The Church umbrella groups in Jamaica are calling on the organisers of the Gathering of the Prophets Conference to reconsider the content of the advertisement for the function, which gives the impression that Reverend Dr Paul Lewis is a speaker.

Lewis is before the Jamaican courts, facing carnal abuse and indecent assault charges and is on a $1 million bail.

Responding to public expressions of anger after the religious and women's conference was advertised, the groups issued a release stating that they have taken keen note of the deep concerns regarding the apparent insensitivity of the organisers of event.

"We are cognisant of the seriousness of the charges. However, we must support the principle of law that one is considered innocent until proven guilty. As such, we await the outcome of the judicial process," the release states.

The church umbrella groups in Jamaica comprise the Church of God in Jamaica, the Jamaica Association of Evangelicals, the Jamaica Council of Churches, the West Indies Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, the Jamaica Pentecostal Union and the Jamaica Association of Full Gospel Churches.

misleading

The members said: "We are of the understanding that our brother, the Rev Dr Lewis, will not be speaking at the event and so we are encouraging the organisers to reconsider the content of the advertisement for the event as it could be misleading to the public."

The conference was advertised on the Paul Lewis Ministries website, where the celebrity pastor was identified as a speaker.

However, Dove International in a release stated the group regrets that the advertisement issued was not amended earlier, and that Lewis would not be preaching at the conference.

The conference is part of a series of religious crusades, organised by the Christian promotion group, Dove Ministries International, based in Montego Bay, St James, and Lewis' own Messengers for Christ Ministries.

The crusades are slated to take place from August 14-16 in Kingston and again on August 19- 23 in the Second City.

Allegations against the pastor are that in June, he met a 15-year-old at a convention in Little London, Westmoreland, where he was a guest preacher. He reportedly exchanged telephone numbers with the girl and, in a subsequent meeting, took her and a 14-year-old female companion with him on a trip to Clarendon.

On their return to Westmoreland the girls stayed with him at a hotel in Negril.

It is alleged that during the night a sexual encounter took place with the 15-year-old as her companion watched.