“Positive” Impact of the Corona Virus Pandemic on Religion in Ghana
Positively, the presence of the corona virus in Ghana has reminded Christian churches and their members of the fact that God is Spirit, and as such, is not confined to Church buildings but must be worshipped everywhere in spirit and truth (Jn. 4:24). Jesus also teaches that, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in their midst” (Matt. 18:20). God can be worshipped everywhere and every place where two or three people gather in His name.
In addition, the current situation of the virus has encouraged Churches to return to the example of the early Christian church whose members used to worship in houses, in “home churches” where they spent time together in prayer, in the sharing of the Word of God and the breaking of bread (the Eucharist) (Acts 2:42). Churches and their members today must have come to the realization that the family is the first Church, the domestic Church, where the faith is first transmitted by grandparents and parents to children.
Christians should know that grandparents and parents are the first teachers of the faith. Each family by now should realise that in the absence of the coming together of the members of the Church, they can within their own families, pray together, read the Bible together and share their meals together. This is something that has been probably missing in many Christian homes although one cannot dismiss the very many good examples of many families who read the Bible and pray together even prior to the corona virus outbreak.
Furthermore, the presence of the corona virus in Ghana as elsewhere has prompted Christian churches to begin to explore the use of modern technology and means of communication especially provided by the social media to reach out to congregants in their mission of evangelization.
Today, most Churches and Church leaders are taking advantage of the incredible opportunities offered by the social communication platforms to minister to their members both far and near. After all, when Jesus Christ says that what his disciples hear in the dark, they must speak in the light and what they hear whispered to them, they must shout from the rooftops (Matt. 10: 27; Lk. 12:3), he was inviting his disciples then and the Church now, to explore every appropriate means to communicate and disseminate his gospel. The coronavirus has taught the Church the lesson that the modern means of communication may have their own defects but at the same time they can serve as useful tools for ministering the Gospel to the world today. This is a lesson worth following up on even after the pandemic is done away with.
Finally, many Churches and Church organizations have stepped up their ministry of charity by donating food and other relief items to feed the poor and the needy in the Ghanaian society. Many Churches have made substantial donations to health institutions and the COVID-19 Trust Fund set up by the Government. This is commendable but I think it is important that in making such donations to Government, institutions, individuals and groups, the Churches do not forget the poor in their midst because sometimes, these acts of charity are made for the sake of publicity while the poor members of our Churches are left unattended to. This ought to change.
Negative Impact of Corona Virus on Religion in Ghana
On the negative side of things, there is no doubt that current pandemic has adversely affected and totally disrupted Church services, activities and programmes even as Churches continue to remain closed in Ghana. Happening during the Lenten period leading to the Easter Season, the presence of the coronavirus has been doubly difficult for most Christians who use such periods to renew themselves and their faith in God through numerous spiritual activities including prayers, fasting, recollections and retreats, among others. It is thus understandable that most Ghanaian Christians consider this year’s Easter as an Easter to forget, being the first time that they have been compelled to miss inspiring Easter conventions and services, such as Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday.
Additionally, one cannot easily forget the fact that most if not all Church offerings and collections have not been taken in the absence of Church services during this period. Outside the Christmas and New Year seasons, Easter is considered by many Ghanaian Churches as of their “cocoa seasons” owing to the large attendance of people at the various services and the “huge” offerings and collections that come with such attendance.
In the absence of congregations in the Churches and the taking of offerings and collections, the coronavirus has undoubtedly thrown most Church budgets out of the window, and even though a few Churches have tried to innovate ways to collect their offerings through the use of mobile money apps and other such platforms, the impact cannot be the same. I daresay that as long as the current situation persists, some Churches may soon be compelled to revise their budget notes to deal with the harsh reality of missing out on needed collections necessary to pay for utilities and the upkeep of their priests, pastors and ministers.
Finally, in terms of negative impact, no one can dismiss the reality of the sense of fear and anxiety among some Churches and their leaders with regard to whether their members will return to the Churches when all this is over hopefully in the not too distant future. In the context of this fear and anxiety, Churches and their leaders can only hope and pray that their flock will not go missing in the post-corona virus period but will return to their fold safe, sound and healthy.
These are by no means exhaustive of the religious impact the coronavirus situation is having on the practice of religion in Ghana, but I believe they constitute substantially the most important impact worth commenting on.
Watch out for part 4
Source: Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Abbey-Quaye, Duquesne University, Pa.
Disclaimer: The views/contents in this article are sole responsibility of the author(s) and not necessarily the views of Newswatchgh.com. Newswatchgh.com is therefore not liable or responsible for any inaccuracies contained in this article.”
Reproduction is authorised if permission is granted by Newswatchgh.com
