Churches in the country have issued directives to their members in conformity with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s directive to suspend public gatherings as a measure to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus.

While encouraging their members to stay spiritual, the churches also admonished them to observe all the safety measures that would protect them and others from the pandemic.

Bishop’s Conference

The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) has suspended public Mass for the next four weeks as well as other spiritual programmes such as retreats, devotions, meetings, confessions, pilgrimages and other outdoor church activities.

In addition, all catholic schools have been closed until further notice while funerals and weddings have been suspended for the next four weeks.

A statement issued and signed by its President, Most Rev. Philip Naameh, also directed that burials could be performed, but with not more than 25 people in attendance.

Daily private Mass should be offered for God’s intervention with not more than five people in attendance, the statement said.

It said churches and adoration chapels be opened for private prayers by parishioners who should observe the required distance of two metres while prayers were said in silence.

“That where possible, live streaming of Mass should be encouraged to enable the faithful to receive spiritual communion,” it added.

It exhorted “all Catholics and people of faith to intensify individual and family prayers and to perform the daily Mass readings and reflections provided on several social media platforms.”

Church of Pentecost

he General Secretary of the Church of Pentecost, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, on behalf of the Chairman of the church, Apostle Eric Kwabena Nyamekye, has also suspended all church-related activities in line with the directive of President Akufo-Addo regarding public gatherings.

The church’s major event, dubbed “apostolisation”, to take place in all branches of the church throughout the country, which was scheduled to commence yesterday, March 16, 2020 and end on Friday, March 20, 2020, has been cancelled.

The Executive Council of the church will hold an emergency meeting today, after which final directives would be issued by the church.

Apostle Kumi-Larbi urged the church to “continue to pray for immediate divine intervention, while exploring other means to minister to our members.”

ICGC

The General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church, Pastor Mensa Otabil, has indicated that the church fully supports the President’s directive and will comply with it.

As a result, the church has resolved to hold all its services through its online platforms.

Pastor Mensa Otabil urged all members of the church to look out for one another saying “this is a good way for us to show Christ to the world.

He urged the church members to pray for Gods guidance for all government leaders to lead their nations in these perilous times.

Don’t spiritualise COVID-19

For his part, a former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, has called on church leaders not to ‘over-spiritualise’ the COVID-19.

“This is not the time for pastors to claim that they have anointing oil or water and, therefore, the public should not listen to the doctors and other professionals.

“We must pray, we must keep our faith alive, but we must allow the professionals to advise us and we must listen to them so that we may protect those who listen to us,” he stated in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra.

Dr Opuni-Frimpong, who is also a lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), was reacting to claims by some pastors that they had anointing oil and water that could cure the Coronavirus.

Support professionals

He indicated that some doctors and others in the medical professions were equally religious and spiritual, but they had acquired the technical know-how and should, therefore, be supported to carry out their work.

“So, we must listen to them because they are the professionals and we must not make their work difficult. This is not the time for pastors to be concerned about their offerings. The safety of the people must be our priority,” he stated.

Church collections

He reminded the pastors who were worried about losing church offertory and tithes that, “we are dealing with lives. What do you do with church members who are infected?

“So, we need to prioritise the health of our church members more than the money and offertories that we get from them. Remember, we are not in ordinary times. When our church members are healthy and strong, surely they will support us,” Dr Opuni-Frimpong added.