Members of the Progressive Liberal Party were totally offended that  former President of the Bahamas Christian Council Reverend Ranford Patterson  would allow Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis to use the church to spew out propaganda and lies about the PLP.  Speaking at a Press Conference yesterday, the  Chairman of the PLP, Senator Fred Mitchell denounced   Reverend Patterson  for allowing  Dr. Minnis to come into his sanctuary, overtake the podium and abuse the church.

Mr.  Mitchell was  reacting to the  Prime Minister’s conduct at the Free National Movement’s second Anniversary Church Service held at Cousin McPhee Cathedral this past Sunday where   Rev Patterson  is the pastor.  Mr. Mitchell claims that  the church was used  as a political arena.

  “The Reverend ought to rethink whether he ought to have these people back in his church. They simply do not know what is appropriate to say and what is not.  Had he been in certain churches, the Prime Minister would have been stopped dead in his track for violating the terms of reference of appearance in church,” said Senator Mitchell.

“There are certain protocols and norms which obtain when you speak in a church and one of them is while you can thank God for what he has done for you, you do not use it to make direct political speeches.  The speech in that church on Sunday was totally out of the norm apart from being a vicious, concocted lie.  It is no wonder that some churches do not allow politicians in their pulpits at all.

“I am appealing to the Christian Council to rein in this kind of outrageous use of the pulpits. 

“I recall when Prime Minister Perry Christie would lean over to me and say that this is simply a fellow who does not behave when he is in church.  He continually abused the privilege by going over the line. The practice continues today and we denounce it,” said the PLP Chairman.