HUNDREDS OF WORSHIPPERS who attended a three-day religious event at the Wildey Gymnasium and Solidarity House between May 9 and 11 now appear likely to have lost out on their money.
The event, entitled Legacy International Apostolic And Prophetic Conference, was staged under the auspices of Pastor Dr Anthony Cummins of Shalom Outreach Ministries International, based in Haynesville, St James.
Each person attending the conference was asked to pay a registration fee of $20 and promised that this gave them the opportunity to win a Chevrolet Spark vehicle donated by Warrens Motors. Additional prizes from other companies were promised to patrons who registered for the event.
More than 1 000 people reportedly attended the conference, the first day of which was staged at The Gymnasium.
However, more than three months after the conference the car was not handed over to any “winner”.
In an interview last week, Cummins said his church was still “in possession” of the car and he would be seeking to allocate it to someone around November 30 when his church celebrated its 15th anniversary.
But yesterday Warrens Motors’ sales and marketing manager Mark Doherty said emphatically that Cummins had no car from Warrens Motors to give to anyone.
“We are shocked and dismayed by the fact that not only has he stated that the vehicle was donated, but that he stated that the vehicle was in his possession to be donated in November. There is no vehicle,” he stressed.
Doherty told the SUNDAY SUN that in April Cummins came to the Chevrolet sales executive and indicated his church was having a big event at The Gymnasium and he wanted a vehicle as a main prize at the gathering.
“We told him that in terms of a donation we could not donate a vehicle; the best thing we could do is that we could look to discount the price of the vehicle, but he would have to purchase it. So based on that he said ‘fine’, he was very happy with the discount . . . . So in terms of any contribution, it was basically a discount on the purchase price of the vehicle,” Doherty explained.
He added: “What he wanted to do was encourage the patrons to spend the $20 to come. He asked if prior to the purchase – because he needed to promote and make the money – could we display the vehicle for him and dress it up? So what we did was we put a bow on it and Andrew [Harris, sales professional] took it down to The Gymnasium for the weekend of their symposium.”
Doherty stressed at that stage the vehicle had neither been purchased nor even a down payment made.
“After the event Andrew tried to contact him numerous times and he never got any reply from him. The vehicle then came back into Warren Motors and was placed back into the showroom,” Doherty said, adding it was subsequently sold to a customer.
He produced sale documentation showing that the same Chevrolet Spark which Cummins claimed on Thursday was still in his possession, had been sold.
Contacted again yesterday, Cummins said even if his church did not have a vehicle from Warrens Motors, he still would have to give one to a patron from the conference.
He said the Spark displayed at The Gymnasium was not what would have been given to a worshipper and according to an “agreement” with Warrens Motors, he would have received a car from their bond.
Reminded that he had earlier said he had a Spark “in his possession” to be presented in November, Cummins said it was really being kept at Warrens Motors.
Yesterday Doherty dismissed Cummins’ claim as untrue and said whenever he produced the “agreement” he spoke of, he would get a car.
