Statesman Journal from Salem, Oregon • Page 9

Statesman, Salem, Dec 19, '64 (Sec I) 9 Mid-Valley Churches to Mark Christianity Slips In Population Gain Tot Probably Facing Her Final Christmas Yule With Special Programs Buddhists Gird For Effort to Depose Huong SAIGON, South Viet Nam (AP) A flurry of activity at Buddhist headquarters Friday gave the impression that Buddhists are girding for an all-out effort to depose Premier Tran dren in it. And she loves to lis News of Special Church Activities in Salem and the Valley torian J. C. Hoekendijk of the University of Utretch, Already they have become a shrinking proportion of humanity as a whole. Outrunning Gains After nearly 2,000 years of Christian expansion, the present steep upsurge in population is suddenly outrunning the gains, and throwing them into relative decline.

At the turn of the century, Christians constituted about 35 per cent of the world's people; by 1960, the proportion was about 30 per cent. At the present rate, by the year 2000 they will be 20 per cent of mankind. A French Roman Catholic scholar, Abbe Adrian Bouffard, has supplied figures showing the number of Christians is increasing about a third as fast as the EDITOR'S NOTE Last year, The Associated Press learned of the sad Christmas the John Lietz family expected. The resulting dispatch prompted hundreds of persons 'to write the Lietz family concerning their doomed children, who were suffering from an incurable disease. The baby boy has since died.

By BOB POOS ST. LOUIS, Mo. (AP) There will be no sleds, snow suits or tricycles under the Christmas tree this year for Susan Marie Lietz. (Picture on Wirephoto Page.) Unlike most children her age, the 3-year-old blond couldn't begin to handle a tricycle. And sleds or snowsuits are out of the question because she must be protected from any but the most moderate temperatures.

Susan suffers from Nieman Pick disease, a rare malady that causes steady and, even tually, fatal degeneration of the nervous system. Bittersweet Time The Christmas season has become a bittersweet time for the John Lietz family in suburban Berkeley. Last year. presents for two children were under the tree for Susan and Kevin. But Kevin died before he was 4, a victim of the same ail ment.

"I suppose we've wound up spoiling them a little particu larly near the end," Mrs. Lietz said quietly. Last year at this time, Susan could walk, although she stum bled and fell a lot. Now she is confined to either a reclining easy chair or her bed. She rec ognizes only her parents, Mrs.

Lietz' sister, and a baby sitter "She still likes to watch television," Mrs. Lietz said. "She'll watch anything that has chil i g4 'I New Church (AUMSVILLE) Rev. Lester Bennet views inside of new Wes-leyan Methodist Church near east city limits of Aumsville. A full schedule is planned for first meeting day in church on Sunday.

Sunday School at 9:45 a.m.; morning worship 11 a.m.; refreshments and open house 2 to 4 p.m. and a Christmas program by children and young people of the church at 7:3:0 p.m. First Services Due In Aumsville Church METROPOLITAN'S EXTRA SPECIAL! 17 ONLY AMERICA'S FAMOUS GALLOPING HOBBY HORSE ten to music." Mrs. Lietz and her husband, an aircrait corporation oralis- man, nave received letters 01- fering hopes, prayers even money from nearly every state and from Canada. "The AP story last Christmas caused hundreds of persons to write us," Mrs.

lietz said. Some offered sympathy, others their prayers, still others sent money. We contributed the money to an organization doing research on a possible cure for Nieman-Pick disease." Nieman-Pick is one of 18 similar diseases, all of which are extremely rare. This group of diseases is her editary. First noticeable when an afflicted child is from 6 to 18 months old, the diseases almost always result in death before the child is 4.

Susan Lietz was 3 in Novem ber. Treated Like Others "We tried to treat Kevin and Susan like any other children," Mrs. Lietz said. "If they needed a little spanking, we gave it to them. A spoiled child tends to weep and we always wanted to keep Susan and Kevin as cheerful as we could." The Lietz' realize Susan likely will not be with them next Christmas.

