New pastor named

New pastor named
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Rev. Dr. John Nicholas Mager Jr. will begin duties as pastor of First Presbyterian Church on Dec. 1.
An installation service will be at 3 p.m. Dec. 8. A reception will follow.
The Rev. Dr. Mager, who goes by Nick, was born and raised in Pittsburgh. After graduating from Mount Lebanon High School, he completed a bachelor of arts degree in English at Virginia Military Institute. He received his master of divinity degree from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in 1969 and completed his doctorate in ministry at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in 1983 with a focus on Jewish-Christian relations.
Mr. Mager was an associate pastor in Clarksburg, W.Va., and Sharon, Pa., and was pastor in McKeesport, Pa., and Salem before going to North Carolina. Since 1995, he was pastor of Laurinburg Presbyterian Church in Laurinburg, N.C. He is married to the former Deborah Stone of Poland.
Christian writing
YOUNGSTOWN -- Holy Trinity Missionary Baptist Church will present a daylong seminar for beginning and advanced writers Nov. 16.
Marlene Bagnull of Write His Answer Ministries and the director of the Greater Philadelphia and Colorado Christian writers conferences, will teach the seminar.
Bagnull has made more than 1,000 sales to Christian publications. She is also the author of five books and compiler or editor of three other books. Through her publishing house, Ampelos Press, she helps Christians self-publish affordably and professionally.
The workshop will have four sessions: "Getting Started in the Ministry of Writing," "Idea to Published Manuscript," "Writing Manuscripts That Sell and Touch Lives" and "Making It Happen," which will include tips to help participants overcome procrastination and discouragement.
Participants will receive material for further study at home. Several publishing houses will share their criteria for submissions.
The seminar begins at 8 a.m. with registration and concludes at 5 p.m. Lunch is included in the $35 seminar cost. Other costs are pastors, $25, and full-time students, $20. Call (330) 782-8929 or visit www.writehisanswer.com.
Missionary to speak
STRUTHERS -- The Rev. Donald G. Fredericks, co-founder and director emeritus of United Indian Missions International of Greeley, Colo., will be the guest speaker Sunday at First Baptist Church of Struthers. The Rev. Mr. Fredericks will be at Sunday school at 10 a.m. and the service at 11 a.m.
UIM was founded in 1956 for evangelism, discipleship and church development among American Indians in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Mr. Fredericks was given an honorary doctor of divinity degree in 1995 by the Baptist Theological Seminary of Sonora, Mexico, in recognition of his 41 years of missionary leadership. He recently received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Philadelphia Biblical University.
Benefit concert set
BOARDMAN -- Youngstown State University's Protestant Campus Ministry will host a concert at 3 p.m. Dec. 8 at Westminster Presbyterian Church. An offering will be taken to pay for toys and medicine that will be donated to two orphanages in Pavlosk and St. Petersburg, Russia. Refreshments will follow the concert.
The concert is titled "Christmas Favorites and the Love Songs of Europe -- Ireland, Italy, Germany and Poland."
The concert will feature Youngstown's John Camuso, tenor; Cleveland Symphony's Ray Liddle; Dr. Dorota Sobieska, soprano and founder of Opera Circle of Cleveland; Jacek Sobieski, an internationally known pianist and composer and co-founder of Opera Circle; and Dr. Kathleen Montgomery, a local pianist.
The "To Russia With Love" donation program is coordinated by the Rev. Kathryn Adams of the ministry, who semiannually leads a team of YSU faculty, students and volunteers to various orphanages throughout Russia.