London, UK - New guidelines are being drawn up after a parishioner complained that a performer used a racist term during an event at a Sussex church.
Mary Elson, a volunteer at St Peter's Church, East Blatchington, said the entertainer referred to a song called Nigger Minstrels at a tea party.
She said the woman explained in a "mocking tone" that it was a bad word.
Entertainer Moyra Huxtable said the word was not racist in its context and she mentioned it to explain that fact.
The archdeacon of Lewes and Hastings said new guidelines were now being introduced at the church.
Ms Elson, who claims she was removed from her voluntary position following her complaint, said: "It was totally unnecessary to say that at all.
"They needn't have said the word at all and they certainly didn't need to go into, 'We are not allowed to say the word' as if they begrudged it and they mocked it."
When asked whether she thought talking about the song's title was racist, entertainer Ms Huxtable said: "No I don't."
She added: "I tell you why, if people accept other people's idioms we'd live a better world.
"It's not [racist] if you do it in context of music. I actually explained that it was called it years ago and now we refer to it as Minstrel Melodies."
Ms Huxtable said she talked about the original title of the song because it was printed on her sheet music.
'Now objectionable'
Archdeacon of Hastings and Lewes, the Venerable Philip Jones, said: "My understanding is that the word used is a title of a song which the lady concerned was going to sing.
"That's the word which has been complained about. Its original context was possibly harmless and current context is now objectionable.
"I think it is unfortunate that it has got to this point because I don't think that the word that was used was intended to be offensive in anyway - particularly as it related to the title of a song so it wasn't projected at somebody in an attempt to be offensive."
The archdeacon said the church was due to ratify a statement that would make clear that language which was "racist, ageist, sexiest, homophobic, or relating to disability was quite unacceptable".
He said he believed Ms Elson still carried out some voluntary work. Who should or should not help out at tea parties did not come under his jurisdiction, he said.