They have no other children. "But we're determined to have children," Mrs. Lietz said. "We're going to adopt at least one. In fact, we almost had a little girl but it turned out she had a heart defect, and I guess they didn't want us to have to worry about another ill child." Mrs.

Lietz, a slim and. attractive woman, added: "Caring for these children in spite 'of all was, in a way, more rewarding than in raising normal children even though you know the inevitable will occur." untio Mf3ir iiirur IIMIV I IB I Stall I iui nvi 1 Van Huong this weekend. The dusty, sprawling compound looked like a command post. Coupled with the possibility of fresh trouble from clerical cri tics of the premier was the fact the fourth anniversary of the Viet Cong's political agency, the National Liberation Front, falls on Sunday. Saigon police went on full alert.

The Viet Cong have stepped up their propaganda lately and could time a terrorist drive for the anniversary. The Red guer rillas claimed in a statistic- packed statement Thursday that they have wrested the military initiative from U.S. and South Vietnamese forces. Rushed in and Out Monks and organizers bearing brief cases rushea in and out of the Buddhist headquarters. Of fice telephone bells jangled an accompaniment to temple gongs.

Leaflets urged the faithful to meet Saturday for an all-night rally against the govern ment. The third and biggest in a series of hunger strikes was proposed for Sunday. Buddhist sources said more than a dozen Buddhists have volunteered for self-immolation and that a monk might commit suicide by fire to spur the cam paign against the man who has called for removal of politics from the pagodas. There were rumors these tac tics, which helped build up pres sure against the late President Ngo Dinh Diem, might be car ried out in front of the U.S. Em bassy or the presidential palace.

Refusal to Yield A charge of persecution evi dently stems mainly from Huong's refusal to revamp his government to conform with Buddhist blueprints and his use of troops and police to break up riotous street demonstrations. On the perimeter of the crisis were these developments: The government announced creation of an armed forces council to hammer out differences between Vietnamese gen eral officers, including oral sniping by young commanders at their seniors. The council will have only advisory powers, but is expected to limit the author ity of the armed forces com mander, Lt. Gen. Nguyen Khanh.

Chief of State Phan Khuc Suu proposed to add seven new members to the High National Council, a provisional legisla ture whose active membership has dwindled this fall from the original 17 to nine. Suu suggested names representing the south, central and north sec tions of the country to try to overcome regional factionalism that has damaged the council's work. The Mayan calendar, invented about 300 B.C., is considered more exact than those of Egypt and Greece. Owl S. H.

Klasic Modem By GEORGE W. CORNELL AP Religion Writer As the world goes today, Christianity is slipping behind. It isn't keeping up with the growth of humanity. This has become a challenging fact of the mid-20th century to church statisticians and analysts, but is only gradually being recognized among rank- and-file Western believers. It is causing some reassessments of the churches' mission ary posture and prospects.

Present trends indicate that in the "world of tomorrow," Chris tians must learn to live as "thinly spread minority groups," says Dutch church his Flags Next To Cross Protested EUGENE (AP) A move is underfoot to flv flags of the United States and the United Nations alongside the lighted 48-foot hish cross atop Skinner Butte. This has brought objection from the businessmen who put up the cross on city property They said the flag group is not so much interested in getting the flags up as to get the cross down. Cloud the Issue "They want to cloud the issue," said John Foster, Eugene, one of the cross supporters. The flag group admits it cheerfully. "If there were no cross there, there would be no flags there," said Jerry Thomas.

He was one of those who helped put up a flagpole, an chored in concrete, beside the cross last week. The flags were raised then. They lasted only a few hours. In the night some one pushed over the pole and took the flags. Foster said he arranged to have the flags returned to Thomas.

