Divisions deepened at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, the Fort Lauderdale mega-church, as two elders resigned Tuesday night following the first service of a breakaway congregation on Sunday.

The two have accused Pastor Tullian Tchividjian and his officers of retaliating against members who tried to have him fired, criticisms that Coral Ridge officials have denied.

``I'm not trying to fuel any fire. I just couldn't agree with the course of the leadership,'' said Dan Westphal, who resigned from the church's board of elders along with Roy Christie. ``We had a golden opportunity to reconcile rather than be punitive.''

The developments follow the exit last week of organist Samuel Metzger and John Wilson, director of the traditional worship service. Both men helped lead music at the Sunday service of 400 dissidents at Butterfly World in Coconut Creek.

Elder Bill Ashcraft said the dissident service did not surprise him. He said a church expert had told a Coral Ridge transition team that any new pastor would probably lose 300 to 400 members.

``We actually prayed for that church,'' Ashcraft said. ``It's better for the majority at Coral Ridge to get what they wanted, and for those people to get what they wanted.''

In an interview last week, Tchividjian said he believed some people opposed him because they ``feared the unknown.''

The events are the latest turmoil for the prominent evangelical congregation, a flagship of conservatism under Kennedy, who died in September 2007. In March, the church picked a successor in Tchividjian, a grandson of evangelist Billy Graham and pastor of the New City Church in Margate.

Over the summer, however, several members of the church choir were upset at the speed of changes under Tchividjian, including what they felt were a watering down of evangelism, political advocacy and traditional worship. They petitioned for a congregational vote to have Tchividjian fired but lost by a 69 percent vote on Sept. 20.

Last week, singers at a choir rehearsal were told they would have to recant their opposition to Tchividjian in order to stay in the group. Many took offense at that.

``They had a big stick over our heads and said, `If you don't like it, leave,' '' said Lorna Bryan, a past president of the choir and a Coral Ridge member for 13 years. ``No pastor should scatter the people. That is what this pastor has done.''

Ashcraft denied the church was trying to drive out members who petitioned against Tchividjian.

``Worship leaders, including every choir member, are expected to be on board,'' Ashcraft said. ``They can't praise God with their mouth but demean the pastor when they're off the platform.''

The split seems to be permanent. Organizers of the new congregation, tentatively called The Church, are applying for 501(c)3 tax-exempt status and searching for a permanent home. They plan a second service on Sunday, again at Butterfly World.

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