Methodist lay preachers and the church's governing body were yesterday chastised by a Supreme Court judge for their unseemly behaviour.

"I'll close the church down,'' warned Puisne Judge Norma Wade. Mrs. Justice Wade told Methodist Church trustees and Grace Church lay preachers Willard and Gwynneth Lightbourne she was disappointed with their behaviour after the trustees took the Lightbournes to court for allegedly breaching a court order.

"This is most unfortunate that religious leaders can not settle matters,'' Mrs. Justice Wade. "You are suppose to provide the community with an example.

I am disappointed with the behaviour I have seen here.'' And citing the recent violence at local schools she asked: "Where do we go and where do we look to if our religious leaders cannot get along? ... It is a bit of nonsense that the church cannot regulate its matters.'' On January 6, after a bitter dispute over church leadership at Grace Methodist Church on North Shore in Pembroke, Mrs. Justice Wade ordered the church to hold two Sunday morning services. One by Mr. and Mrs. Lightbourne was to take place at 9.15 a.m. while the other by the Synod of the Wesleyan Methodist Church of Bermuda was to start at 11.15 a.m.

The friction is the result of a three-year split between the mainstream Methodist Church of Bermuda and Grace Church members over the Methodist affiliation with the United Church of Canada.

The congregation opposes the United Church's policy of ordaining gays.

Yesterday Grace Church Trustee's lawyer Sen. Lawrence Scott claimed that the Lightbournes have held religious services in the church hall at 11.15 a.m., the time allotted to the trustees.

But the Lightbournes' lawyer, Sonia Grant, maintained her clients had not defied the court's order.

"The order did not say they could not meet in the hall to discuss church business,'' Ms Grant pointed out.

Mrs. Justice Wade said she was not going to hold a hearing on the motion nor find anyone in contempt of court, preferring to focus on the "crux of the matter''.

And she threatened to throw anyone who defied her court order in prison.

"I'm going to make an order where unless the defendants abide by the court's order, they will spend two weeks in prison,'' Mrs. Justice Wade warned.

"I want you to draft a new order that states no gatherings will be held at the relevant time (9.15 and 11 a.m.),'' she also told the lawyers. "I don't want either parties there when the other is holding a service.'' And when Ms Grant pointed out that the congregation was having trouble "abiding'' by the 9.15 a.m. service time, Mrs. Justice Wade threatened to shut down the church entirely.

"If you can't do so, then I'll close the church down,'' she warned.

Mrs. Justice Wade then recessed the hearing for half an hour to allow the lawyers to hammer out a new order that would clearly outline what each party could do.

The new court order forces both parties to "strictly'' comply with Mrs.

Justice Wade's instructions, forbidding either party to be on church property when the other is holding a service.

But the trustees were given permission to have access to the parsonage at any time.

If either party fails to comply with any of the provisions, they would be held in contempt of court.

"I'd like to see that the substantive matter be put to rest as soon as expediently possible,'' Mrs. Justice Ward later told both parties. "We need to have it resolved.'' Yesterday's court appearance was the latest in series of battles between the two camps of Lightbourne supporters and the synod advocates.

At several services last summer, Sunday churchgoers were caught in the religious tug-of-war as the rival factions staged separate services at the same time.

The services saw two ministers, each armed with their own programmes and pianists, compete for the congregation's attention.

The battle between the church and the Synod moved from the pulpit to the courts in July when Mr. Lightbourne and the congregation filed a writ against the Synod in an bid to stop it from taking control of the church. The Synod counter-sued Mr. Lightbourne.