A Clarendon church has been left divided and struggling to continue after a recent decision to dismiss its pastor because of revelations about his questionable past.

Since the decision a few months ago, a source said, the church has been virtually divided into two groups; one supporting the pastor and the other supporting his dismissal.

The source said, "His supporters have stopped going to the church. They meet at the primary school where the pastor now has his service. The others still meet at the church and a new pastor from the circuit is there."

THE STAR was told that the pastor, who has been divorced twice, was previously dismissed from a church in St James in 1992, after an alleged affair with his domestic helper came to light when she became pregnant. The pastor was married at the time.

A report of that incident carried in THE STAR of June 12, 1992, said the pastor's wife had called in officials from the head of the church after the affair was revealed. The report also said the incident had caused a division in the church, with youngsters siding with the pastor and elders calling for his removal. It also said the division had become violent in one instance when a member pulled a knife at an opposing member.

Reports are that the pastor, who got divorced after the 1992 incident, was married again three years later. That marriage, however failed as well.

In what seems like a repeat of the 1992 incident, 60 to 70 per cent of the congregation is now standing behind the dismissed pastor in the latest issue. They are reported to have said that they will go wherever he goes. The source said, "They are upset and they are saying that the divorce thing is not enough grounds, but they don't know about the helper story."

The source told THE STAR that the St James church was contacted and a representative there confirmed that it was indeed the same pastor.

Following their investigation that the church's overseeing body decided to dismiss the pastor because of his past troubles but the decision has not been taken well by some of the members.

When THE STAR contacted the pastor, he admitted that he had been dismissed, but said he could not talk about the matter as investigations were still ongoing. He said, "It is an internal church matter that is not yet completed. There are implications that need to be sorted out."