Preservationists Win Round on Church

Amid disclosures that five followers of television preacher Gene Scott are still fighting eviction proceedings from the downtown “Jesus Saves” church property, a divided Los Angeles City Council committee Tuesday asked that the 72-year-old building be preserved as a historic monument.

The 2-1 vote by the Library, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Committee came as no surprise, with Councilmen Gilbert Lindsay and Joel Wachs in favor and Ernani Bernardi in opposition. The full City Council is expected to consider the issue next week.

But the eviction struggle represents a new wrinkle in the controversy between Scott, the television preacher who has led the pro-monument movement, and the Church of the Open Door, the small, evangelical church that is the legal owner of the property. The Church of the Open Door, which moved from downtown to Glendora, says it faces financial hardship unless the city allows it to sell the Hope Street church known for its rooftop “Jesus Saves” sign.

Pastor Dale Wolery of the Church of the Open Door said in an interview that the “squatters”--a group of five men--represent further efforts by Scott to confound their attempt to sell the building. The men moved into the hotel rooms that are part of the church property in late 1986 and early 1987--the period in which Scott’s ministry was the property’s legal owner before defaulting on its payments and exiting under foreclosure by the Church of the Open Door.

‘Love the Building’

“They are there because they love the building,” lawyer Bradley Tubin, a self-described Scott “volunteer” who represents the five men, said in an interview.

The men moved in during Scott’s tenure to help restore the structure and provide security, Tubin said.

Court action is pending to resolve the issue. Two of the dwellers have asked for a jury trial.

During the committee debate, Lindsay, who has aligned himself with Scott on the issue, read a letter from Tubin claiming that the men have witnessed vandalism and the removal of air conditioners, light fixtures and doorknobs. Lindsay, citing the letter, said at the committee session that representatives of the property owners have been seen removing items from the building.

The property is jointly owned by the Church of the Open Door and Biola Hotels. They have entered an option agreement with Lincoln Properties for development of the site, contingent upon the ability to demolish the church.

Much of the committee debate focused on the historical value of the building, called the “hub” of evangelism in Los Angeles during the 1920s and ‘30s. Wachs, who has a long record as a preservationist, acknowledged that the church’s architectural merit was reduced considerably during remodeling of its interior during the 1950s.

Book Cited

Speakers in favor of preserving the building cited the book “70 Years on Hope Street,” authored by Church of the Open Door Pastor G. Michael Cocoris. One speaker compared it to Westminster Abbey; another said it is “on par with the great cathedrals of Europe and the great temples of Egypt.”

Bernardi dismissed such suggestions, emphasizing that when the City Council approved a plan to demolish the building two years ago, there was no outcry.

“It’s amazing how suddenly this is a historical monument. . . . I guess it maybe depends who’s involved in the deals,” he said, apparently referring to Scott.

Cocoris and Wolery also made appeals to the history of the Church of the Open Door--the congregation, not the building. The church, Wolery said, “is people.”

“Our cultural heritage continues, and it will continue at our site in Glendora. . . . Please don’t harm the people whose history you seek to honor,” he said.

A monument designation would provide up to a one-year moratorium to explore other economically viable uses for the property. However, Church of the Open Door officials maintain that they have exhausted such efforts and the designation and delay would seriously impair the market value of the building.