sunday worship service at Shade Creek-Ridge Church of the Brethren, 1623 Ridge Road, Hooversville.

The leaders are the Rev. Gary Mosorjak on Sunday and Oct. 26 and the Rev. Linda Reininger on Oct. 19.

Sunday school will begin at 9:30 a.m.

Minister to preach at Maple Spring

The Rev. Roger Forry will speak during the 10:30 a.m. Sunday worship service at Maple Spring Church of the Brethren, Hollsopple R.D. 1.

His sermon is titled “What Are You Willing to Sacrifice?”

Out-of-town minister to speak in St. Michael

The Rev. David Havener of Greybull, Wyo., will speak during the 10:30 a.m. Sunday service at Park View Alliance Church, 148 Chapel St., St. Michael.

Communion will be offered.

Former pastor to speak at Grove Avenue

The Rev. Howard Wright, former pastor of Grove Avenue United Methodist Church, will speak during the 10:45 a.m. Sunday worship service.

His wife, Carol, a vocalist, also will attend.

A social will follow.

The church is located at 501 Grove Ave., Johnstown.

Pleasant Hill church to honor pastor

Pleasant Hill Baptist Church’s 43rd anniversary celebration will honor the Rev. Andrew W. Tilly, D.D., pastor, at 10:50 a.m. Sunday.

The Rev. Derrick Myers of South Carolina will speak.

Music will be provided by the Mass Choir.

Dinner will follow with an anniversary sermon at 4 by the Rev. Joseph Harkless, pastor of Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Massillion, Ohio, who will be accompanied by his choir and congregation.

The church is located at 205 Peelor St., Johnstown.

Tire Hill church schedules revival

Tire Hill Church of the Brethren, 665 Tire Hill Road, will hold revival services at 10:30 a.m. Sunday and 7 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday.

Heaven 4 Shore, a southern gospel singing group, will bring the message in word and song.

Power of Praise will lead singing at 6:45 nightly.

A covered-dish dinner will follow the Sunday morning service.

Information: 288-2115.

Church sessions to focus on St. Paul

SS. Peter & Paul Byzantine Catholic Church, 143 Church Drive, Portage, will host four sessions on “St. Paul: His Life, Faith and Legacy.”

The sessions, to be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday and Oct. 19 and 26 and Nov. 2, will cover the spiritual journey of St. Paul, St. Paul’s communities and his message, breaking open the message of St. Paul and St. Paul and the mysteries.

James A. Silvestri of Holy Resurrection Byzantine Catholic Church, Monroeville, will be the presenter.

Abundant Life sets special service

Abundant Life Ministry will hold a special youth-in-action service at 11 a.m. Sunday in the Tuscany Salon of the Holiday Inn, 250 Market St., downtown Johnstown.

Elder Sarina Hardison of Works of Deliverence Fellowship will be the youth messenger.

Information: 539-4659.

Praise Center plans celebration

Praise Center Full Gospel Church, 200 Cooper Ave., Johnstown, will hold a pre- 10-year anniversary celebration with a special worship service at 4:30 p.m. Sunday.

Guests will be St. James Missionary Baptist Church choir and congregation, where the Rev. Ralph Johnson, pastor, will deliver the message.

Hymn sing on Sunday at Moxham church

Moxham Church of the Brethren, 536 Grove Ave., Johnstown, will hold a hymn sing, “Gratitude in Our Hearts,” at 6:30 p.m. Sunday.

Refreshments will be served.

Revival services on tap at Morrellville

Fall revival services will be held at 6:45 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday at Morrellville Church of the Brethren, 408 Chandler Ave., Johnstown.

The Rev. Rick Smith, pastor of Windber Church of God, will speak.

Prayer, praise service set in Windber

A prayer and praise service will be held at 7 p.m. Sundays at Windber Church of God, 2400 Jackson Ave.

Information: 467-8707.

Recital series to feature organist

A recital series at First Lutheran Church, 415 Vine St., Johnstown, will feature organist Matthew Thomas at 12:05 p.m. Tuesday.

The free concert will be followed by a light luncheon.

Information: 536-7521.

Meditation scheduled for Wednesday

The Institute of Integrative Medicine at Windber Medical Center will hold an interfaith spiritual healing meditation from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday and Oct. 29 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, 605 Graham Ave., Windber.

Preachers scheduled for conference

KEPT Women of God eighth annual conference will be held Thursday through Oct. 18 at St. James Missionary Baptist Church, 400 Pine St., Johnstown.

The theme will be “A Change is Coming,” based on I Corinthians 2:9.

Preachers will be the Rev. Ralph E. Johnson Sr. of St. James Missionary Baptist Church; the Rev. Katherine McLeod of Mount Carmel Baptist Church, North Versailles, Allegheny County; Minister Thelma Jackson of Calvary Baptist Church, Pittsburgh; the Rev. Diane Zigler of St. Paul Baptist Church, Pittsburgh; and the Rev. Shirley Long of Mount Carmel Baptist Church, Pittsburgh.

Information: 536-6179.

Holy Cross Lutheran lists prayer times

Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 711 Chestnut St., Johnstown, will hold a prayer service at 7:45 p.m. Thursday and Oct. 30.

Morning prayer is held at 6:45 a.m. Wednesdays.

The Sunday worship service is held at 9 a.m. with Holy Communion on the first and third Sundays and feast days.

Wellsprings of Wisdom Fridays at YWCA

Living the Questions 2.0 (LtQ2) will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. every other Friday, beginning this Friday, at YWCA of Greater Johnstown, 526 Somerset St.

LtQ2, featuring 30 of today’s leading religious voices, is the revised and expanded version of Living the Questions, a popular DVD and Web-based introduction to progressive Christianity.

YWCA also will hold a women’s circle, Wellsprings, which will share lives and collective wisdom while considering contemporary spiritual topics, at 5:45 p.m. every second Friday.

Information: 255-9540 or www.livingthequestions.com.

Fountain of Life sets healing service

Fountain of Life Full Gospel Church, 225 Second St., Johnstown, will hold a healing and miracle service at 7 p.m. Friday.

Fellowship planning women’s conference

The women of Greater Johnstown Christian Fellowship, 3429 Elton Road, Johnstown, will hold a conference, titled “Harvest of Blessing,” at 9 a.m. Nov. 1.

Melva Beacham will speak.

Registration fee of $5 is due by Friday.

The cost will include a continental breakfast and lunch.

An offering will be received.

Jefferson Memorial to honor bishop

Jefferson Memorial Church, 325 William Penn Ave., Johnstown, will honor Bishop Joseph McGauley during services Friday and Oct. 18.

Bishop Ronnie Reed of Columbus, Ohio, and the congregation of Praise and Worship Center will deliver the message at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

On Oct. 18, “Super Saturday” kicks off at noon.

The following will preach:

Pastor Saundra Ivery of Cincinnati.

Pastor Marcus Collier of Newark, N.J.

Pastor Quincy Fielding of Washington, D.C.

Pastor Lamont Burno of Philadelphia.

Pastor Vaughn Kendrick Ginyard of Washington, D.C.

Guest choirs are House of Joy young adult choir of Newburgh, N.Y., and Hills Temple Church choir of Akron, Ohio.

        

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