Johannesburg - Suspended Johannesburg Central Methodist Church Bishop Paul Verryn will contest the validity of his suspension and opposed his disciplinary hearing, the Saturday Star reported.

The newspaper quoted Verryn's lawyer, Legal Resource Centre's Jason Brickhill as saying: "At this stage Verryn contests the validity of his purported suspension. He also opposes the institution of disciplinary proceedings against him".

Verryn was sacked on Tuesday on charges of transgressing the laws and discipline of the church, and the constitution of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa.

An attorney working for a firm that acts on behalf of the church, Bongani Khoza would not say what the reason for Verryn's suspension was. He was suspended on Tuesday but the church only announced it on Thursday.

The Saturday Star said the clergyman was suspended for "taking the initiative to have court appoint a legal curator for the interest of the children last month and for breaching a church instruction not to speak to media". Verryn applied to the High Court in Johannesburg last year in a bid to get a curator appointed for unaccompanied minors living at the church.

The application followed ongoing wrangles between the church and the Gauteng government, which accused Verryn of refusing to co-operate with social workers who had wanted to move the Zimbabwean children to proper homes and shelters.

Subsequent to Verryn's application, children's rights lawyer Dr Ann Skelton, from the Centre for Child Law, was appointed by the court to act as the legal guardian to the 56 unaccompanied children.

She was expected to compile a report making recommendations on the care of the children by February 8.

The church said it only allowed the presiding bishop or the church's general secretary to bring an application before a court.

SAPA