church officials.

The move is the latest in a long-running holy war between Grace Methodist Church, North Shore Road, Pembroke, and the Synod of the Wesleyan Methodist Church of Bermuda.

Angry Karl Pringle told The Royal Gazette that the Synod had no right to send a minister from Canada to the church when the congregation did not request one.

He added: "Grace Church hasn't called for him. The procedure should be that the congregation should call for a minister.'' Mr. Pringle was speaking as Sunday morning service was disrupted by the two sides for the second time in a row.

The service was the first for the Rev. Leicester Bigby from Montreal, Canada -- whose appointment added fresh fuel to the fire.

Jamaican-born Rev. Bigby arrived on the Island last Wednesday to preach at Grace Church for two months. His parish in Montreal paid for his expenses to come to Bermuda.

Rev. Bigby, who has training in conflict management, yesterday assured the congregation that he would not take sides in the dispute.

He said: "I'm not here to take sides. I'm here to do ministering and I expect the full cooperation of everyone.'' But he insisted: "The Synod has appointed me to be pastor of this church.

This is legal.'' Last week, churchgoers at the Sunday morning service were caught in a religious tug-of-war as rival factions staged separate services at the same time.

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

On one side was lay minister Willard Lightbourne while on the other was the Synod.

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. But Rev. Bigby pointed out that the Synod had control over the church and it was their duty to assign and discipline pastors, and oversee all church property.

And Rev. Bigby offered an olive branch to church rebels by inviting Mr.

Lightbourne and the congregation to visit and talk to him and he encouraged them to assist him with services.

And he said: "I hope that Mr. Lightbourne and others will be able to work with me so this place can have peace, tranquillity, happiness and love. The congregation of Grace will be able to smile again.'' Although Mr. Lightbourne exchanged a hug with Rev. Bigby, he defended the congregation's views.

"On June 21, without consultation with the congregation, we received a letter from the Synod that Rev. Bigby was coming,'' Mr. Lightbourne said.

"That was not right. We welcome him -- but not under these circumstances. We are not objecting to him being here, but to the way things have been handled.'' At that point a stranger interrupted the service with a tear-filled plea to the congregation.

She sobbed: "The Holy Spirit is grieving today. Don't take sides folks. Let God guide your lives not man.

"I don't know what is going on here but I know it's the work of evil and the Holy Spirit is grieving.'' An emotional Rev. Bigby led the tearful congregation in a prayer for healing within the fractured church.

While picketing outside Mr. Pringle also told The Royal Gazette he believed that the United Church of Canada was leading churchgoers back into the dark ages.

He claimed: "They don't have a message of salvation nor of healing. It is my strong option that the United Church are paid mercenaries if they aren't, then they are paid missionaries.'' And he slammed the United Church's recent changes towards non-sexist language in their hymns and services.

Mr. Pringle said: "They have deviated so far from the Bible and a whole generation have been lost because of this.'' And he said the hierarchy of the United Church were "mostly heretics, radical feminists and condoners of homosexuality.'' Mr. Pringle, a member of the Methodist Church in Somerset, said the United Church served no useful purpose in Bermuda.

"Bermuda is only used by them as an offshore holiday camp for their cronies,'' he said.

Mr. Pringle admitted that the Synod of the Wesley Methodist Church of Bermuda had started "hassling'' his Somerset church after it, Grace and Cobbs Hill Methodist Church broke away from the mainstream church several years ago.

But he said: "We are much stronger than they are here at Grace. They wouldn't get away with the things they have done down here.''