A week after two ministers were arrested at Ebenezer Baptist Church following an alleged altercation, members worshiped in peace yesterday. After a succession battle came to a head last Sunday, Bishop Michael Symonette, whose father Bishop Elkin Symonette headed the church at Charles Vincent Street until his death in April, and Minister Levano Moss as well as three female members were arrested, police confirmed.

They were all later released. The incident occurred around 8 a.m., about 30 minutes into the service. Members have said the church was experiencing discord since January, before the death of Bishop Elkin Symonette, but that most of the church's 180 members supported Symonette as pastor and only a handful of members thought Moss should lead. The Nassau Guardian sat down with Symonette following the service yesterday.

Although he was reluctant to go into specifics on the matter, Symonette said, "As the leader of the flock all is well". Asked whether any other church grouping has assisted with the matter, he said all local Baptist churches are a part of the Bahamas National Baptist Missionary & Educational Convention, but Ebenezar remains independent to make decisions. According to one of the church's deacons, who did not wish to be named, the church's leadership team held two membership meetings, which included the disgruntled group, since last Sunday to deal with succession issues.

He said there has been some "collective understanding" coming from the meetings so far and another meeting will be held tomorrow, although he did not provide details. "Hopefully by Tuesday everything will be resolved," the deacon said. "The Bible term is bury the hatchet and move on." It was unclear whether Moss attended those meetings. "Some of them were here this morning, but thank God nothing happened this morning," said Solomon Miller, the 83-year-old brother of the late Bishop Elkin Symonette.

"Things have quieted down and it's easing, and since the police came down here and warned them, there has been less disruption." Roger Knowles, who said he has visited the church many times over the years, told The Nassau Guardian he has been grieved by some of the things that transpired at the church, but he was relieved that things appeared to have settled down.

"I was here last week and of course I ended up being a part of that calamity, coming here and seeing the door closed and persons at the police station, and learning the next day that they were held overnight was the worst event that you could dream of happening in this [church]," Knowles said. Several other members either leaving church or arriving for the 11 a.m. service said the matter is in God's hands and he would see it through.

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