Without City Permission The cross was put up without city permission, but since then the City Council has endorsed the cross. Thomas said his group has ap plied for a permit to put a flagpole beside the cross. He said they plan to fly larger flags. City Manager Hugh McKinley said he wants to have more in formation about the pole, who will maintain it and who will put the flags up and down. How Are the Foundations? PHILADELPHIA (AP) If they'd only known they might have left the roof alone.

Last May leaders of Old Christ Church undertook a 000 project to replace some of the 200-year-old copper roofing, Then it was discovered all the roofing needed replacing. When that was peeled off, workers found all the wooden beams were rotting. When those were pulled out it was discovered the walls were beginning to spread and trusses were needed to hold the church together. Then work ers said some of the bricks in the wall needed fixing. Total cost for the repairs, said the Rev.

Ernest A. Hardin: $150,000. ences. While serving as dean of students at Willamette Univer sity in Salem, he realized his inadequacy to meet the problems of students with whom he counselled. Consequently, he searched the Bible for the answers and realized God "could put life on a new level and make it continuously meaningful." The Christian life is anything but a life of ease, the governor concludes.

However, he emphasizes, "It is exciting, adventuresome, and worthwhile." Buy Mother or the Little Wife a Fine Mattress Set for Christmas Compare With 89.50 Glen Woodry's 1605 N. Summer Hundreds of Mid-Willamette Valley churches will celebrate the happy feast of Chrstmas with special program and serv ices dunng the coming week, Adult and youth choirs will present Christmas music. Sun day Schools and other youth groups plan plays, recitations, singing and other activities por traying the birth of Christ near ly 2,000 years ago. Christmas Week schedules of valley churches reported to The Statesman include: LYONS Mtthodist Christmas program featuring the primary department, choirs and other groups will be held Sunday at 7:30 p.m. TURNER Assembly of God Annual Christmas banquet for Christ's Ambassadors will be Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

in Sa-Iem. FALLS CITY Methodist Sunday School classes will present a special Christmas program, open to the community, Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Christian Annual Christmas party for children will be Saturday at 2 p.m. A pageant of readings and music will ht nresented Sunriav -at 7:30 p.m. WILLAMINA Christian a innstmas pageant win oe presented Sunday at 7:30 p.m.

Lutheran Emmanuel Lutheran Church school program will be Sunday at 4 p.m. Christmas Eve wor- OUip TTiU UC Ob ii jp.ill Mathodist Christmas program and party will start Sunday at 5:45 p.m. GRAND RONDE Mathodist A program of carols will be nresentwt Simdav at 8:15 n.m. r. 4 Assembly of Cod A Christmas pageant will be presented Sunday at 7:45 p.m.

Free Methodist A Christmas pageant will be held Sunday at 7 p.m. IDANHA Community Church An hour-long Christmas play will be presented Sunday at 7 p.m. by high school students with songs and recitations by other youths. SILVERTON Friends Christmas services Sunday will be at 9:45 a.m. Sunday School and 11 a.m.

worship, with a Christmas program by the Sunday School at 7:30 p.m. Assembly of Cod Annual Christmas program will be Sunday at 7 p.m. Alliance Church Sunday School program Sun day will be at 10 a.m. The mu sic department will present a program at 7 p.m. First Baptist Christmas message will be given Sunday at 11 a.m., with the Sunday School and church program at 7 p.m.

Calvary Lutheran Sunday School program will be Sunday at 7 p.m. Christmas Day service will be at 10 a.m St. Edward's Episcopal Festival of Holy Communion will be Thursday at 9 p.m. First Christian Children's program will be Sunday at 4 p.m. A candlelight -'service will be Thursday at 11 p.m.

Methodist Chancel Choir will present a Christmas concert Sunday at 7 p.m. A Christmas Eve candle light service will start at 11 p.m. Trinity Sunday School program will be Sunday at 7 p.m. Special music will be featured at Christmas Day service at 10 a.m. Immanuel Lutheran Sunday School program will be Sunday at 7:30 p.m., with Day services at 11 a.m.

