Religion briefs 5/17

Farewell reception planned for minister

La Croix United Methodist Church will host a reception for the Rev. Brent Mustoe, district superintendent of United Methodist churches in the region, after its weekend services.

The reception will be held after the 5:30 p.m. service today and after the 11 a.m. service Sunday.

Mustoe is leaving his Cape Girardeau post in June and will become pastor of Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Lee's Summit, Mo.

The bishop will appoint his replacement.

Church buys nearby house for office space

Christ Episcopal Church of Cape Girardeau will soon be moving its offices to a house in the adjacent block on Fountain Street. The church bought the property and an adjoining vacant lot and plans to move its offices this summer.

The move will give the church more space for its worship services and education program and parking spaces. The house will be used for office and conference space, a pastor's study and library and meeting rooms for youth.

The church recognized it was landlocked in the 1960s and purchased property along Route W. That property is being sold so that the church can focus its ministries in the downtown area.

After two years of discernment about what should be the church's mission and ministry, the congregation voted almost unanimously to stay in the historic downtown area, said the Rev. Bob Towner, rector.

"Now that we're staying we can begin investing and growing instead of maintaining and waiting to move to a new place," he said.

The church expects to have 21 spaces in its new parking lot at the corner of Fountain and Themis streets. The lots will be used by downtown businesses during the day and by the church on evenings and weekends.

Youth sell doughnuts to raise funds for charity

The junior youth group of Immaculate Conception parish will sell Krispy Kreme doughnuts after all Mass services this weekend. The doughnuts are $6 per dozen. The money raised will be donated to the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life.

Benton pastor celebrates anniversary on Sunday

The Christian Mission in Benton, Mo., will celebrate the Rev. William H. Marshall's 55 years in ministry on Sunday. An open house will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. at the church.

Marshall began preaching at age 17 in Manilla, Ark. He was pastor of the Chaffee Assembly of God Church for 46 years. He and his wife, Loretta, owned and operated Bethsada Mission in Cape Girardeau for 20 years.

Bell festival and concert planned at Notre Dame

An area bell festival concert will be held at 7 p.m. June 7 at Notre Dame Regional High School. There is no admission for the concert. Handbell choirs from Jackson, Poplar Bluff, Mo., and Cairo, Ill., will perform.

Recognition service takes place in Ullin

A regional pastoral recognition service and reception will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. June 7, at Shawnee Community College in Ullin, Ill. The Rev. Joann McCauley of the House of Prayer Outreach in Cape Girardeau will be among those honored.

The pastors were selected for their leadership and commitment to community service.

Tickets are $10 per person or $15 per couple. For information, call Lynne Chambers at (618) 634-9611.

Evening Praise service marks anniversary

Hanover Lutheran Church's Evening Praise service will mark its one-year anniversary on June 1. The evening will begin at 5 p.m. with a barbecue meal and then a worship celebration with the choir from St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jackson performing.

For information, call Pat Renner at 334-1673.

MOPS Run for Fun comes to Cape County Park

The Mothers of Preschoolers will host a Party in the Park event June 6 at Cape County Park North Shelter No. 8.

The event includes a one-mile walk/run. Registration is at 8:30 a.m. and the race is at 9:30 a.m. All mothers can walk with their children.

Awards will be given to creative finishers, like moms pushing the most weight in a stroller or moms walking with the most children.

Registration fee is $10 if registered by May 21 or $12 if registered after that date or on the day of the race.

Mothers of Preschoolers is a Christian organization that works to meet the needs of young mothers with fellowship. The group meets on the first Friday of each month.

For information about the race, call Andrea Roth at 334-4273.

Poll: Catholic approval for bishops drops

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Approval ratings for America's Roman Catholic bishops have declined over the past 18 months, likely over how they handled priests who sexually abused children, a new survey has found.

The poll of U.S. Catholics released May 9 found 59 percent strongly or somewhat agreed that the prelates were doing a good job leading the church, compared to 83 percent in the fall of 2001.

Nearly all of the respondents to the survey -- conducted by Le Moyne College, a Jesuit school in Syracuse, N.Y., and the research firm Zogby International -- wanted Pope John Paul II to discipline bishops who failed to remove offenders from church work.

Gospel hall of famer to head university center

MOBILE, Ala. -- Gospel singer Roger Breland will head the new performing arts center at the Baptist-affiliated University of Mobile and will help the center develop music for evangelical churches.

Mark Foley, president of the university, said Breland, a member of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, will expand the department's offerings.

The school will continue to teach a wide range of musical styles, from classical to jazz to opera, but under Breland's leadership there will be a new emphasis on contemporary Christian music, Foley said last week.

Breland is the founder of the contemporary Christian group TRUTH, which disbanded last year.

--From staff, wire reports