Show BC Ogden Standard-Examin- Saturday Mav 12 1984 er ©inoaists struggle with divisive issues By JAMES L FRANKLIN Boston Globe BALTIMORE Md — United Methodists the nation’s most diverse Protestant family came here last weekend to celebrate their 200th anniversary but in doing so have been forced to take a wrenching look at problems facing the nation’s second largest Protestant denomination Nearly 20000 of them gathered for a festival celebration of the founding of their church by John Wesley and Francis Asbury 200 years ago not far from where the church is holding its y General Conference here “Our ethnic diversity is a gift from God to us” they declared at a service of prayer song and dance borrowing from the English African Hispanic Korean and other cultures that have shaped this big denomination of small churches Demand for tickets to the “Festival 200” conference for delegates and visitors was so great the entire service was repeated Sunday at the 12000-sea- t Baltimore Civic Center 10-da- 90-minu- te Hand in hand the crowd stood to sing a new hymn based on one of John Wes- Methodists gave some of the earliest church support to the labor movement ley’s most distinctive sentiments: “If our backing the Pullman workers in their desheart is as my heart give me your hand perate 1908 strike A true loving knowledge of Christ creIn 1889 one of the churches that ates a loving heart” merged with the Methodists the United But the problem facing the deBrethren became the first American denomination here at its ruling General Conference which meets just once each nomination formally to approve ordaining women and today the United tour years is that there is considerable Methodist Church is reputed to have the disagreement over what today constitutes most women clergy of any denomination a true loving knowledge of Christ” Yet what was until 1970 the nation's largest Protestant denomination is facing Methodists believe they one of its most difficult challenges Mohave much to celebrate Wesley and rale has been sapped by 20 nearly years fervent but friendly evangelism of decline that has seen the church lose swept America in the 19th century hav- about 15 million members dropping'to ing its greatest success both on the fron94 million and had its missionary corps tier where older churches moved only cut by a third from about 1200 to 400 slowly and among the immigrant factory The church has seen the growth in the workers of the newly industrialized naevangelical splinter groups trying to tion the direction of the denomination change Like their English counterparts AmeriThe latest is a new Missions Society trycan Methodists early joined the fight to ing to compete with the church’s Board abolish slavery though the slavery issue of Global Ministries for donations and would finally split them into a Northern and influence and a Southern church as it did so many personnel More significant is the strong criticism other churches United As-bury- ’s of the official mission board Seminary to hold graduation rites Brigham city — The annual 66th LDS Brigham City West LDS Seminary will be held Wednesday and Thursday at 7 pm in the Box Elder Tabernacle exercises On Thursday the Brigham City Box Elder and South stakes will hold their commencement A list of graduates includes: BRIGHAM CITY NORTH STAKE Brigham City 12th Ward: Ricky Dwain Carlson Tammy Jean Hanney Tina Lin rd David Noel Bess J Checketts Terry G Nelson DawnellKerry Stokes Bear River 1st: Jared Nyman Holmgren Bear River 24th: Marta Nickolaisen Harper: b'sa 0 LeDuc Lyle D Loveland Leonard Todd Petersen Kirt F Rees Lansing Clark Siddoway Honeyville 1st: Daniel S Canfield J v -- illywhite II Susan Gwen Stacey 2nd: Shari Lynn Bowman Shiela Lvn isnii Kimberly Gay Payton Sandra Sue Ritchie Hoi y Sparks Olive M Taylor Michelle K Thorsted Mindy W Tolman BRIGHAM CITY WEST STAKE Brigham City 7th: Michael Andrew Allen Shauna Lynn Davis R Tyler Dunn David E Hancey DeAnn Johnson Jeffrey A Ramsay Brigham City 15th: David L Fitzgerald Lisa K Hdalgo Shane Maurice Larsen Troy Lee McNeely Todd Stewart Nichols Carrie E Olsen RaeAnne Robinson Brad A Williams Brigham City 18th: Robert T Carver Lu- Robin Ffdlav Kathlyn Keller Todd £0wleT Lund Rebecca Reeder Robert Julius Smith Shelly Stuart Jodi Thurston rhPfnnhFncke' c22nd: Kavlene Bradford' J Paoe' Sheila Sami Brian D JfhP0fLSallv Holly Walker Cormne 1st: Sharon Tamahine Dannar Pach- - Rebecca Wilkins 2nd: Carter Traci Craner Kelly Royal ward130' Shene Norman Merrilee Wood- innnD°r P‘ BRIGHAM CITY STAKE CLV 4th: Janae 8utler Dome cMl2an7 Joseoh Smith 8th: Stephanie Lin Burt Craig Steven B Christen Hri Brigham City 14th: Kristin Corry Evan Jay AJLan C'ark Earl- - Mark Anthon Hav-m- e Hunter MaryAnn Jackman Lauri Pearson Delyle Dwain Sylvester Bofri John Bruce Clark Heidi Thom AHvn Ord Jon W uunnJn!I2fhpey' 20th: Steven M Allred Troy Richard Braegger Jerry Glenn Collings Knudson Boyd C Welch 24fh: Sandra Key Roger James Andmasen Richard Shaun Andrus Chad wlfrrnief