David Loar, minister at Fairlawn-West United Church of Christ in Akron (and a UCCtruths message board regular) is
featured in an article today in the Akron Beacon Journal:
Near the Auntie Anne's pretzel shop and Sbarro Italian eatery at Summit Mall in Fairlawn, several people gathered to share food for thought Thursday morning.
As mall workers busily readied shops for the onslaught of holiday shoppers, the group sat in the food court, reading and talking about Scripture. Open Bibles dotted the tables.
The food court "has become a home for us," said the Rev. David Loar of Fairlawn-West United Church of Christ in Akron, the group's leader.
Loar prefers to call the discussion Bible "reflection" as opposed to "study," which he says sounds academic and conveys ''an almost being outside of the experience type of thing."
I had the chance to fellowship with David over the summer at The Nervous Dog coffee shop where he regularly sets up office in front of a laptop computer. David is a former Associate Conference Minister in the Southeast Conference. Loar has also served in a variety of roles on a national and international level from being the UCC representative on the Commission in Religion in Appalachia, a member of the former OCIS human rights delegation to East Germany and Hungary in 1986 and was a member of Witness for Peace to Nicaragua in 1987. You can also check out David's blog at
Disciple David.
Makes me wonder where I could do that locally myself? No big malls around.