Pastor Group Threatens Bernardi With Recall : Politics: Ministers have given the councilman until Sept. 30 to fulfill a campaign promise to hire a black aide of their choice.

A San Fernando Valley ministers group announced plans Saturday to mount a drive to recall City Councilman Ernani Bernardi, who they claim failed to live up to a campaign promise to appoint a black deputy based on their recommendations.

Representatives of the more than 40 churches in the Ministers’ Fellowship of the Greater San Fernando Valley said they will seek Bernardi’s ouster unless the longtime incumbent appoints by Sept. 30 a black deputy who suits them.

The ministers also apologized at a community forum Saturday to Lyle Hall, Bernardi’s leading opponent in the 1989 council race.

Hall had requested the fellowship’s support, but the group decided to campaign for Bernardi after the councilman made the promise regarding the appointment, the ministers said.

Bernardi won the race by a 10% margin over Hall, who proved to be a strong challenger.

“We chose the wrong horse--please forgive us for that,” said Rev. D.D. Chatman, pastor of the Greater Community Baptist Church, where the ministers made their announcement.

Chatman then invited Hall up to the pulpit and embraced him in front of the 70 people who attended the meeting.

Bernardi, who refused to comment on the group’s accusations Saturday, has denied making any agreement with the ministers.

Late last month, the councilman ended a yearlong search for a black aide by hiring Richard Packard, who heads the Valley chapter of the Black Americans Political Assn.

But rather than satisfying the ministers, the appointment angered them.

They contend Bernardi not only ignored three candidates they recommended but insulted the black community by hiring Packard as a field representative, a lower ranking position than deputy.

“Senility must be close at hand” for Bernardi to forget his campaign promise, fellowship member Fred Taylor said of the 78-year-old councilman.

The ministers are fresh from one political victory by successfully lobbying the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office last month to change its policy on setting bail for murder suspects.

The group demanded the change, which makes murder suspects generally ineligible for bail, after the July 28 slaying of Carl White, pastor of the Apostolic Temple Church in Pacoima.

Bail for two white teen-agers charged in the slaying was set at $20,000, and one was briefly released before the low bail was revoked.

But there also are signs that the ministers’ position regarding Bernardi does not have the black community’s undivided support.

For instance, Jose DeSosa, president of the Valley chapter of the NAACP, has said he supports Bernardi’s hiring of Packard. The ministers walked out of an Aug. 27 meeting with the councilman, where DeSosa said he backed Bernardi.

DeSosa was to have spoken at Saturday’s meeting but failed to show up and could not be reached by phone.

Some groups affiliated with Focus 90s, an adjunct to the ministers group, still have not decided whether to support the recall movement, Delores Garrison, president of the 280-household Hansen Hills Homeowners Assn., said.