[media-credit name=’DEREK MONTGOMERY/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]Catacombs Coffeehouse, the non-profit, faith-based coffeehouse located in the basement of the Presbyterian House, has been struggling this year just to stay open for business.

According to Bobette Rose, president of the Catacombs Board of Directors, the coffeehouse opened two weeks late this year after its normal summer hiatus, and its operating hours vary from day to day. Catacombs is not currently serving its lunch, known for its locally grown, organic ingredients, she added.

The abbreviated hours and smaller menu are due to Catacombs losing nearly all of its 50-person volunteer team this year. The declining volunteer base is a result of a dispute between the Board of Directors and the Catacombs management. Although several factors may have exacerbated the relationship, according to a press release the main source of contention is over the Board of Directors' decision to eliminate the position of Venuevox Manager, which belonged to long-time volunteer Johnny Hunter.

Representatives of former volunteers have alleged the situation results from religious intolerance on the part of the board, according to the release.

"The board decided Johnny was inadequate for the job. They wanted someone more involved in a church," Veronica Bayetti, a former volunteer said. "It's clear to me that it was about religion."

According to Rose, the elimination of Hunter's position was a question of organization and expense.

"Johnny was finding himself doing more of the bookkeeping, in addition to his Venuevox role," Rose said. "It wasn't that Johnny wasn't doing something right. It was too big of a job for one person."

The position of a paid Venuevox organizer was handed to a team of volunteers, of which Hunter declined to be a part, Rose said.

The dispute also concerns the hiring of a new kitchen manager to replace Ben Hunter, Johnny's brother, who resigned in May. Rose said the board hired a replacement from outside their volunteer base, which upset many of the people who already worked at the Catacombs.

Former volunteers have alleged that a "fundamentalist Christian faction" conspired to drive out all non-Christian volunteers, beginning with Ben Hunter. The volunteers' statement cites this academic year's New Strategic Plan, detailing staff members' roles, written by the board as evidence of the faction.

"They want us to be able to answer an FAQ about Christianity, which I am not prepared to do," Bayetti said.

Bayetti cited a statement in the Strategic Plan asking volunteers to be able to answer frequently asked questions about "our ministry." Throughout the document, "ministry" refers to the coffeehouse itself, not to any particular religious group, Bayetti added.

However, Rose defended the board's position.

"We're a Christian ministry. … We're open to anyone who has a heart to help," Rose said. "We don't require anyone to speak like they're Christians or pretend that they're Christians."

At this point, the future of the Catacombs is uncertain to both contending parties.

"I'm going to have faith that our prospects are good. The board is going to put all we can into it," Rose said. "If we have the ability to be open today, we're going to be open today. If we have the ability to be open tomorrow, we're going to be open tomorrow."