DATE: Friday, July 18, 1997                 TAG: 9707180641

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY TONY WHARTON,STAFF WRITER

DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH                        LENGTH:   66 lines

CHURCH VOTES TO RESTORE PASTOR IN PORTSMOUTH BAPTISTS REVERSE EARLIER DECISION, THEN ARGUE IN PARKING LOT

One of the largest churches in the city dissolved into furious shouts in the parking lot Thursday night after the congregation of New Mount Vernon Baptist Church narrowly voted to restore Vernon S. Lee as pastor.

As knots of people argued outside the church on Victory Boulevard, others looked on in anguish.

``This is what's going to happen to this church,'' said congregation member Michael White. ``You've got people going against people here.''

The vote was 133-119 in favor of keeping Lee, 58, as pastor. On June 5, the congregation voted 76-16 to dismiss Lee.

Thursday's vote was ordered by a judge after the issue made its way into court last month. And it was clear Lee had rallied his supporters for this meeting - the parking lot overflowed into nearby streets.

The congregation is deeply split.

Some members, particularly the older ones, believe Lee is not of good character, and shouted accusations about him after Thursday's meeting.

Others, particularly younger members of the congregation, say it's just a power struggle, and that the most drastic things said about Lee are trumped up.

``He brought me to this church,'' said Adrienne Joyner, one of Lee's supporters. ``I believe in God, and Rev. Lee preaches from the heart.''

Another supporter, who asked not to be identified, said, ``God prevails. This doesn't worry me at all. Pastor Lee is the reason why I am here.''

Lee left without commenting.

But the vehemence and number of Lee's opponents showed that the church, which had counted as many as 500 members, is in for hard times. Many said they would not return.

``I cannot sit with the man with that kind of character,'' said Thelma Jones. ``I know what he is like. They are going to get what they voted for.''

White, one of Lee's critics, said, ``All Vernon Lee wants is money. If he were truly a man of God, he would leave before he would let this happen.''

White and others said they are not satisfied with the vote but didn't know yet what they would do.

After the June 5 meeting, church leaders stated in church minutes that Lee had displayed ``immoral and un-Christian behavior.'' But they have never said what they meant by that, even after the dispute went to court. Lee, too, has remained silent.

He chose to fight the ouster, and even continued to preach. Church trustees and officers sued Lee when he refused to leave. Part of the congregation got up and walked out on a Sunday in June.

Lee, in turn, sued the church because he said the June 5 meeting violated church bylaws and would ``cause irreparable injury to the plaintiff and harm as a pastor.''

On June 20, Portsmouth Circuit Judge James A. Cales Jr. chose to stay as far out of the fight as he could.

He directed the congregation to hold another vote, with enough notice and lawyers involved that no one could complain about its outcome. Lee was told to stay out of the church, and the church agreed to keep paying him in return.

Lee, pastor at New Mount Vernon since 1978, has been known as a dynamic community leader and minister.

In May he received an award from the city police department for his work in crime prevention. This year he and several other pastors also founded the Jeremiah Project to deal with social problems such as the transition of welfare recipients into the work force. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

Rev. Vernon Lee

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