The Shroud of Turin, said to be the single most studied artifact in human history, is the topic for a special presentation by Alex Denson today at Durham's Westminster Presbyterian Church, 3639 Old Chapel Hill Road.

The centuries-old linen cloth that bears the image of a crucified man, which millions of people around the world believe is Jesus of Nazareth, has sparked a controversy that has been ongoing for centuries: Is the Shroud authentic? Is it really the cloth dating to the year 30 in which the body of Jesus was wrapped for the grave, or is it a fraud, an artifact that a carbon dating in 1988 said dated to the year 1355?

Denson, a retired United States magistrate judge and a member of Westminster, has spent much of the past 20 years studying the Shroud and has tackled the question thousands of researchers before him have tried to answer.

Over his 20 years of study and research, Denson said he has tried to keep an open mind, tried to understand all the data and to weigh all the evidence.

"I would not let myself reach a conclusion," he said.

But only three weeks ago, he did make a decision and will finally put the big question to rest, as far as he's concerned.

"From additional things I have learned, I have come to the conclusion that the Shroud is probably authentic," Denson said. "The evidence I find most persuasive is microscopic evidence."

In his presentation tonight at 7:30 p.m., he will share his findings and will give his audience the opportunity to ask questions about the famous burial cloth that has barely escaped being destroyed by fire three times over the years. The most recent was in 1998, when heroic firemen literally snatched the Shroud from the fiery furnace that engulfed the cathedral in Turin, Italy, where the Shroud is kept.

"The word 'miracle' comes to mind when I think about this," Denson said.

The Shroud, measuring 14 feet by 3 inches long and 3 feet by 7 inches wide, is not brought out from its protective case very often. Sindonologists (persons who study the Shroud) are always on hand for the viewing. It was on one of these occasions in 1998 that Denson first saw the Shroud.

"When old cloth is exposed to light, it tends to darken, and this lessens the contrast between the image and the background," he said.

Does Denson's belief that the Shroud is authentic affect his Christian belief in any way?

"I was already a Christian," he said. "The evidence just reinforces my belief in Christ, but Christianity is a matter of faith and of God's grace."

All interested persons are welcome to the event, which will be held either in the church fellowship hall or the conference room, depending on the size of the audience.

United Church will celebrate Edens' 30th year as pastors

United Church of Chapel Hill, 1321 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., will celebrate 30 years of ministry by senior pastors Richard and Jill Edens in worship services and a special ceremony this Sunday, May 17.

The Edens came to UCCH in 1979 as recent graduates of Yale Divinity School.

Under their leadership, UCCH has been a major supporter of the Inter-Faith Council for Social Service and has been active with Habitat for Humanity, People of Faith Against the Death Penalty and other service and advocacy groups.

In the early 1990s, United Church became one of the first Open and Affirming churches in the area, welcoming gay and lesbian people as full members of its spiritual community.

The Edens are recognized as national leaders in the United Church of Christ and are frequently sought as speakers on church and spiritual development.

UCCH has grown from about 150 members to 850 during the Edens' tenure.

Donna Schaper, senior minister of the Judson Memorial Church in New York City, will preach at Sunday's worship services. The ceremony will be held shortly after noon.

Papers chronicle life and works of Southern Jewish author

The personal papers, photos and first drafts of some of books by Eli Evans are part of a special exhibit that went on display over graduation weekend in the Southern Historical Collection Library on the fourth floor of Wilson Library on the campus of the University of North Carolina.

Evans, who grew up in Durham, is a Carolina graduate and was honored during graduation exercises last Sunday with an honorary degree from his alma mater.

The longtime president of the Charles H. Revson Foundation in New York City, Evans is the author of award-winning memoirs and works of history, including "The Provincials: A Personal History of Jews in the South."

The Evans family lived in the heart of the city and attended Beth El Synagogue on Watts Street. Evans is a graduate of Durham High School as well as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His books chronicle the events and impressions of growing up Jewish in the South.

His father, known as "Mutt" Evans, was Durham's first Jewish mayor, serving six terms, from 1951-1963. Mayor Evans owned a chain of department stores, including one on Main Street in downtown Durham. He was active in the political and religious life of the city until his death in 1997. He was 89.

Over the years, Eli Evans has kept close ties to Durham and Chapel Hill and to friends who know him or who were acquainted with his family and the contributions they made to the life of the area.

St. Thomas More to break gound on building project this weekend

The Catholic Community of St. Thomas More will break ground on Saturday, May 16, for the new building project at 940 Carmichael St. After the Mass at 5:15 p.m., parish leaders, school students and invited guests will celebrate the beginning of the new construction.

For more than five years, church members have been planning and raising funds for the second phase of the expansion of St. Thomas More.

The new church and middle school in the first phase were completed in 1998. Plans for this second phase include a new Parish Center with a social hall, offices and meeting rooms, a new art and music building, a new gymnasium with athletic fields and significantly more parking and improved access.

The expansion will allow the church to better serve the 10,000-plus Catholics in the parish. Today more than 3,100 families are parishioners and almost 440 students attend St. Thomas More School.

Prominent Reform rabbi to address local congregation

Rabbi Miri Gold, a main protagonist in Israel Religious Action Center's dramatic petition to Israel's Supreme Court demanding equal footing with the Orthodox for Reform and Conservative rabbis, will speak at services on Friday, May 15, and on Saturday, May 16 at Judea Reform Congregation, 1933 W. Cornwallis Road in Durham.

The Friday service is at 7:30 p.m. and the one on Saturday at 9 a.m.

Since 1999, Rabbi Gold has served as rabbi for Kehilat Birkat Shalom at Kibbutz Gezer in Israel, affiliated with the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism. Today, her congregation has 180 members from Kibbutz Gezer and the surrounding communities.

She is a University of Michigan graduate, was ordained at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem and received her master's degree from the Institute for Contemporary Jewry.

As a non-Orthodox rabbi, Gold is not recognized by the state and thereby receives her salary directly from the congregation. She has petitioned Israel's Supreme Court to be recognized as a state-paid official.

For further information, call 489-7062 or e-mail kflanagan@judeareform.org.

Please let us know what's going on in your church or faith group, so we can share your news with our readers. E-mail news and announcements to Flo Johnston at fjohnston3@nc.rr.com.