A fellowship of more than 80 pastors and leaders from over 70 churches has been launched to oppose gaming in Bermuda.

United for Change, says it is the largest collaboration of churches in the history of Bermuda and is "seriously concerned for Bermuda's people, small businesses, and charities".

The churches have well over 5,000 members from across Bermuda's religious denominations, and the group has started a petition that has collected over 2,000 signatures so far.

Pastor Mark Hall said in a statement released yesterday: "It is imperative that we provide informative reasons why gaming is not in Bermuda's best interests, as well as provide some alternatives to boosting tourism that will not cost us the inevitable negative social, economic and moral consequences."

The announcement came just two days before the April 30 deadline for people to make submissions on Government's green paper on gaming. The paper recommends that a casino be permitted in Bermuda and some of the revenue generated used to tackle social ills associated with gambling. It is due to be debated after Parliament resumes in May and Premier Ewart Brown spoke in support of the plans yesterday (see separate story).

However, according to a Cabinet Office spokesman, just five submissions on the green paper had been filed by yesterday afternoon.

Pastor Gary Simons from United for Change told The Royal Gazette the fellowship was formed earlier this month. He admitted that it is "probably long-overdue".

Commenting further in the statement issued yesterday, he said: "The gaming industry is like a many-armed monster capable of picking the pocket of so many aspects of our society and leaving us unwittingly robbed of our assets, our dignity, and our goodness — leaving us with memories of what was and dreams of what might have been. We need to see gaming for all that it really is."

The green paper includes reports from a local task force on gaming and a report from the US-based Innovation group. According to the task force, it found no significant opposition forthcoming from Bermuda's various church groups and commented: "First and foremost we now believe that the previously perceived public opposition to gaming in Bermuda was largely a myth."

However, United for Change said it has done research on the topic and "we are clearly against gaming for Bermuda for both locals and visitors based on serious social, economic and moral concerns".

It added: "United for Change states the clearly proven fact that, for the gaming industry to be profitable, the private casino owners and operator(s) must make their profits from the middle and low-income populations of Bermuda.

"United for Change believes government legislation for the introduction of gaming will not be in the best interests of the people they are charged to represent. Practically speaking, gaming in Bermuda will affect the people who do not have a surplus of savings; it will mean the difference between rent and eviction, food and starvation, marriage and divorce, peace and violence."

United for Change has an administrative team consisting of pastors Simons and Hall plus Pastor Terrence Stovell, Bishop Lloyd Duncan, the Rev. Nicholas Dill and Major Alfred Wilson. It has three advisors local Bishop Vernon Lambe, plus Dr. Tony Evans, an author and speaker from the Urban Alternative in Dallas, Texas, and Pastor Jim Cymbala, an author and senior pastor from the Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York.

According to Pastor Simons, churches represented within the fellowship are Brethren, AME, Anglican, Apostolic, Baptist, Non-Denominational, New Testament Churches of God, Church of God and Church of the Nazarene.

It also includes other denominations Methodist, Pentecostal, Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, Presbyterian, Salvation Army, United Church of Canada and the United Holy Church of Bermuda.

The fellowship has formed several task forces to suggest alternative solutions for tourism. Meanwhile, it said that public announcements regarding locations to sign the petition will be forthcoming.

Submissions on the green paper must be sent to the Cabinet Office by tomorrow, April 30. The document can be viewed at the Cabinet Office or online at www.gov.bm.

Written submissions should be e-mailed to greenpaper@gov.bm or submitted directly to the Cabinet Office: The Cabinet Secretary, Ref: Gaming for Bermuda, The Cabinet Office, 105 Front Street, Hamilton, HM 12.