Rev Neil Ellis has upset thousands of Bahamian homeowners by launching a $1 million storm relief fund for the victims of New Orleans – and failing to raise one red cent for flood and hurricane victims in The Bahamas.
Rev Ellis has reportedly told the 7,000 members of his Mt Tabor Baptist Church in Pinewood Gardens that they must donate $1,000 each to the storm relief fund for the “Sin City” of New Orleans.
The popular grassroot pastor reportedly plans to collect $1,000 from each member in payments of $10 to $100 over a period of time.
But the $1 million storm relief fund for New Orleans has enraged home-owners in Pinewood. They have pointed out that Ellis and his close associate Frankie “Snake” Wilson have done nothing to raise money for Pinewood. They say that Ellis and Wilson seem to have forgotten that their homes in Pinewood are flooded out every summer.
“Plneflood” was orginally built by a company headed by Wilson. He now runs Arawak Homes. Home owners have also blasted Allyson Maynard, PLP MP for Pinewood. They say that she and PM Perry Chrlstle have never helped the many flood and storm victims of Pinewood, Freeport, Abaco and Eleuthera. But they’re backing Ellis and Wilson’s bid to raise $1 million for New Orleans. They also claim Ellis is caught up in a conflict of interest. He is the Bishop of The Bahamas for the New Orleans-based Full Gospel Church. Rev Ellis’ Mt Tabor and 29 Bahamas churches are partners of Full Gospel in New Orleans. And the $1 million raised by Ellis and Wilson will allegedly be given to Full Gospel’s Bishop Paul Morton and his members – not the people of New Orleans. Many Bahamians feel the storm victims of New Orleans need our prayers – not money, as they get $2,000 food vouchers. And a grand total of $63 billion has been allocated to rebuild New Orleans and help storm victims.
From: The Punch
Maybe ‘Dis Why Dey Call ‘Em “The Snake”
By: Nicki Kelly, The Punch
Businessman (sic) Franklyn Wilson plans to hold a telethon on September 30 to raise funds for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
That’s fine, because those poor people deserve all the help they can get. However, Mr Wilson omitted to say to which relief agency in the U.S. the money would be directed, and the media never thought to ask.
But judging from Bishop Nell Ellls’ involvement, the money may be destined for New Orleans’ Full Baptist churches with which his Mt Tabor church is affiliated. If that is the case, then Mr Wilson needs to be up front about it, and the contributing public should demand clarification, so that they can decide if that is where they want their money to go.
I also question Mr Wilson’s statement that the Bahamas Red Cross, which had already started its own fund-raising drive, has decided to merge it with Mr Wilson’s fund-raiser. Persons contributing to the Bahamas Red Cross did so with the clear understanding that the money would be forwarded to the American Red Cross.
To direct those funds elsewhere now without specifying exactly where, could raise legal issues. The local Red Cross better tread carefully on this one, lest it jeopardise its future fund-raising efforts.
