Anchorage Daily News

FAIRBANKS -- A dispute at a Baptist church in Fairbanks between the pastor, church leaders and members of the congregation has ended up in court.

Members of the Corinthian Baptist Church were in Fairbanks Superior Court last week. At issue is whether a vote earlier this month by church leaders to remove Pastor S. Anthony Justice was legitimate.

Some members of the congregation also say the locks have been changed and they are being kept out of the church building.

Justice, 30, had been at the church for 15 months. During his tenure, he was credited with boosting the congregation, particularly with younger members. But in August, church leaders met and decided Justice's performance was lacking.

They suggested some areas for improvement, according to Gregory Silvey, the Anchorage lawyer representing members of the church's board of trustees.

Three months later, four trustees and a deacon voted to dismiss the pastor. Two trustees dissented.

About two dozen members of the church and at least one trustee took the matter to court, saying the church leaders did not follow church bylaws when they fired the pastor.

They asked Superior Court Judge Paul Lyle to reinstate Justice.

"This is some church members trying to stop other church members from hijacking the church," said John Franich, the attorney for those in favor of keeping Justice as pastor.

Silvey, the lawyer for the trustees who fired the pastor, said the locks were changed because the trustees had trouble locating the pastor to tell him the news.

Lyle issued a temporary order for keys to be provided to all church trustees.

The judge scheduled a Feb. 27 hearing in which he'll take testimony before issuing a final ruling on the matter.

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