wfn.org | AMERICAN BAPTIST NEWS FOR OCT. 4, 1996

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American Baptist News Service_____________________
Office of Communication / American Baptist Churches USA
P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851
Phone: (610)768-2077 / Fax: (610)768-2320
Richard W. Schramm, Director (E-mail: RICH_SCHRAMM.PARTI@ECUNET.ORG)

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UPDATE: OCTOBER 4, 1996
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o  Dr. Clayton R. Woodbury, executive minister of the Pittsburgh Baptist
Association, has been named the next executive minister of the American
Baptist Churches of Pennsylvania and Delaware.  Woodbury, who was elected
Sept. 21 by the Region Board, will begin his new duties Jan. 1, 1997.  The
decision was announced by ABCOPAD President Myra Goss.  Woodbury had been
recommended to the Board unanimo usly by a region search committee.  Robert
Allen, former treasurer/associate general secretary of American Baptist
Churches USA, has been serving as interim executive minister since the
retirement of Dr.  Richa rd Rusbuldt in September 1995.  Woodbury has
served since 1989 as executive minister of the Pittsburgh Baptist A
ssociation, where he previously had been associate executive minister.
Since 1991 he has been an instructor at the Center for Urban Biblical
Ministry.  Ordained in 1965, Woodbury has held pastorates at First Baptist
Churc h, Bangor, Me. (1965-1985), and First Baptist Church, North Oxford,
Mass. (1965-1969).  He also has been an adjunct faculty member at New York
Theological Seminary (1973-1986) and director of Theological Education for
Laity at Bangor Theological Seminary (1981-1986).  Woodbury has held
numerous positions on commi ttees and other bodies of American Baptist
Churches USA, including many as a representative of the Regiona l Executive
Ministers Council.  He holds degrees from Trinity College (B.S.), Andover
Newton Theologic al School (B.D.) and New York Theological Seminary
(S.T.M., D.Min.).  His wife, Nancy, is assistant execu tive director of
Fair Oaks of Pittsburgh, a retirement community.  They are members of North
Hills Community B aptist Church in Pittsburgh.  In announcing Woodbury's
appointment in a letter sent to ABCOPAD churches, Goss noted, "I am certain
that you will be encouraged by Dr. Woodbury's sincere dedication to Jesus
Christ and the Church...please keep Dr.  Woodbury in your prayers, asking
both God's blessing and leading as he assumes t his new office."  The
American Baptist Churches of Pennsylvania and Delaware, one of 34 regions
within American Baptist Churches USA, includes approximately 280 churches
and 42,000 resident members.

o  In the wake of Hurricane Hortense, the American Baptist Churches' World
Relie f Committee has authorized emergency grants totaling $10,000 from One
Great Hour of Sharing fund s to Puerto Rico.   Hortense, which caused
significant damage throughout the Caribbean last month, hit Puerto Rico
especially hard.  More than one million residents lost water and
electricity for more than a week, and hundreds of persons were displaced.
The Rev. Yamina Apolinaris, executive minister of the Baptist Church es of
Puerto Rico, reported that more than 100 families from Baptist churches
were affected by the hurricane, wit h many of their homes partially or
completely destroyed.  Apolinaris and the Executive Committee of the
region, after a tour of affected areas, instituted a relief program.  This
included $100 food vouchers for those who los t homes, distribution of water
and mattresses, and coordination of the distribution of food, clothing and
other materials donated by churches.  Ken George, director of American
Baptist National Ministries' Office of National Disaster Response, noted
that more emergency funds are needed in the wake of this disaster: "Many
older person s, in particular, have been affected by this tragedy and are
in need of our Christian caring." American Bap tists wishing to support the
continuing relief work in Puerto Rico may do so through One Great Hour of
Sharin g, earmarking contributions for "Hurricane Hortense."

o  Biennial Meeting Update: Dr. John W. Kinney, dean of The School of
Theology, Virginia Union University, will be the keynote speaker at the
Board of Educational Ministries luncheon duri ng the Biennial Meeting of
American Baptist Churches USA on June 25, 1997, in Indianapolis, Ind.

o  Viola B. Wiebe, who served American Baptist International Ministries as
a mis sionary in South India in the 1960s, died Sept. 10 at age 93.  On
loan from the American Mennonite Brethren Mi ssion, Wiebe and her late
husband, John, ministered at the Ramapatnam Theological Seminary and its
dispens ary/clinic.

o  Warren Shaw, CEO of Chancellor Capital Management, Inc., and a member of
Mini sters and Missionaries Benefit Board's Finance Committee since 1994,
is slated to become Global Chief I nvestment Officer of the Asset
Management Division of Liechtenstein Global Trust (LGT) upon completion of
 the acquisition of Chancellor, anticipated for Oct. 31, 1996.  After the
completion of the transact ion the combined companies will be entrusted
with more than $80 billion in global assets.  Shaw will continue to
 be CEO of the combined entity, Chancellor LGT Asset Management, Inc.,
which will manage approximately $60 billi on of assets in North America.
Upon the closing of the acquisition Shaw also will become a member of the
Board of LGT s Asset Management Division.  Shaw joined the Research
Department of Citicorp Investment Management, Inc., in 1973.  In 1988 the
firm was sold to a group headed by Shaw and organized as Chancellor Capital
Management, Inc.

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