statement denying claims of racism within the church.

The claims were made in the Bermuda Times last week in response to the Anglican clergy's decision not to advertise in the Times, but to advertise in the other two weekend newspapers and to continue doing so in The Royal Gazette .

Bishop Down also expressed anger over what he felt was a personal attack on him in the Times article.

The decision not to place church adverts in the Times was purely financial, he said.

"If we could afford to advertise everywhere we would,'' Bishop Down said. He pointed out the Anglican Cathedral, in fact, was regularly advertised in the Times and would continue to be.

On the attack, Bishop Down said: "I will not comment on the outrageous and unfounded slur on myself personally which was included in (the Times article), namely that `I want all the black members to leave the Anglican Church and join the AME Church'.'' Yesterday's statement was released after a morning meeting of all Anglican ministers.

The contents of the letter were "endorsed unanimously'' by the Clericus, Bishop Down said.

"The Clericus, which meets monthly, is keeping the situation concerning its advertising under regular review and our Budget for advertising is not unlimited,'' Bishop Down said. "We are keeping open minds on the subject.'' Bishop Down further pointed out"a number of inaccuracies'' in the remarks attributed to unnamed church members who spoke to the Times.

"It is incorrect to say that `there is only one black member of the Synod, which does not represent the make-up of the population of Bermuda'. The Synod has almost equal numbers of black and white representatives,'' he said.

"It is incorrect to say that `the hierarchy of the church is practically all white and expatriate'. The Archdeacon, who is white, has lived and worked in Bermuda since 1957, and has Bermudian status. The Canon residentiary at the Cathedral (Canon James Francis) and the two Canons Capitular are all black.'' He added that Anglican Church officials had spent a total of four hours at two meetings in January "tackling the major issue of race relations''.

"These meetings were preceded by many months of careful preparation by our Synod Committee on racism...,'' he said. "Synod will shortly issue a statement stating where it is now and where it is going in the future in this matter (race relations).

The move by the Anglican clergy to place adverts in the Bermuda Sun, Mid-Ocean News, and to continue to do so in The Royal Gazette , followed a majority decision by the Clericus to assume authority in determining the shape, content and form of each parish's church advertisement.

The Royal Gazette understands one minister felt the church should be the last to behave in a way that could be conceived as discriminatory.

Another minister, Canon Arnold Hollis of St. James Church, told the Bermuda Times he felt that if church advertising was to be expanded, it must be done in all local newspapers -- including the Times.