SUBLIMITY Roman Catholic Christmas Eve service at St. Boniface Church will start at 11:45 p.m. with a midnight high mass. Christmas Day services will be at 6, 8 and 10 a.m. Con- It moves forward, Backward, turns.

Fits any child adjustable to weight. IT'S BEAUTIFUL Regular Price $39.95 WHILE THEY LAST population. With the present growth of nearly 40 million people yearly, only about 13 million are added to Christian rolls. Outstripping Conversions The hirth rate is "fast out stripping the conversion rate," the Rev. Dr.

Hoekendijk points out. This is largely because the highest population growth is in predominantly non-Christian areas. Communism also has stifled Christianity in large parts of the world. However, even in North America, the first signs of reversal are beginning to be felt. In the 1964 "Yearbook of American the figures show that the 118 million church members make up 63.4 per cent of the population, .2 per cent less than the year before.

The comparative decline contrasts with the previous steady rise in the proportion of Americans belonging to churches, from 16 per cent in 1850 to 36 per cent in 1900 to the present 63.4 per cent. "The world is moving away from Christianity at a speed which makes us wonder," the Rev. Dr. Franklin Clark Fry, president of the Lutheran Church in America, has said. Evangelism Urged He and others have urged greater stress on evangelism.

At the same time, many church scholars also emphasize that Christianity must gear itself to exist in largely non-Christian surroundings. Pope Paul VI's overtures to non-Christians in India dramatized the point. The general circumstances, church leaders say, call for more disciplined, stury and determined Christian faith and action. They point out that signs of this deeper commitment already are becoming evident. "The Christian community should not be measured by numbers alone, but also by the quality of its faith and life and by its influence in the world," writes the Rev.

Dr. Frank W. Price, a veteran Presbyterian missionary. Nevertheless, he says, the present situation demands renewed "obedience and dedication and fresh unity of faith and purpose." always Metropolitan Stores Commercial and Corner Court Street NE SALEM TEL. 362-1002 REV.

DWIGHT NISWANDER Services to Start Sunday Rev. Dwight Niswander, for more than 26 years a pastor in Ohio, California, Kansas and Hawaii, will speak in a series of services at Central Assembly of God beginning at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sunday. He is the former pastor of the Makiki Christian Church in Hon olulu and has written articles in many Christian magazines.

At present he is a staff evan gelist for the Christian Life mag azine. He was widely known as a gospel singer in his earlier ministry, and he often uses this ministry in his services. EDUCATION REQUIRED JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) President Sukarno will declare Indonesia free of illiteracy and proclaim the beginning of compulsory education Dec. 31, the official news agency Antara AUMSVILLE Opening serv ice for Aumsville's new Wesley- an Methodist Church is seched- uled Sunday. Erected in memory of Pastor and Mrs.

Lester t's daughter Crystal, who lost her life Dec. 7, 1962 in a Bible School dormitory fire in South Carolina, the frame structure has been built by volunteer la bor. The Rev. Mr. Bennett stated Sunday services would include Sunday School at 9:30 a.m.; morning worship at 11 a.m.; refreshments and open house 2 to p.m.

and a Christmas pro gram by children ana young people of the church at 7:30 p.m. Pastor Bennett placed a value of $40,000 on the church which seats 175 persons with provision fessions will be Wednesday from 7 to 9 p.m. and Thursday from 3 to 5 p.m. AUMSVILLE Bethel Baptist The Sunday School program will be presented at 9:45 a.m. Sunday.

The choir will present a Christmas cantata at 4 p.m. Sunday. Pastor and Mrs. Jerry Larson will have open house at the parsonage Sunday from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. FRUITLAND Evangelical UB The Christmas program will be presented at 7 p.m.

Dec. 23. JEFFERSON Methodist Church school program will be Sunday at 5 p.m., followed by a coffee hour. Evangelical UB Christmas pageant will be Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Christian Children will present a program Sunday at 7 p.m.

