The ousted pastor of troubled Mount Zion AME Church, the Rev. Christopher Haynes, has not left the Island over the weekend as predicted because he has been given an extension to stay.

The expatriate reverend has filed a writ against the Department of Immigration and demanded a judicial review after a request to have his work permit renewed was turned down.

Now he has placed the matter in the hands of the courts he can stay past the deadline of August 31, which Immigration had insisted was the last day he and his family could remain in Bermuda.

The pastor, who has worked on the Island for 19 years - four of them at Mount Zion - is believed to have been eligible to apply for status next year.

The Royal Gazette understands that Rev. Haynes' work permit ran out in September of last year but the AME Church failed to request a renewal.

When an application was finally submitted earlier this year, it was not looked upon favourably by Immigration and the request was turned down, causing unrest among some members of the AME church.

Rev. Haynes said the Church did appeal the decision but the appeal was lodged at 5 p.m. on the last available day and it is believed the appeal was therefore never officially lodged.

And the pastor himself requested that Cabinet allow him to appeal but was refused.

Rev. Haynes would not talk about the matter when contacted recently, however he earlier told The Royal Gazette that he did not have another posting to go to, and a replacement had not been found for him at Mount Zion.

He was offered a church in New York but turned it down.