Neville Paul, Gleaner Writer

SILOAH, St. Elizabeth:

Members oF the Balaclava New Testament Churchof God are fuming over the decision by the church hierarchy to transfer their pastor, Rev. Keith Dallas.

Yesterday morning, irate members, along with residents, staged a massive demonstration at the church to register their disapproval of the pastor's transfer. The protest led to the suspension of the Sunday morning service as the angry protesters padlocked the gate and the doors to the church.

The protesting residents said that since the arrival of Pastor Dallas at the church, he has been involved in several development projects in the community. One member of the protesting group described Pastor Dallas as a hard worker and a committed person who understands the needs of the people in the community.

"If we are to lose Pastor Dallas at this time, we would also lose much of the programmes and projects, as it is not certain that the new minister would continue these programmes and projects," said one protester.

The protest ended about 1:00 p.m., but it was not clear whether church members and the community were addressed by officials of the New Testament Church of God.

Checks by The Gleaner did not reveal the location to which the Reverend Dallas would be transferred.

The Balaclava police were unable to respond to the protest, as they had no vehicle to transport police personnel to the scene.