c. 2007 Religion News Service

Church of God in Christ Names New Presiding Bishop

(RNS) The Church of God in Christ has chosen the pastor of a Los Angeles megachurch to be its new presiding bishop.

Bishop Charles E. Blake was appointed April 10 as the seventh presiding bishop of the predominantly black Pentecostal denomination, succeeding Bishop Gilbert E. Patterson, who died March 20 of heart failure.

Blake, 67, is the pastor of West Angeles Church of God in Christ, a Los Angeles congregation with more than 24,000 members.

Prior to being chosen presiding bishop, he served as first assistant presiding bishop under Patterson.

“What a wonderful privilege to serve the church that has nurtured me from my birth,” Blake said in a statement. “I am a third-generation member of the Church of God in Christ. Standing on the excellent foundation laid by my predecessors, we aspire in the centennial year to reach unprecedented levels of service to God, and the people of the world.”

Blake also is the founder and president of the Pan African Children’s Fund, which includes a program that supports orphan care services in 21 countries.

With 5.5 million members, the Church of God in Christ was ranked as the fifth-largest denomination in the U.S.

One of Blake’s upcoming tasks will be to lead the denomination’s 100th annual Holy Convocation in November in Memphis.

_ Adelle M. Banks

Nation’s Largest Mormon Unversity Changes Policy on Homosexuality

(RNS) Brigham Young University, the nation’s largest Mormon unversity, has changed its honor code and will no longer list homosexual orientation or “feelings” as violations.

While gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender activists are claiming victory, the Provo, Utah-based school says it has merely “clarified” a section of the honor code.

The amended code says: “One’s stated sexual orientation is not an Honor Code issue” and that “Brigham Young University will respond to homosexual behavior rather than to feelings or orientation and welcomes as full members of the university community all whose behavior meets university standards.”

Acting on one’s homosexuality through sexual intimacy, giving expression to homosexual feelings and advocating for homosexual behavior are still violations of the code and grounds for expulsion, according to a university spokeswoman.

Members of the Soulforce Equality Ride, a gay-rights group of 50 young adults traveling by bus to religious colleges and universities _ including several visits to BYU and satellite branches _ hailed the change as a significant victory.

“The energy around this issue and the pressure provided by our presence were certainly a factor in changing this policy from being the worst in the nation to being on par with most other anti-gay schools,” Soulforce’s Haven Herrin said in a statement Tuesday (April 17).

BYU spokeswoman Carrie Jenkins said Wednesday (April 18) that the code “has been rewritten to clarify that the university will only respond to a student’s behavior, not their sexual orientation.” Jenkins said the “clarification” had nothing to do with the Soulforce group’s campus demonstration.

_ Philip Turner

Southern Baptists Fall Far Short of Baptism Campaign Goal

(RNS) Southern Baptist churches fell significantly short of a campaign to baptize one million people and saw a slight drop in baptisms from 2005 to 2006, statistics show.

Baptisms in 2006 totaled 364,826, down 1.89 percent from the 2005 total of 371,850, according to the denomination’s Annual Church Profile.

Former Southern Baptist Convention President Bobby Welch led an “Everyone Can!” campaign seeking 1 million baptisms between October 2005 and October 2006. Specific figures for baptisms from all Southern Baptist churches during those dates are not available, since the denomination tallies baptisms on a calendar-year basis.

In a commentary in Baptist Press, the denomination’s news service, Welch said the 1 million goal was a “target that would challenge everyone to do their very best.” He said there have been “life-changing” results from some congregations that broke “recent history records in baptisms,” but the overall results show the need for a more unified effort.

“The 2006 decline in baptisms in SBC churches likely will disclose that while many did their very best, many others did about the same or less than before,” said Welch, who traveled across the country by bus to encourage Southern Baptists to work toward the campaign goal.

Overall, the denomination reported a 2006 total membership of 16,306,246, an increase of .22 percent from the previous year. The number of churches totaled 44,223, a 1.2 percent increase from 2005.

_ Adelle M. Banks

Quote of the Day: The Rev. H.B. London, Counselor to Ted Haggard

(RNS) “Once you were in charge of a megachurch and a mega-staff and making mega-decisions. Now your main decision is where you’re going to school, where to eat and what you’re going to do on your day off.”

_ The Rev. H.B. London, a counselor to former National Association of Evangelicals President Ted Haggard, who Wednesday (April 18) left Colorado Springs, Colo., where his church was located, for Phoenix, where he will join the same church that helped disgraced televangelist Jim Bakker. London, who was quoted by The Associated Press, was describing the test ahead for Haggard, who was dismissed after a sex and drug scandal last year.

DSB/LF END RNS