In the midst of the Baha Mar debacle, a group of religious leaders made a request for the parties involved to resolve the matter peacefully.

“No one wants for there to be court action,” said Ross Davis, senior pastor of Golden Gates World Outreach Ministries.

He made the call yesterday at press conference held at the Trinity City of Praise and the Commonwealth and Global Prayer Grotto on Tonique Williams-Darling Highway.

He said he had met with a number of Bahamian leaders to discuss the detrimental effects of the stalled project, which has left the jobs of its more than 2,000 employees weighing in the balance.

Davis was joined by members of various churches who came together to support the cause.

Apostle Ed Watson, senior pastor of Trinity City of Praise and the Commonwealth and Global Pray Grotto was one of those members.

Watson said that the group realizes that thousands of jobs are being held up because of the current situation. Additionally, he said both the country’s reputation and economic record are at risk as well.

The development has been at a halt for several weeks after developer and CEO Sarkis Izmirlian petitioned for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in a foreign court on June 29.

A short time later, the Bahamian government filed a petition to wind up the resort in order to place the property into provisional liquidation.

“No one would like to see liquidation,” said Pastor Davis. “The best course of action is for the powers that be come to the table.”

Last week, Deputy Prime Minister Philip Davis said the Christie administration will continue to pay Bahamian employees at Baha Mar until its $21 million debt owed to the multi-billion resort by the government for roadwork is completely diminished.

The government initially promised to pay workers at the resort for one month after the bankruptcy filing.

“Baha Mar must open,” said Apostle Watson. “As the people of God, we believe that there is nothing impossible with God and we serve a God who specializes in hard things.”