BROOKS Assembly of God A play and songs by the Sunday School will be presented Sunday at 7:45 p.m. Prayer meeting will be held Wednesday at 7 p.m., followed by youth caroling. ELDRIEDGE American Sunday School Un ion will present a Christmas program Sunday at 7 p.m. at the Waconda School. Earlier services that day include Sun day School at 10 a.m.

and worship service at 11 a.m. FALLS CITY Free Methodist Annual candle light service will be Sunday at 7 p.m. with special music, stories for chil dren and other features. MACLEAY Macleay Sunday School will present a Christmas program Sunday at 10 a.m., with special music. for added chairs if needed.

Eight class rooms and a nursery in the women's lounge complete the 74 by 118 foot building. Christmas Services Scheduled (Continued from page 8.) at 11 p.m. with combined choirs participating. Other Churches FOURSQUARE CHURCH A Christmas pageant featur ing Sunday School children and other youth groups will be presented Sunday at 7 p.m. OPEN BIBLE Sunday School Christmas program at First Church of the Open Bible will be held Sun day at 7 p.m.

Men of Vision group will hold its annual Christ mas meeting tonight at 7:30 o'clock. ALLIANCE Christian and Missionary Al liance Church will have a spe cial Christmas choir presenta tion Sunday at the 11 a.m. service. The Sunday School will offer its annual pageant at the 7 p.m. service.

A Christmas Eve candle light service will be at 7 p.m. CHURCH OF GOD A Christmas program will be presented at First Church of God Sunday at 10:30 a.m. pre ceded by a 9:45 a.m. Sunday School. Candle light service with special music and open to the public will be held at 7:30 p.m.

SALVATION ARMY Christmas programs will be featured Sunday at the Sunday School service at 9:45 a.m., at 11 a.m. worship service, 5:30 p.m. Youth Fellowship hour, and at the 7 p.m. evening service. CHRISTIAN REFORMED Sunnyslope Christian Reform ed Church services Sunday will include a Sunday School Christ mas program at 10 a.m.

and a hymn-sing at 3:45 p.m. Christmas Day worship will be at 10 a.m. DRIVE-IN BIBLE Annual Christmas program, including the children's presen tation and a Christmas drama, will be held Sunday at 7 p.m. at Drive-In Bible Church on Lancaster Drive CHAPEL OF THE WAY A Christmas program by the Sunday School featuring music and a playlet, will be presented Sunday at 7 p.m. Christmas worship will be Sunday at 9:45 a.m.

A three-act play will be present ed by an adult cast Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. UNITARIAN FELLOWSHIP Traditional family Christmas worship service will be Sunday at 10:30 a.m. with children and adult choruses. MOST CAPITOL mm Hatfield Challenges U. S.

to Follow Lord UNTIL CHRISTMAS FOR YOUR HOLIDAY SHOPPING CONVENIENCE SHOP THESE FRIENDLY STORES: Camera Shop Jary's Flowers Gifts Toyland Beauty College Mac's Barber Shop Irwin's Shoe Service SPRINGFIELD, Mo. 'Unless we Americans begin to follow Christ and to love Him with every facet of our being, we can never meet the challenges of this age," Gov. Mark O. Hatfield of Oregon states In an article for release later this month. The feature entitled "Living Wtih Purpose," will be carried in the January-February issue of Campus Ambassador, bimonthly Assemblies of God magazine for college youth.

The publication is circulated in more than 40 states. 'Still Holds True' "In this day when all persons need peace in every area of life, the fact that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself still holds true," the governor asserts. "This is God's method of granting peace and allowing us to become ambassadors for Him," he explains. Governor Hatfield supports his claims with personal experi Drug King ma IIIIMVI WWIIIWI Kress Co. MacMahon's Children's wryocKS Mens Wear The Beauty Center Wear Sean Roebuck and Co.

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