Until his death last March, Pastor Winfred Menefee had control over the church at NE 8th and Failing. His sister is trying to sell the church, and almost had it sold to a developer who was planning to tear it down and build houses on the property. Pastor Menefee’s daughter, Shalonda Menefee, would like the church to be kept as a community asset, ideally
as a non-profit community center. Steve Schreiber and I have been working with Shalonda since last summer, trying to figure out how to prevent the church from being torn down and keep it as a community asset. Due to a title dispute, the Department of Justice has said the church should be sold, and each of them (Shalonda and her aunt) could designate a non-profit to donate 50% of the funds to.

Shalonda is still hoping to avoid selling the church, because most likely it will be sold to a developer and torn down. Instead, she wants to persuade the DOJ to allow the church to be donated to a community-based non-profit organization, with the intent that we would establish a community center there. At Shalonda’s behest, I’ve written a letter to the Department of Justice, requesting that they help us find a way to preserve the church as a community asset – see attached.

Here is where we could use your help. Will you please write a letter to Susan Bower at the DOJ, explaining that you are part of a coalition of neighbors and other interested folks that want to preserve the church and turn it into a community center? Please let Ms. Bower know that folks do care about what happens to the old church, and we are eager to work together to transform it into a gathering place for our community.

You can either email the letter to me, and I’ll forward

it to Shalonda, or you can mail it directly to the DOJ.

Or, both. Here’s the DOJ contact info…

 .

Department of Justice

Civil Enforcement Division

1515 SW Fifth Ave, Suite 410

Portland, OR 97201

Attn: Susan A. Bower, Assistant Attorney General