WHILE authorities in Montana investigate alleged fraudster and one-time Ewart Brown campaign manager Andre Curtis, the Mid-Ocean News has learned that Bermuda taxpayers sponsored a previously unreported 'Faith Based Tourism' event this past August.

The Bermuda Department of Tourism is listed as one of eight major sponsors of this year's New York Call, a "large evangelism outreach" held in Long Island and headlined by a controversial anti-gay pastor.

The annual religious revival, held at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, New York, is described as featuring "a coalition of pastors and churches throughout the Tri-state area". The Gospel Music Channel, the latest beneficiary of 'Faith Based Tourism' dollars, is also listed as a sponsor for the August day of 'inspiration, music and ministry', alongside a handful of religious organisations and the tourist board of Jamaica.

The headline act at this summer's New York Call revival was Donnie McClurkin, also the founder of the event, which is now going into its sixth year. Pastor and gospel singer McClurkin is perhaps best known outside evangelical circles for his controversial stance on homosexuality.

McClurkin, who describes himself as 'ex-gay', calls homosexuality "a curse" that can be "cured" with faith. In an interview with the Washington Post prior to performing at the Republican National Convention in 2004, McClurkin said it took "God's power" to change his "lifestyle".

This is not the first time Bermuda Tourism has found itself aligned with homophobia. In 2007, Rosie O'Donnell's gay and lesbian cruise line cancelled a trip to Bermuda after threats of protest from local churches.

At the time, then-campaign manager for Dr. Brown, Mr. Curtis, called the cancellation a "victory for God".

Mr. Curtis spoke on behalf of United by Faith, a coalition of the island's evangelical churches. Talk show host Ms O'Donnell discussed the controversy on top US show The View in front of an audience of millions.

The cancellation hit headlines in the worldwide gay press as an example of modern-day homophobia. Pinknews.co.uk, Europe's biggest gay news web site, declared Bermuda a "homophobic island".

Bermuda's gay population expressed outrage when Mr. Curtis was awarded $400,000 of taxpayers' money in the aftermath of his homophobic comments to organise 'Faith Based Tourism' events.

Veteran human rights campaigner and former PLP MP Renée Webb called the Curtis controversy and the subsequent cruise cancellation "a sad day for Bermuda".

The Premier's press secretary Glenn Jones said that the Bermuda Department of Tourism would not be sponsoring the New York Call revival in 2009 in a statement to the Mid-Ocean News.

He added: "Andre Curtis was not involved in the sponsorship of the New York Call Revival in 2008."

January sees the start of a new 'Faith Based Tourism' promotion for 2009: an advertising initiative with US network the Gospel Music Channel. As part of a deal negotiated by the Department of Tourism's US ad agency GlobalHue, 90-second clips of Bermuda's gospel attractions will be shown on the religious network from January through March 2009.

At least two of the three 90-second clips will feature Premier Ewart Brown prominently, according to industry magazine TV Week.