Ten churches in Anna, Ill., and Jonesboro, Ill., will host the Ten Commandments hike Sept. 29. All Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Explorer Posts and Venture Crews are invited to participate. The troops will stop at each church to learn about one of the commandments.

The 5-mile hike will fulfill a "Duty to God" pledge for Boy Scouts and the "Serve God" element for the Girl Scout program.

Patches will be available for $2. Camping is available. For registration information, contact Dr. Dave Soucie at First Christian Church in Anna at (618) 833-6834 or (618) 833-7634.

Area church holds groundbreaking event

The Church of Jesus Christ in Jackson, Mo., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new building, which is being constructed off Highway 25. Construction should begin in a few weeks.

Seminary professor to be guest speaker

Clint McCann, a professor at Eden Theological Seminary in Webster Groves, Mo., will be the speaker during services Sept. 29-30 at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, Mo.

McCann will speak about happiness and suffering, based on Psalms 1-3 and 13. He will speak at 7 p.m. Sept. 29; a dinner will be served at 5 p.m. He will speak again at 8:45 a.m. Sept. 30 to adult classes and at the 10 a.m. worship service at the church. For information, contact the Rev. Grant Gillard at 243-6568.

Land named to religious freedom commission

WASHINGTON -- President Bush has named Richard Land, a leader of the Southern Baptist Convention, to a panel on religious liberty.

The prominent evangelical thinker was appointed Monday to the nine-member U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, which Congress created in 1998.

Land is president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, the Southern Baptist's public policy arm, and has organized Washington summits on religious persecution. That effort led to the creation of a coalition of religious and public policy leaders, focusing on the issue.

Hot line, Web site can help travelers find Mass

WASHINGTON -- Roman Catholics don't have to miss Mass while they're traveling.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has formed a partnership with "1-800-Mass Times" to help publicize the hot line and Web site -- www.masstimes.org -- that lists church services nationwide.

Nearly 22,500 Mass sites are on the database. In 1999, the phone line received more than 100,000 calls, while the Internet site got 120,000 hits.

The database lists Mass times by city and language, and indicates whether the worship site is accessible for people with disabilities.

Arizona building more mosques, temples

MESA, Ariz. -- There's a construction boom for temples and mosques in Arizona, as more people of Asian descent make their homes here.

A mosque that will be the state's largest is scheduled to be built in Scottsdale. Another mosque is planned for Chandler. Four other mosques have already been built in the area.

In Scottsdale, a former Church of God has become Arizona's first Hindu temple.

About 5,000 Hindus live in the metropolitan Phoenix area, drawn in part by the technology boom, temple member Ninmala Chhibber said.

Until now, local Hindus have worshipped in private homes.

The census does not track religious affiliation.

Bahais among groups to displays holiday lights

HONOLULU -- Jewish and Bahai groups are among five private organizations chosen to display lights on City Hall grounds during the holidays in December.

The National Spiritual Assembly of Bahais of the Hawaiian Islands and Chabad Lubavitch of Hawaii each won a space in the Honolulu City Lights celebration.

The groups were selected this month through a lottery established in 1997, after the American Atheists accused the city of giving a Christian group a preferred site.

Church names first leader from outside family

UNITY VILLAGE, Mo. -- The new president and chief executive officer of the Unity School of Christianity is the first leader of the 112-year-old religious movement from outside its founders' family.

Tom Zender was appointed Monday, succeeding Connie Fillmore Bazzy, great-granddaughter of founders Charles and Myrtle Fillmore.

Bazzy, who had served as president since 1987, has no heirs. She becomes chairman of the board, replacing her father, Charles R. Fillmore.

Bazzy announced her succession plan in March.

Zender, 62, will move to Unity Village, a self-incorporated suburb of Kansas City, from Irvine, Calif.

He has held management positions at General Electric, Honeywell and ITT.

As Unity School of Christianity's president and CEO, Zender will preside over the headquarters of an organization that operates in 175 countries. The Unity movement keeps no official membership list.

-- From wire, staff reports