A long-time member of controversial St. Mark's Church has come out in support of under-fire Rev. William Hayward - claiming many of the allegations against him are untrue.

William Zuill Sr. said he had been a parishioner at the Smith's Anglican church all of his life and felt the charges levelled at the rector were one-sided and exaggerated.

Parishioners have claimed about 100 "rebel" churchgoers have left or are leaving the church and going elsewhere because Rev. Hayward was not a good leader, was unmarried, late for services, poor at preaching, driving parishioners away, and unable to sort out the church's increasing debt.

They claimed about 100 people had already left the church.

But Mr. Zuill, from Smith's Parish, said the criticisms were harsh and unfair.

He said: "I'm a regular at the 8 a.m. Sunday service and have never known Rev. Hayward to be late. I think he's fine. He just had the misfortune to follow a very popular man.

"I think the congregation for the 8 a.m. service varies between about a dozen and 20 from Sunday to Sunday. There are one or two regulars who stopped coming, but the majority of the regulars are still coming to the church."

Members of the vestry have repeatedly complained about Rev. Hayward since he joined the church at the start of 2000.

Amid the controversy, Bishop of Bermuda Ewan Ratteray wrote to the vestry outlining some of the vicar's shortcomings, and gave Rev. Hayward three months to turn the situation around, including the mounting debt.

But the matter came to a head again when Bishop Ratteray wrote to the church's ruling body, the vestry, late last month spreading the blame between the vicar, wardens and vestry members.

The Bishop asked members of the vestry opposed to Rev. Hayward to resign at the AGM elections later this month and not to stand for re-election for three years. And the Bishop gave Rev. Hayward six more months to change St. Marks. As a result of the letter, vestry members claim they will find a new church at the end of this month.

But Mr. Zuill said the vestry had to share some of the responsibility.

He added: "I have seen many rectors come and go, with many varying qualities. He's had the misfortune to follow a very popular man. "He has also had to struggle without having a rectory, which is the vestry's responsibility. They (the vestry members) say they don't have the money, but on the other hand, we have not had a fundraising campaign in the church. That, again, is the vestry's responsibility."

Mr. Zuill said that, as far as he could tell, there were members of the vestry who supported the rector and there were those who did not.

And he said he believed the Bishop's letter was aimed at those who offered no support to Rev. Hayward.

Mr. Zuill also criticised those people who had spoken out against the vicar in the press, but had chosen to stay anonymous.

He said: "It's all been a bit one-sided. There are a lot of people who like the rector.

"I don't feel spiritually undernourished when I leave his sermons. I have gone to the church all my life and there have been times when there have been rectors I did not much like and so I did not attend very regularly, but I think this rector should be supported."

But vestry member Michael Caton yesterday spoke out against the vicar and said he would be named.

He said he would be looking for a new church after the AGM on May 21.

Mr. Caton said: "He has not done the job that he was selected to do. He has not led us. I'm talking about both spiritually and in general direction, which over many years we have enjoyed from our ministers.

"He has been totally unable to do that and I think you will find so many upset and sad people at St. Mark's concerning this."

Mr. Zuill added: "This has been a total disaster, as far as I'm concerned. It's the job of the vestry to fundraise, but without any assistance from Rev. Hayward, we have not been able to move forward.

"This has caused a division in my family. Every other member of my family has left and gone to Holy Trinity. I'm the only one left at St. Mark's."

And he said the fact that Rev. Hayward was unmarried had never been an issue for him, although he said it would be nice because it would bring family to the church.

But Mr. Caton said: "I have been a member of St. Mark's for over 50 years. I will not remain a member of St. Mark's until I see an improvement and a change."

Rev. Hayward declined to comment yesterday.