The Anglican Church will have to appoint status Bermudian Carl Williams whether it likes it or not, Immigration Minister Terry Lister said yesterday.

Mr. Williams has been at the centre of a controversy after he was overlooked at St. Paul's in Paget in favour of a Canadian.

But Immigration blocked the work permit and threatened to arrest expatriate rector Alan Tilson when he tried to fill in. The move led Bishop of Bermuda Ewan Ratteray to threaten to defy the law which he said reminded him of Nazi Germany.

Yesterday Mr. Lister said spiritual leaders should set standards and respect the law.

He said: “They should not be portrayed as inciting people to break the law, particularly at this time when public attention has been focused on issues of lawlessness.”

He urged the church to reshuffle its posts to create another post for Mr. Williams - who he never referred to by name - and he said another work permit would not be forthcoming until it did so.

Mr. Lister said the arrest threat came after a lengthy conversation in which Rev. Tilson kept probing his immigration officer. “It wasn't someone phoning the priest, waking him up and saying if you do this we are going to arrest you,” said Mr. Lister.

“The way it was portrayed was as if one of my officers had completely lost their mind and acted in some foolish manner. I have had letters inviting us to apologise to the church.

“I feel an apology is due to that very fine officer for the way she has been maligned and mishandled through the press. And I invite the church to consider such an apology.”

He said there were two posts vacant and another one due shortly in the Anglican church.

“They have one fully qualified priest who is off the island who would like to come back. If there are three posts and one man, what is the problem?”

The Minister said there had been no change in immigration policy and generally immigration had a good relationship with all churches but it was not the first time the department had to tell a church it was breaking the law.

He said there is no difference between expatriate vicars wanting to swap employers than any other overseas worker. They all have to get immigration approval said Mr. Lister.

“We can't tell you who you must employ, we are telling them they need to bring a solution to this problem. We have not renewed or issued a permit at Paget. We can't force you, but we can say we really believe in this Bermudian, he's perfectly fine, tell us why he's not fine.

“They have told us why he's not fine, none of which holds water. It's insulting what they have said really. And so we have said we are not going to issue a work permit. If you say Paget won't take him, then move him around.”

Mr. Williams was the minister at Chapel of Ease after joining the St. David's church in December 1999 but abruptly left after just six months. In a recent Royal Gazette story Chapel of Ease worshippers gave mixed opinions about him with one saying Mr. Williams working well with the sick and elderly while another said he had failed to live up to his promises.

Mr. Lister suggested another established minister could go to Paget and then Mr. Williams, who has status after marrying a local, could then take the vacancy created.

The church could continue to fill Paget with locals but Mr. Lister said to try to fill that position with an overseas rector was “out and out defiance” adding: “It's in your face.”

The Minister said rectors were free to swap pulpits for special occasions despite a recent Government pronouncement that permission was needed. “It's not a big deal,” said Mr. Lister. “You can send us a letter or not send us a letter.”

But to move someone permanently without permission was wrong. He said the rectors standing in at St. Paul's had been asked to do it indefinitely until the work permit came through.

“Unless the church come back and say we have made arrangements for a Bermudian we know when the pastor is going to be assigned from overseas - never. So we can't say it's okay for father Tilson to go up there because we know it could be forever.”

Asked what would happen if the church filled St. Paul's with a Bermudian and then tried to get an expat in at another church Mr. Lister said: “We can stop that.”