Religion briefs
Beth Israel to hold annual picnic
Beth Israel Congregation’s Annual Meeting and Picnic will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Peterswood Park. The meeting will include an election of officers and directors. Bring a pareve covered dish for the picnic – kosher and no dairy. Meat will be provided. To RSVP, call 724-225-7080 or email office@bethisraelsynagogue.com.
Camp offered
for girls
For 16 years, Circle Camps for Grieving Children has provided overnight camping programs for bereaved girls in Maine and West Virginia. The camps serve girls ages 9-15 who have experienced the death of a parent.
Circle of EKC in Morgantown, W.Va., will welcome campers Aug. 13-18. The camp is free, including transportation to and from a central meeting place in Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Md., and Morgantown.
Under the guidance of licensed bereavement staff and supported by peers, campers are able to explore their grief in a safe and caring setting.
Circle is now accepting applications for summer programs. For information, visit www.circlecamps.org or email info@circlecamps.org.
New dean elected
The Mid-Northeast Mission District of the North American Lutheran Church recently elected and installed the Rev. Carl Johnson as new dean.
The mission district includes 32 congregations in Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Western New York. As dean, Johnson will work with congregations experiencing pastoral transitions, help to mediate conflicts dividing churches and represent the mission district in regional ecumenical conversations, including serving on the Christian Associates Council of Bishops and Executives.
The North American Lutheran Church was established in 2010.
“We’re a church that left the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America on theological grounds, but at the same time, we feel deeply called to ecumenical cooperation,” Johnson said. “We feel a connection with all Christians, because we belong together in the body of Christ.”
Johnson served for almost 22 years as pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Kittanning.