A stand-off between the church hierarchy and Christopher Haynes, former pastor of the Mount Zion AME church continues as the church has given him until the end of the month to quit the parsonage where he lives with his four children.

Wilbur Lowe, a ruling party Member of Parliament, replaced Rev. Haynes as pastor of the church after Immigration turned down a work permit renewal application earlier this year.

Rev. Haynes is still on the Island because he is pursuing a judicial review of the Immigration decision and is waiting for a decision from Bishop Zekediah Grady as to his next posting.

He has been on the Island with his wife and four children for 19 years, four of which were spent as pastor of Mount Zion, and was due to apply for long term residence status next year. The refusal to renew his work permit caused a row within the AME church, with some parishioners blaming the church for not submitting the application on time.

Last month Rev. Lowe ordered the electric utility to cut off the power supply to the parsonage and later explained to this newspaper that while he had every empathy for his colleague and friend, church law required him to have quit the parsonage in October.

“Things remain the same,” said Rev. Haynes yesterday. “The church has asked their lawyers to send me a letter to get me out of here within 30 days or else they will proceed with legal action to get me out.

“Really I have to wait on marching orders from the bishop - he has to make something available and he has to offer it to me. He has not made any successful appointment until now. But the church has not honoured any commitments to me at all. I'm not earning a salary or getting a commission from anywhere.”

And he denied claims by Rev. Lowe that efforts to resolve the situation were proceeding more amicably.

“If things were better they wouldn't be sending me a letter telling me to get out,” the pastor said. “What is ridiculous is that the bishop is not saying anything. I haven't been called, I have not received a letter - not even a sympathy card.”

Asked if he was going to leave the parsonage within the 30 day deadline, he said: “If I can find somewhere to go in 30 days perhaps so, but the person who is responsible for me to find somewhere to go is the bishop. I'm not a one man army... I'm a part of the church.”

He scotched reports reaching our offices that he might start up another church here in Bermuda. While he had many supporters throughout the church, he said, he has not considered starting his own church.

“I've been part of the AME church for over 30 years. I know people are coming up with their own ideas and making accusations but I have not fed into that at all. Presently my sails are set. I'm waiting from the bishop to hear what he has to say.

Bishop Grady, who is based in Philadelphia where he presides over a number of AME churches in the United States could not be reached for comment yesterday. Efforts to reach senior church officials in Bermuda were also unsuccessful.