CHURCH leaders heaved a sigh of relief after houses of worship were given the go ahead to reopen, as two months of a national lockdown had reportedly left some churches in financial dire straits while some missed the presence of their congregants.
Churches, which were shut as the country tightened lockdown
measures at the beginning of the year, were allowed to resume physical services
last week after the easing of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. Permanent
Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services
Mr Nick Mangwana, through his twitter handle on social media last week said
churches had been given the green light to resume gatherings.
“Churches can congregate but shall not exceed 50 people,”
he said. In line with new regulations announced by President Mnangagwa last
week, congregations are expected to observe social distancing and sanitisation
measures. Only 50 congregants will be allowed per sitting.
Zimbabwe Christian Alliance (ZCA) executive director
Reverend Useni Sibanda said the lockdown had been hard on many churches and
congregants alike, as revenue streams were cut.
“In terms of the day to day running of the church, there has
been a lot of revenue loss and I can tell you right now that a lot of pastors
are struggling. This is because our people have not been working and they can
hardly contribute anything. Zimbabwe is a largely informal economy and so if
people are sitting at home, they cannot make any money,” he said.
Rev Sibanda said while many were elated that churches were
up and running again, getting congregants interested in services could be a
tall order as some were now used to life in the “new normal.”
While online services were now prevalent, Rev Sibanda said
a lot of pastors missed delivering services with a personal touch.
Rev Sibanda’s sentiments were echoed by Bishop Colin Nyathi
of Harvest House International Church, who said the reopening of churches will
be a boost as preaching with congregants present physically was uplifting.
“As a preacher nothing beats physical contact with your
congregants. As a preacher you get a lift when you hear people say ‘Amen’. So,
this has been hard for us while it has not been easy for congregants as well
because they want to fellowship with others,” he said.
Bishop Nyathi said while the return of people to church was
welcome, it did not mean they will be abandoning their online services.
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