Amid national directives on Coronavirus from the first gentleman of the land, President Nana Akufo-Addo on Sunday, March 15, 2020, Churches in the country have also in turn given directives for all services to be suspended in their churches but encouraged their followers to follow Church worship online and through all other Social media handles like Facebook live streaming, YouTube as well as live Television.
“All public gatherings, including conferences, workshops, funerals, festivals, political rallies, sporting events and religious activities, such as services in churches and mosques, have been suspended for the next four (4) weeks. Private burials are permitted, but with limited numbers, not exceeding twenty-five (25) in attendance,” the President of said when he addressed the nation on March 15.
Following the address of the President, Church and Muslim leaders have urged full compliance by their followers while Christian leaders additionally have been encouraged not to abandon church members in the midst of the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus, especially with Ghana recording 6 cases.
Newswatchgh.com has sighted many statements issued by various Religious Leaders to their followers to heed the call to close down for the next four weeks as Ghana has recorded six cases of COVID-19 and we bring you some of them.
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church in Ghana was the first Church in the country and sub-saharan Africa to have issued a directive early morning of March 16 after the president’s directives, telling its over 3 million followers “That where possible, live streaming of Masses should be encouraged to enable the faithful receive spiritual Communion.”
“We exhort all Catholics and people of faith to intensify individual and family prayers and encourage all to read the daily Mass readings and reflections provided on several social media platforms,” the Catholic Bishops noted.
With these directives, many Catholic Churches for example on March 17 followed Masses on social media live-streamed on Facebook. A message sighted my newswatchgh.com indicates that over 2,900 Catholics joined a live-streamed online Mass at 6:00am and they have been asked to everyday to join the online Masses. Some are taking advantage of daily Mas and other Catholic faith-based programmes on EWTN and those on dstv.
Apostolic Church
The Christ Apostolic Church International, has welcomed the decision by President Akufo-Addo to ban all public gathering activities including church services. This was contained in a circular signed by the General Secretary, Apostle S. Frimpong and released on March 16, 2020, to all church members. The statement seen by Newswatchgh.com said “The Executive Council of the Christ Apostolic Church International associates itself with the government’s quest to control the spread of the CONVID-19 disease,” part of the statement reads.
With the suspension of all church activities according to the president’s directive, the Executive Council also directed its pastors to continue educating members on the basic preventive measures. “Ministers are encouraged not to turn their backs on members in these trying moments,” the statement said.
ICGC
The International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) has also urged its members to ‘look out for one another’ in the outbreak of the Coronavirus in the country, announcing that “beginning from Tuesday, March 17 the church will conduct its worship as a congregation through its online platforms and urged all pastors to activate their “live streaming platforms” in order to minister to their congregation.
In a message from the General Overseer of the church, Pastor Mensa Otabil, on Monday, 16 March 2020 on COVID-19 developments, the church acknowledged that even though the measures put in place by the government to prevent further spread of the virus “profoundly alter our normal way of life as Ghanaians, including how we assemble in various public places. It places limitations on assemblies of people of faith, including churches,” it is fully “supportive of these measures and would comply with them.”
Office of Chief Imam
In the face of the pandemic and directives, the National Chief Imam Sheikh Usman Nuhu Sharubutu has suspended public Islamic religious activities and gathering to complement the government’s measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the country.
According to the Chief Imam, the said suspension is in line with President Akufo-Addo’s ban on all social gatherings including funerals, festivals, all religious activities, conferences and all other events that call for a mass gathering of people.
Henceforth, the Leader of the Muslim daily prayer (Salat) known as the Muezzin will announce call to prayer to commence individual prayers at various homes. The Chief Imam in a statement noted that the restriction of public gathering is in accordance with protocols enshrined in the Quran to preserve and ensure healthy lives.
Assemblies of God
The Assemblies of God, Ghana has also added its voice by suspending all church services, retreats, conferences revivals and funerals for the next four weeks in line with the government’s directive. This was communicated in a statement signed by Prof. Paul Frimpong-Manso, the General Superintendent, seen by newswatchgh.com
“All church activities of the Assemblies of God, Ghana, have been suspended for the next four weeks starting from today, 16th March, 2020…All local, district and regional gatherings, including funerals, have been suspended until further notice, except cases where the number is less than twenty-five (25), as directed by the State,” part of the statement reads.
Action Chapel
The Action Chapel International (ACI) says in respective with the government’s ban on all social gatherings all services will be held online from the ACI Prayer Cathedral. “No In-person service will be held for the next four weeks,” the church said in a statement.
The leader and founder of the church Archbishop Nicholas Duncan Williams last week declared a 72-hour prayer and fasting period against the spread of the coronavirus. He prayed that no Ghanaian life, home and abroad, will be lost to the coronavirus.
Charismatic Bishops contrary view
Meanwhile, the Ghana Charismatic Bishops’ Conference has criticized the government for not engaging in consultations before the closure of churches as part of the measures to forestall the spread of the coronavirus.
But a statement released by the Bishops said: “The notices from the Government do not mention the closure of night clubs, restaurants, and shopping malls, busy offices banks, drinking spots, chop bars, lorry stations and markets. Such entities have been noted in other country’s experience, France being a good example, where the pandemic has not been controlled as such enterprises have remained opened. To only ask for the closure of churches and places of worship, is a rather biased view of the society and does not improve much the odds of getting the disease under control.”
The Christian body also stated that the government’s decision not to engage them before the decision was taken smacks of disregard for the Church.
“The arbitrary closure of churches and places of worship without consultation or discussion for 4 weeks, smacks of a disregard of the importance of the church’s role in the country. This disregard of the place of this powerful social and religious institution, to which over 70% of Ghanaians belong, is wrong.”
