The Rev. Lynne Smouse Lopez, Pastor
Born and raised in Kent, Ohio, Rev. Lynne Smouse Lopez has a Master of Education in Counseling and taught special education, served as an Elementary Teacher Trainer in Western Samoa in the Peace Corps for 3 years and an Elementary School Counselor in Southern California for 2 years before receiving her Master’s of Divinity, 1989.
She served as pastor of Immanuel United Church of Christ, a bilingual, African-American/Latino congregation in south central Los Angeles for eight years, were she was involved in gang intervention and prevention work, parenting, community organizing, transitional housing development, justice advocacy and Hispanic ministries. She has served as pastor of Ainsworth United Church of Christ since 1996. In addition to her role as Pastor, Lynne has served as part of a liaison team with the HIV Day Center, volunteer chaplain and community supporter.
During the course of her ministry Lynne’s concentration has been on multiracial, multicultural realities and issues. She has been deeply involved in racial and gender justice work, the peace movement, ecumenical and interfaith ministries for which she has written articles and has presented various workshops and panels.
Lynne has served on a variety of ecumenical boards and coalitions, within the wider UCC, ecumenically and community-wide. She served as a co-chair of the Interfaith Council of Greater Portland, of which she is a founding member. She was a spokesperson for Sweatfree Portland, and served as chair of Oregon Action’s Citizen Committee against Police Racial Profiling. She serves on the Worker’s Rights Board of Jobs With Justice and is a member of the Albina Ministerial Alliance. She has participated in several peace activities and is part of the People of Faith for Peace, Jubilee Oregon and traveled to Kenya to attend the World Social Forum and to Zambia with the Jubilee USA group. She has been an active advocate for children on issues of education, health care and economic justice. She is currently President of Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO). Additionally, Lynne has served on and chaired a variety of United Church of Christ conference, regional and national groups.
Lynne is married to the Rev. Héctor E. López and the proud mother of son Kamil, and daughter Nichole and cats Spirit & Fire.
The Rev. Cecil Prescod, Christian Education Director
The Rev. Cecil Prescod is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. He has been active in social justice and peace organizing for over two decades. Among the organizations that he has worked with are the Fellowship for Reconciliation, the American Friends Service Committee, Love Makes a Family, Inc., Brother to Brother (now the Unity Project of Portland, and the Urban League of Portland. In 2002 he received the Russell Peyton Human Rights Award from the Metropolitan Human Rights Center. He is currently a board member of the Unity Project of Portland and on the Board of Directors for Love Makes a Family.
Cynthia Butts, Music Director
With a background in music education and choral direction, Cynthia Butts leads the Ainsworth choir with enthusiasm, sharing her love for sacred choral music. She is known throughout the Northwest as an outstanding soloist.
Cynthia offers a diverse and inclusive music program at Ainsworth encouraging young and old, novice and experienced singers and musicians to participate in making music. If you are interested in sharing your gift of music please contact Cynthia.
Dan Gaynor, Accompanist
A native of Portland, pianist Dan Gaynor studied at Mt. Hood Community College and Portland State University with teachers including Randy Porter, Dave Barduhn, Darrell Grant and Glen Moore. He played with many musicians including Nancy King, Kelly Joe Phelps, Alan Jones, Glen Moore, Bob Mover, Lawrence Williams, Esperanza Spalding, Rob Scheps, Robert Moore, John Stowell, Ingrid Jensen, Marguerite Jeunemann, David Friesen, Ron Steen, Mel Brown, Artis the Spoon Man, “Sweet Baby” James Benton, Chris Conrade and many others. As an accompanist, Dan has performed with performers including poets, painters, clowns, actors and singers of every level. He appears on Oasis by David Valdez & Pere Soto, both releases by Barbara Lusch (with Bobby Torres, Reinhardt Melz, Rob Thomas, Essiet Essiet, Scott Steed and other sidemen) and on Saffron Robe by Chopslaughter. Most recently, Dan played on the first CD by the Portland Jazz Orchestra, Good Morning, Geek.