Police had to storm into a church to break up an
angry protest staged by part of a congregation demonstrating against
their minister. At one stage officers had to stop a man trying to pull the power plug to the church organ.
Tensions between two groups within the Ballynahinch Congregational Church reached breaking point during angry scenes last Sunday.
The dramatic climax in the evening service came amid a furious row between some members of a congregation and Rev George Speers.
Years of underlying issues came to a head at both the morning and evening service in the rural church in Co Down yesterday.
Around 70 members were in attendance at the evangelical church on the Dromore Road when Rev Speers was heckled from the pews.
For the second time that day, just as his sermon began, around 40 church members left their seats and began to shout at the minister.
The fury was echoed by stamping of feet and singing of "We shall not be moved."
It is believed that the church is split into two groups – those who claim to support the traditional church style and those who claim to support the minister who took up the post more than seven years ago.
The remainder of the congregration stayed in the church until the sermon was officially ended by Rev Speers at around 7.30pm.
Rev Speers was escorted from the building flanked by police when he had finished his sermon, while his supporters shook his hand as they left the building.