Sheldon Williams, STAR Writer

A church from the Kingston 2 area has come under heavy criticism and mockery following reports that the deacon and his female companion were involved in a fight during a Sunday service recently.

"People did over deh a part dem and people from out a road did go look pon dem a fight ... If dem inna church a gwaan so, a wha dem expect fi gwaan outta road?," an alleged witness commented.

THE WEEKEND STAR understands that the incident took place three weeks ago but it was still a popular topic among residents when the community was visited yesterday. "A dem people deh mek people no wah go a church enuh because a dem thing deh dem a gwaan wid inna church," a concerned resident remarked.

Residents were more than eager to describe what led to the fight between the man of the cloth and his female companion and also took the opportunity to criticise them and their questionable Christian practices.

"Me naw talk no shake up, the man box and kick her like a real ghetto man .... anno Christian dem deh," a man told THE WEEKEND STAR.

The residents explained that the fight occurred after a sum of money belonging to the deacon had gone missing and he accused his female companion of taking it. "A some money missing enuh and it look like him drop asleep and she tek him money," another resident emphasised.

'all hell broke loose'

It was then during the service that 'all hell broke loose' when the deacon was said to have become angry about his money not being returned to him which led him to assaulting the woman and hitting her all over the body.

Interestingly, residents told THE WEEKEND STAR that the deacon was an habitual 'beater'. "A regular thing, anno one set a lick drop over deh so," another resident insisted.

The residents later took different sides on whether the deacon's actions should be condemned. "If lick fi drop ... lick fi drop, a just so .... The deacon a human being like me and yuh enuh," a male resident explained.

On the other hand, a female resident condemned the act and commented that, "Christians no fi deal wid dem ting deh out inna the open."

On the lighter side, residents explained that some of them capitalised on the opportunity to gamble and pick numbers that are representative of the church to win cash. "Pastor play, married man play and married woman play," they explained as they laughed.

When THE WEEKEND STAR visited the community, the church was closed and no one was available to comment.

At the same time, when the Jamaica Council of Churches was contacted, a representative explained that they were unaware of the incident. "Matters of discipline are worked out by respective churches ... if there is a party that requires the intervention of the council then we'll get involved, but that's not really our mandate," the representative emphasised.