Members chased out of church for attending nine-night

Former members of a church in St Catherine are furious with the pastor because she chased them out of the church on Sunday after they attended a nine-night.

John Brown*, who used to attend the church, said that he is upset with how the pastor treated the church members.

"Mi used to sing pon the choir, enuh, and me leave because she rude. She tell the members them that they should not attend funeral and nine night, but they went and she put them out. She tell one a di girl weh come and help wi cook a the nine-night seh she is no longer a member of the church," he said.

"Right now, she and her brother are the only officers in the church because them demote the other officers them. She seh the people dem weh plant and water a nuh them a go reap, so she have a plan long time."

Brown explained that the commotion at the church began because the members attended the nine night and funeral for the father of a former bishop.

"I left that church for some years now because I could not handle the confusion. I am not at odds with her because I am focused on living a true Christian life. I am not sure if she is at odds with me," said the former bishop, who wants to remain anonymous.

T HE STAR was told that prior to the nine night, the congregation was told that they should not attend events of this nature. It is also said that the pastor made it known to the congregation that she cannot control the behaviour of adults, but that if they go to a nin-night, they should be prepared to sit at the back of the church afterwards.

"The man weh bury was a very respected man in the community, and everybody love him. Plus he is the father of the man weh she run weh from the church, so we went. The amount a people weh get put out yesterday. This reach so far because even people from overseas a talk about it," a church member said.

When THE STAR visited the community yesterday, some of the residents were not afraid to speak about what happened. While some declined to comment on the matter because they are still members of the church, others openly bashed the pastor for her actions.

"The same mic that we hear about Jesus on, is the one weh she a run out the people dem on," the resident said.

Another resident said that some weeks ago, the pastor refused to allow her cousin's body in the church because he was not a member.

"She said that he is a sinner and him don't go to the church, so him can't come in. At that time she seh: 'Let the dead bury the dead'."

*Name changed