New Pastor Assumes Helm At Central United Methodist

The Rev. Richard A. Lang will take over as the new pastor of Central United Methodist Church today.

Lang, who served as pastor at the La Conner and Bayview United Methodist Churches in the Puget Sound area, will lead his first service at the church July 9 at 10:30 a.m.

Following the service, the church will host a potluck lunch to welcome him and his family.

Lang succeeds the church’s current pastor of 12 years, the Rev. Earl C. Houck, who is retiring.

Lang earned a master of divinity degree from the Vancouver School of Theology in Vancouver, B.C., and a master’s degree in theological studies from Garrett Evangelical Seminary in Evanston, Ill.

Pastors former missionaries

Steven and SueAnne Lloyd have been the new pastors at Lidgerwood Evangelical Church since last September.

Before moving to Spokane, Steven Lloyd served as pastor of a church in Georgia for three years.

Following that, he and his wife spent eight years working as missionaries in the suburbs of Paris.

His family then moved to Russia, and he became director of academic affairs at the Evangelical Christian Seminary in Moscow. The Lloyds were living in Moscow at the time of the attempted coup in 1993.

“The embassy advised all Americans to stay home for a couple of days, which we did,” recounted Lloyd. “Our apartment was right on a busy intersection near the center of town, and we had an armored personnel carrier parked outside for about a month or so.

“It was kind of surrealistic,” he said. “Just across the street from where the tanks were firing at the Parliament building, people were out walking their dogs.”

Now that Lloyd is safely in Spokane, he is focusing on his pastoral duties and finishing his doctoral dissertation.

New minister in Mead

Lay person Derel R. Olson today becomes the new pastor of Mead United Methodist Church.

The Rev. F. Wayne Brown, pastor of the Mead church for the past three years, will be taking a leave of absence.

Olson, a graduate of Whitworth College, most recently was the pastor of Harrington (Wash.) United Methodist Church.

Because he will be completing theological courses during his first two weeks as pastor, Olson won’t lead his first service until July 16.

D-Day memorial concert

To honor the 50th anniversary of D-Day, Spokane’s Fourth Memorial Church and Valley Fourth Memorial Church will present a concert titled “God Bless the U.S.A.” Sunday at 6 p.m. at Fourth Memorial Church, 2000 N. Standard.

Orchestras and choirs from both churches will unite to perform favorite patriotic songs in the event.

The program will also feature video footage and dramatic monologues.

The concert is free.

For additional information, call the church office at 487-2786.

Musical day camp

Spokane’s Fourth Memorial Church, 2000 N. Standard, will conduct a music and drama day camp called “The Secret of My Success” for kids from Wednesday through July 14.

The eight-day camp is designed to teach children the basic skills behind drama, singing and dancing. It also ties into general Bible themes.

Activities include Scripture memorization, rehearsals, Bible lessons and team competitions.

Following the camp’s final session on July 14, the children will perform a 45-minute public musical at the church at 7 p.m.

Cost is $15 per child. Students receive a T-shirt, audition tape and musical script.

To register, call the church office at 487-2786.