Religion briefs

Carson City

Stations of the Cross to be presented each Friday of Lent

Stations of the Cross will be presented at 7 p.m. each Friday evening of Lent at Corpus Christi Catholic Community, 5335 Snyder Ave.

The Youth Group and The Tribe will present Living Stations of the Cross at 7 p.m. March 14 in English, and 7 p.m. March 21 in Spanish.

Lenten confessions are from 2:30-3:30 p.m. Saturdays or by appointment. For information, call 882-1967.

Free Gospel concert with The Melody Boys

Good Shepherd Wesleyan Church is hosting a free Southern Gospel Concert with The Melody Boys Quartet at 6:30 p.m. March 2 at the church, 1505 Railroad Drive.

There is no charge for the concert. A love offering will be received to give an opportunity to show love and support for the group.

Well known in the Southern Gospel industry for their tight vocal blend and classic styling, The Melody Boys Quartet is committed to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ through song. When Gerald Williams joined the group in 1949 at age 16, the Stamps Baxter Melody Boys Quartet, with Smilin' Joe Roper, filled the radio airwaves three times daily. They also starred in their own nightly television show in their home state of Arkansas.

For information, call the church at 885-8361. Visit www.themelodyboysquartet.com.

Geneva

World church body searches for anew leader

GENEVA (AP) - The World Council of Churches has started searching for a new leader after the organization's current head announced he will not seek a second term.

The body that brings together about 350 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches, representing more than 560 million Christians in some 110 countries, said its general secretary, Kenyan Methodist Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia, will step down when his term ends in December.

Kobia cited personal reasons for not seeking to extend his leadership, the Geneva-based body said in a statement. He was the first African elected to the post and took office in January 2004, starting a five-year term.

Kobia also met and prayed in Rome last month with Pope Benedict XVI at a service marking the 100th anniversary of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

Elections for a new World Council of Churches general secretary are expected to take place in September 2009 at the council's next central committee meeting.

New York

Major U.S. churches report membership declines, stagnation

NEW YORK (AP) - Most of the United States' 25 largest church bodies either lost members or experienced no growth in the past year, according to a 2008 yearbook produced by the National Council of Churches.

The Episcopal Church, locked in a conflict over the Bible and homosexuality, suffered the steepest decline, reporting a more than 4 percent drop to slightly fewer than 2.2 million members. Another mainline Protestant group, the 3 million-member Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), facing similar divisions, suffered a 2.4 percent membership decrease.

The figures are outlined in the 2008 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches, which tracks membership and other trends from 224 national church bodies.

The yearbook's editor, the Rev. Eileen W. Lindner, said many churches' said many people in their 20s and 30s attend and support local congregations but resist becoming members.

Of the churches that reported growth, the Jehovah's Witnesses said their group had a 2.25 percent increase to 1 million members, while The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said it grew 1.56 percent to 5.8 million members in the U.S.

The Roman Catholic Church, Southern Baptist Convention, Assemblies of God and African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church also reported membership gains under 1 percent each.