The departing pastor at Mount Zion AME Church last night spoke for the first time about why he was being forced to leave the Island for an unknown future later this month.

Reverend Christopher Haynes hit out at immigration after it failed to renew his work permit or grant either of two appeals, which he claimed had left parishioners all over the Island distraught.

Rev. Haynes, who hails from Jamaica, said he had been instructed to leave Bermuda by August 30 after the church's request for a work permit renewal had been turned out.

He said he still had no new job to go to, no home overseas, and no school arranged for his four children.

He said he particularly feared for the education of two of his children, who were both in their final years' of college and high school.

And he said the most frustrating part was that no Bermudian had applied for the position and a replacement had still not been found.

He said: "I am speaking purely because I want the truth to be known. Many things have been said on the streets and they are not true.

"But I feel this is so unfair, so unreasonable and so inhumane. I have been in Bermuda for 19 years and this is all my children have known.

"The church has still not found another job for me to go to, and there is no one to replace me. It's very awkward.

"Immigration has not said they would have even a little bit of compassion in this matter. They have not given me time to seek employment elsewhere, or given me any kind of extension.

"This has caused so much distress for me, my family and members of the church."

Rev. Haynes, who has been pastor at the Whale Bay Road church in Southampton for four years, said he believed his departure was down to both the AME Church and immigration.

He said since he had arrived at Mount Zion, the membership had hugely increased with people attending the church from all corners of the Island.

But, he said, the large number of newcomers had caused some discontent among a small minority of older parishioners, who wanted the reverend out and their church back.

That problem was heightened earlier this year when the older parishioners were not re-elected in their positions in the church.

He said when the AME church requested to have his work permit renewed, the group of opponents wrote to Immigration to lobby against the request.

However, he said about 200 members of the church had wanted him to stay.

Rev. Haynes said he also believed that immigration were unhappy with the AME conference in Bermuda because it had failed to apply for the renewal on time, instead allowing the pastor to work without a permit. He said when the church finally did lodge an appeal against the decision, it was put in at 5 p.m. on the very last available day. That, he believed, had not gone down well with Immigration.

And he said neither that first appeal, or the appeal to Cabinet, was found in his favour.

Rev. Haynes said: "I believe that it was Immigration who decided not to renew the permit. The church wants me to stay, it has made it clear. But, in saying that, the church has a history of handling applications badly.

"They have been handled in a sloppy manner before. And I think the letters from the minority parishioners who did not want me to stay did not help. But there are an awful lot of people all over the Island who come to this church who want me to stay and they are distraught."

Church member Kirk Trott said he and other parishioners were still in the dark over why Rev. Haynes was being kicked off the Island.

He said more than 100 people attended a meeting on Monday night in order to ask AME Elder, Rev. Malcolm Eve, what had happened and who would replace him, but no answers were forthcoming.

Mr. Trott blamed Immigration and Government for the imminent departure.

"I think the least they (Government and the church) can do is tell us what is going on," said Mr. Trott, who travels from his home in Ferry Reach to attend the church every week.

"The parishioners have asked questions of the Elder, but we get an abrupt answer that tells us nothing."

He said Rev. Haynes had been on the Island for 19 years with his wife and family, and said he was due to qualify for long term residency next year.

He added: "This is their home. I think it's shocking that they have only been given a few weeks to leave the Island. That is no way to treat someone who has provided such a wonderful service in Bermuda.

"I think he is owed an apology."

Mr. Trott said the majority of people wanted Rev. Haynes to stay, with more than 200 people signing a petition, while less than two dozen wanted him out.

He said: "I travel from Ferry Reach to this church every week, which speaks volumes about the kind of pastor he is."