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"The City Of Roses"
Volume XXXI
Number 34
www.portlandobserver.com
Wednesday
Committed to Cultural Diversity
Established in 1970
August 22,2001
50e
Vote Could Resolve Church Conflict
Accused Pharmacist May Face
Serious Charges
KANSAS CITY, M o.— Wealthy phar­
macist Robert Courtney remained held
without bond after a judge ruled the
man accused of purposely weakening
chemotherapy drugs is a flight risk.
Courtney has admitted he diluted ex­
pensive cancer treatm ents “out of
greed.”
liv in g Wage7 to Some,
'Business Killer' to Others
SANTA MONICA. Calif. — The tourist
industry in this seaside city is fighting
a new ordinance that forces employers
to nearly double the wages of the work­
ers who make the beds and wash the
dishes. The $ 10.50-an-hour wage man­
date. approved last month, is at the
cutting edge o f a nationwide campaign
for a “living wage.”
Five Dead in Sacramento
Shooting Spree
SACRAMENTO— A 27-year-old man
stabbed his wife to death and then
drove to a home in a nearby suburb
where he killed four other people, au­
thorities said. The man and a 3-year-old
child believed to have been at the home
were being sought.
Sharpton to Explore '04
Presidential Bid
WASHINGTON— New Yorkcivil nghts
activist A1 Sharpton said he will form a
committee to explore a possible bid for
the Democratic presidential nomination
in 2004. Sharpton said that his cam ­
paign, if he runs, would focus on re­
forming the criminal justice and election
systems.
B y M ichael L eighton
T he P ortland O bserv er
north and northeast Portland
church congregation should be
able to vote on whether to retain
the services of its pastor.
The Oregon Attorney G eneral's office
and state D epartm ent o f Justice made
that recom m endation after an investiga­
tion o f the First Avenue B aptist Church
on North V ancouver Avenue and its
pastor. A m zie Bailey.
The one-year long inquiry focused
on w hether general principles o f gover­
nance were being upheld at the church
and w hether Bailey should rem ain in his
position as leader o f the organization.
Investigators said the church appears
to be perform ing adequately in the fi­
nancial area. However, departm ent offi­
cials said m uch of the inform ation re­
quested was never provided, more than
likely because it was not kept, and that
the ch u rch’s financial controls are defi­
cient.
The departm ent found no evidence
that m oney intended to benefit the
church was deposited in accounts other
than church accounts, or that money
was spent on purposes other than those
benefiting the church.
One o f the most critical parts o f the
investigation found that Pastor Bailey
has been unresponsive to the church
membership, with a disregard for church
bylaw s that has disrupted the church to
the point that it threatens its survival.
“Pastor Bailey appears to be govern­
ing the church from a position o f sole
authority rather than as a leader respon­
sive to the m em bers o f his organiza­
tio n ,” the report said.
It said Bailey has not allow ed church
m em bers to exercise their rights over
four years.
“The bylaw s have either been abol­
ished or are being treated as abolished,”
the report said. “In short, general prin-
A
Pastor, Amzie
Bailey (above)
and the First
Avenue Baptist
Church (right).
PHOTOSBY
M ark
W ashington /
T he P ortland
O bserver
ciples o f good governance are not being
upheld.”
The department recommends that the
church schedule a ratification election of
Pastor Bailey, who should then accept the
decision of the church body as to whether
to continue serving as pastor.
The church should also adopt bylaws
and procedures that will aid the church in
dealing with governance issues in the
future, along with better internal financial
controls, the report said.
T he V a n c o u v e r A venue B a p tist
Church is registered with the state C or­
poration D ivision as a “religious corpo­
ration with m em bers.”
It was originally incorporated in 1982,
although it has been operating as a
church for over 50 years.
Ainsworth Church Honored
for Diversity, Justice
Dems Plan Attack on Bush's
Budget
W ASHINGTON— Democrats will try
to use the shrinking budget surplus to
shrivel President B ush's political sup­
port this week. Opponents charge that
President Bush’s income tax cut is to
blame for a budget that may already be
tapping Social Security reserves to pay
for other government programs.
Fujitsu W ill Slash 16,400 Jobs
TOKYO— Determined to stop its losses
amid a worldwide electronics slump,
Japanese manufacturer Fujitsu is slash­
ing 9% of its global work force. Fujitsu
will cut 16,400jobs from its work force
of 180.000. About 11,400of the cuts will
be at overseas operations.
National religious
leaders have
presented Pastor M.
Lynne Smouse-
Lopez a justice
award for
ministering to a
multi-racial, m ulti­
cultural. open and
affirming church.
Study: Smoking Deaths Rising
in China
LONDON— One-third of all the young
men in China will be dead from smoking
within the next few decades unless hab­
its there change, new research fore­
casts. The study, published this week
in the British Medical Journal, tracks
the rising death toll from smoking in
China.
P hoto ba
M ark W ashington
T he P ortland O bserver
Business Groups Sponsor Cleanup
A “Clean Team" takes to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Monday to pick up
trash and help create a thriving and livable neighborhood and comfortable
business environment. The week-long effort, sponsored by the North/
Northeast Business Association, SOLV, Tri-Met, YO, Youth Opportunity Center
and YEI Graffiti Removal Program, also includes cleanup work along Lombard,
Broadway. Killingsworth, Interstate, Mississippi, Alberta and Fremont.
P hoto by M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O rnery er
1
r
The leader o f a northeast Portland
congregation is being honored for her
work ministering to a multi-racial, multi
cultural, open and affirming church.
The Rev M. Lynne Smouse-Lopcz of
the Ainsworth United Church of Christ,
2941 N.E. Ainsworth, received a Local
Justice Award from the United Church
of C hrist's 23rd General Synod.
Ainsworth UCC is adiverse and grow­
ing congregation that embodies the
Christian imperative to do justice, love,
kindness and walk humbly with God.
Aremarkablemulti-racial. multi-cul­
tural congregation. Ainsworth'schurch
family speaks 11 different languages.
The congregation has been an ag­
gressive advocate on many justice-re­
lated issues, including global warming.
farm worker justice, union organizing,
handgun violence, third-world debt for­
giveness and protecting the salmon.
Its diverse ministries include outreach
to gang members, the elderly, abused
women and persons with H1V/AIDS.
In 1997, the congregation declared
itself to be open and affirming and has
been a strong religious advocate for
sexual minorities.
“They are a powerful witness for ju s­
tice, strongly grounded in the Biblical
vision of inclusivity and liberation,” na­
tional church leaders said.
In the last five years, Ainsworth UCC
has nearly doubled in membership. It has
blended language, culture, music, dance,
liturgy and art into a powerful experience
of worship and community.