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Lifting of the church ban

Genesis

The lockdown has put a pause on many activities including religious gatherings.
This did not come as pleasant news to those who wanted religious gatherings
to be considered as an “essential”. Together with the easing of the lockdown,
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that church gatherings would be
resumed from the beginning of June under the condition that only 50 people
be allowed per gathering. Following the announcement, the secretary general
of the South African Council of Churches (SACC), Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana
added more precautionary measures that churches should follow when they
resume their services. He said that there should be no singing instead the
playing of music in churches and that old people should remain at home as
they are more vulnerable at this time. Even with the restrictions put in place,
this has stirred quite a debate on the social media streets as people had
conflicting views towards the government’s decision.


Following this, we interviewed a few people to get their views on the lifting of
the ban.

undefinedPst. Tebogo Ramoshaba is the head Pastor of Salvation Cathedral International
which is situated in the tropical town of Tzaneen, Limpopo. When the
lockdown came into place the church had to find alternative ways to stay in
contact with the congregants. One way was conducting virtual church services
such as hosting Facebook live sessions on the church’s page and Zoom
meetings in which members could join. “We understand the pressure that is on
the government to open churches while simultaneously creating an
environment in churches that will not serve as an opportunity for
transmissions and infections to spread”, says Pst. Tebogo. The idea of opening
churches sounds good, but it would almost be impractical for members to go
back to church and not take part in activities that bring about the “church
experience” due to the restrictions put in place. Pst Tebogo further says that if
people cannot worship in church, there is no church. With that said Salvation
Cathedral will not open its doors until further notice, instead they will continue
conducting virtual church services. The church will also continue to reach out
to members who cannot attend the virtual church services through phone calls
and assist the community by donating food parcels to those who have been
affected by the pandemic.

undefinedPst. Goodwill Mahlangu is the head Pastor of a young ministry called Vertical
Life Ministries. Prior to the lockdown being introduced, the church left their
building to start fellowshipping at a park opposite the church building. He

knew that going there would raise eyebrows but interestingly enough more
people passing by became interested in what they were doing. “We realised
that we made church more about the building than ourselves, we had lost
focus on what was truly important which is winning souls to Christ and that is
what fellowshipping at the park allowed us to do”, he says. What the lockdown
did was to confirm what they were doing all along, it forced people to see
church beyond the four walls of the building. Vertical Life has also been
conducting virtual church services through their social media platforms which
has allowed them to reach even more people. “We will continue to have our
services online. This is not a reflection of the level of faith we have as some
would assume but rather that we want to go back to fellowshipping together
at a time wherein everyone is comfortable as we do not want to leave anyone
behind,” he adds. The church has also been involved in helping people who
have been badly affected by the pandemic by visiting impoverished
communities and helping those in need.

undefinedMatidi Sechaba, a congregant, has a different view towards the lifting of the
church ban. “When the lockdown began, I was part of the people who wanted
religious gatherings to be regarded as an “essential”, he says. According to
him, people should still be allowed to attend religious gatherings under the
condition that they follow the necessary safety precautions. “I know that some
have said that you can still worship at home but it’s not the same, there are
some people who are still new to the faith and need to fellowship together
with other believers so that they can be encouraged in the Lord. I can say that
during this lockdown we have lost many souls”, he adds. When asked whether
he had concerns for his safety before he returned to church, he responded by
saying that the church he attends has done a great job in making sure that it is
safe for congregants to enter and also that congregants follow the necessary
precautions to prevent transmissions such as wearing a mask, social distancing
and sanitizing their hands before entering the church building.

It’s quite clear that everyone has their own personal view on this matter but
what is important is that on whichever side of the spectrum you fall under you
adhere to the safety regulations and keep safe.
This too shall pass.

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