Enough people will come forward at divided St. Mark's Church to form a new vestry, a parishioner has claimed.

Numbers have fallen sharply at Sunday services as parishioners have stayed away in protest at the performance of Reverend William Hayward.

An annual general meeting was adjourned earlier this year because no one put themselves forward to serve on the vestry.

A second general meeting was also postponed because it became clear that not enough people would be willing to volunteer for the vestry, which administers the affairs of the Anglican church in Smith's Parish.

A new general meeting has been scheduled for September 17 and parishioners who are keen to breathe new life into the church are hopeful enough people will come forward.

Anglican Bishop Ewen Ratteray, who has stood by Rev. Hayward despite heavy criticism of the cleric from many parishioners, will be at the AGM in St. Mark's Church Hall.

Parishioner William Zuill Sr., who has been ringing around church members to persuade to come to the meeting, is hopeful the vestry will be kick-started.

"I've been telephoning around people on the electoral roll to do the best we can and I'm fairly confident we will be able to find enough people willing to serve on the vestry," he told The Royal Gazette.

"I hope we will be able to go forward. Patently, my feeling is that the only way we can go forward as a church is to first of all have a vestry."

Mr. Zuill said the numbers of parishioners attending the 8.30 a.m. Sunday service had dwindled from about 15 to five or six.

In May, the Rt. Rev. Ratteray urged vestry members who did not support Rev. Hayward to stand down from the vestry for at least three years to give more supportive parishioners a chance.

Parishioners who oppose Rev. Hayward claim he is regularly late for services, his sermons are uninspiring and that he does not have the ability to handle the church's finances.

Rebel parishioners also say they want a married vicar and that Rev. Hayward is not suitable because he is single.