Brvan' steve Hendrix Susan Mane Jennifer Jenkins LaVere Morgan Marlene E Sfraley Jeffery Darin T Swenson Lynette Walton BRIGHAM CITY BOX ELDER STAKE 1s: Knriterly Gae Agnello vrha!?RaeClJyCampbell Carolyn Joann Cow- - rnirilnd: Plyll'2 Jean Davis' Brett Reid Michael Lanell Kafton Jean Mane Simmons 5th: Dominique Dietz Rod Gardner Cindy S Hyde Reesa Fay Leish- R McKmnon' Darin Michael Whlte Lane 6th: Jann E Christensen Lee B Ann Davies Michael Paul PerryDon- Day G Reid' Elizabeth Reid 11th: oae' Clark Lee Lott Mitchell e 4eyne Mantua: Shalain Carr Staci mer Julie Hailing Myrl Nelson Randli John Rasmussen Darla Maryanne Sara a:t prsnsr3n: siw°n BRIGHAM CITY SOUTH STAKE 0Rh:Steven Warner Braith- Darlene Jo Kav nphiaAjiBRPaLrV' Jerald Anderson 16th: Russell Coburn Teresa ftonw"- 19th: Beniamin Kyle Smith Stacv Brian Chapman 21st: Brett Lee Adams Paul Brad Anderson Sheridan Patsy Ann Wade Dennfs Mann Mark Wheatley Holler Lee Efsitty waGR - RrarKha Kinmont 8rian c'hJa-n!n- e D- - Billings C‘ DlCkeW Roger Alen Andrea Marie Lvnn McCoy Kendall Charles 2nd: Michelle Susan Adams Carl R Dixon Lisa Kav Hale Jeffrey Scott Lund Kendall Allen Nelson Jamece Ellen Tmgey Trudi A Svbrowsky Gregory C Weight Reeder Eric Charles Smith Willard 1st: Tami Campbell Annette K Perry Blame A Tuft 2nd: Curtis T Beames Darlene R Boisioly Diane Cruz Michael Fredde Kurt David Mueller Allyson Tmgey Lorin Anderson Widdson Kristi Lyn Zundel Frank Lowe Ipsen 3rd: Clinton Wallace Tre- mellmg Jr Ronda Johnson Olsen constituency” Alre ADY THE 1000 delegates to the denomination’s ruling General Conference have changed the formula b which funds for the national agencies are assessed on local congregations a defeat for national church leaders The General Conference Monday voted to bar active homosexuals from being ordained to the pastoral ministry an issue that had been considered most divisive over the past 10 years But Bishop George M Bashore said “Conversations are taking place between the differing elements in the church and the strongest critics have never suggested withdrawal from the church” Strongly criticizing both local congregations and the bureaucracy of the nation’s second largest Protestant body a conference report said although the church engages in “valuable and valid” efforts to spread its message His counselors are Eric K Troxell and David K Stephens Released were Bishop Lloyd R Anglesey counselors Stephen K- Frazier and Stephens Pavs' McEwan Jeffery Thomas Rasmussen David Brian Gregg Wilding deal constructively with concerns of a large segment of the United Methodist Darrel A Dorigatti has been sustained as bishop of the LDS Ogden 76th Ward of the Mount Lewis Stake gent On Wednesday the Brigham City Brigham City North and West stakes wall hold graduation' who complained of a siege mentality” and “a reluctance to Ward bishopric sustained sen Michael Darwin Harris Tina Jane Jones Nalani Larsen Lvnefte Stewart Dean Christopher Udy 13th: Joseph Astle Suzanne Harvey Kurtis Glendon Hendricks! Tracy Johnson Linda Larsen Cvndee Sar- commencement of the by the church’s bishops - X 'W The ward chapel and cultural hall arc located at 435 N Jack- ' son Sunday meetings are held between 9 am and noon Jv&O Darrel Devin Durrant Institute to hear talk by former basketball star Devin Durrant former basketball star at Brigham Young University will speak on the Horizons of Thought program at the LDS Ogden Institute of Religion 1302 Edvalson Friday at noon In basketball play he received the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year Award and Has named to the team All-WA- C Pre-scho- ol r class organized WASHINGTON TERRACE — A new Sunday School class for college students begins Sunday at 9:45 am under the lead- ership of Brett and Dawn Bencger at Washington Heights Baptist Church 147 E4S00 S A ' s Dorigatti open house dated PaRENTS of preschoolers are run a invited to an open house at teers byand board of parent volunby First Community Cooperative Pre- Presbyterian school in the First Presbyterian Classes are available for 2- Education Building 880 28th who are taught Wednesday beginning at 9 am' by certified teachers Under a Parents will see the facilities cooperative plan parents serve meet the teachers and observe as aides in their children's classclasses Children for fall classes rooms once or twice a month may be registered For more information teleThe preschool is a nonprofit phone the school 7 be3-a- nondenominational 393-847- organization tween 9 am and noon Methodist registration Monday VVASHINGTON iTERRACE College-caree- f blocks music and rhihm band Methodist Preschool wifi co nht CO?kln? cxPonences Em- paccd °n crcativit duct registration for fall classes bulldnS good self concept Monday from 12:30 to 2 p m at For niorc tele- ‘formation the church W 4snn S” ph°nC 479‘7430 Washington terrace The preschool is a or 479‘3- nondenom-tnation- community al service open to all children ages 2-- 5 years Daily activities' include stories painting dramatic play - nd |