Churches’ Gathering Offers Solace From Storm : Carson: Six Samoan congregations meet for their annual two-hour service at a time when their lucrative bingo operations are being investigated by the city and may face closure.

It was no ordinary celebration--six Samoan congregations gathered at the same Carson church, the majestic harmony of their choirs rising above the sound of the heavy rain that pelted the ground outside.

There was a two-hour service, conducted in their native language, and then the worshipers helped themselves to generous portions of traditional Samoan food.

But for those gathered at the United Samoan Congregational Christian Church of the South Bay Area, the annual gathering was as much a testament to the congregation’s resiliency as it was a religious event. It was a show of unity at a time

when the church has been rocked by news that its lucrative bingo operation, the congregation’s financial livelihood, is under close scrutiny by the city and could be shut down.

Last November, former church official Myron Thompson caused a stir in the tightly knit Samoan community--there are believed to be up to 20,000 Samoans in the South Bay area--when he complained to Carson officials that the church was paying bingo workers in violation of the city’s so-called “bingo ordinance.”

Under Carson’s Municipal Code, only volunteers are allowed to work the bingo games, and the news that the church operation was under scrutiny hit the congregation hard. The church is among the largest of more than a dozen Samoan churches in Carson and is believed to have the city’s longest-running and most popular bingo operation, bringing in about $1 million annually.

Assistant City Atty. Michelle Bagneris said last week she has completed her investigation, but would not comment on the findings. She said she had forwarded her conclusions to Finance Director Lorraine Oten.

Carson officials are also looking into allegations that the church is no longer tax-exempt because two years ago it ended its affiliation with its parent denomination, the United Church of Christ Southern California Conference.

Oten said she probably will have a hearing with church officials before making a decision. If the church is found in violation of the ordinance, it could have its bingo license suspended or revoked.

Church leaders said Thompson’s allegations are only the latest controversy he has brought upon the congregation. They said Thompson’s mismanagement led to the church filing for bankruptcy in 1989 and the foreclosure of the church property on East Carson Street.

Last July, a Superior Court judge ruled that Thompson acted without the authority of the church when he transferred ownership of the property to the owner of a bonding company. Thompson said he believed he was signing real estate loan documents at the time and did not intend to transfer ownership of the church. However, the bonding company used the church property as security for a loan and then defaulted, leading to the foreclosure and bankruptcy actions.

Church leaders have since regained control of the church’s holdings. However, they are still in litigation with Thompson over allegations that he misappropriated funds while he was serving as church secretary for the board of trustees.

“The things (Thompson) put the church through is not only bad for the church but for the Samoan community as a whole,” church President Maligi Nua said, adding that Samoan culture places a strong emphasis on its church ties.

“He has caused us a lot of problems,” Nua said. “He has no idea how much he has hurt the people.”

Nua insists that under his leadership, the church has not violated the provisions of the bingo ordinance and is indeed tax-exempt. He acknowledged that bingo workers are paid a $25 stipend for each night worked, but that the money comes from the church’s general fund, not bingo proceeds.

Bingo revenue accounts for up to 60% of the church budget, he said.

Thompson, whose late stepfather was president and a founder of the church, denies any wrongdoing and said it is the current church leadership that caused the congregation’s problems. Thompson said he was interim president of the church after his stepfather’s death in 1989 but was improperly ousted later that year.

Thompson claimed the leadership fight split the congregation, and that many of his supporters have since left the church.

“They are the aggressors,” Thompson said. “They used strong-arm tactics to get me out of there. They have conspired to discredit me and my father’s work and legacy.”

He said his personal dispute with church leaders should not be used as a basis to dismiss his allegations that the bingo operation was operating outside the law.

“We’re not talking about my status with them, we’re talking about their qualification to run bingo,” Thompson said. “We’re talking about an entity that is illegally operating bingo.”

Nua said Thompson’s allegations are especially ironic because Thompson started the bingo games in 1975. The games grew in popularity under Thompson and now generate $1 million annually.

On a recent bingo night, Nua made his way through the smoke-filled church hall where the games are held and talked about the popularity of the game. Almost 400 hundred people showed up on a weeknight to take their chances at winning $250 jackpots.

“People come here because it’s affordable and they feel safe,” Nua said. “This is where the old folks go. For them, this is enjoyment and, if you’re a lucky player, you can win $250 just sitting down.”

Pauline Overstreet of Compton doesn’t sit down alone when she plays bingo at United Samoan Congregational Christian Church. She also brings along three teakwood elephants, two ceramic frogs and her grandson’s palm-size toy train. The items are her good-luck charms.

“They’re tired tonight,” Overstreet lamented. “They ain’t brought me any luck.”

Another woman, Joyce Lee of Compton, hadn’t fared much better. Still, win or lose, the lure of the game is too much to pass up.

Playing 16 bingo cards simultaneously while rapidly scanning the video monitors that flash the numbers that are called, she said simply, “I want to be here every night they’re open.”