Churches speak on reopening

Municipal Correspondent
Churches whose central service is liturgical and built on the mass or holy communion, have taken advantage of the new lockdown rules to have priests saying multiple masses each day to keep congregations below 50, while the churches whose central service is built on preaching, instruction and sermons are tending to stay closed with the preachers using virtual means to instruct their flocks.

President Mnangagwa has announced that the Government is allowing churches to open with congregations under 50, but with those congregations wearing face masks, sanitising hands and having temperature checks on entry, and keeping social distance and with church buildings disinfected between services.

Those that are remaining closed constitute mainly the Evangelical and Pentecostal churches with their lead preachers giving virtual sermons while the liturgical churches, whose services are built around a set text and holy communiion, and the apostolic sects where communal prayer is critical, are using multiple services for each Sunday or weekday.

Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ZCBC) Secretary General, Father Frederick Chiromba has confirmed that in light with the developments, Catholics would celebrate several masses in a day to accommodate all the members.

Sunday mass services will last no more than one hour, with a 30 minute gap between services for disinfection and for the priest to rest and prepare for the next mass. With the set liturgy, a small number taking communion, and a shortish homily the hour is sufficient and is common in Catholic worship.

The church has about 1, 4 million members nationwide.

In an interview, United Family International Church (UFIC) and Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa’s spokesperson Pastor Prime Kufa said they were still totally closed and conducting virtual sermons.

“We command quite a huge following on all our branches across the country with the largest congregation having about 50 000 people while the least has 500 people.

“So obviously there is no way we can invite only 50 people out of 50 000. We will reopen when conditions are further relaxed,” he said.

African Apostolic Church publicity and information secretary Bishop Elson Tafa said they had resumed sermons although strictly guided by the stipulated health regulations.

“Our evangelists are the ones liaising with members on who comes and at what given time. We encouraged them to sanitise and follow all health guidelines to avoid any deaths,” he said.

Pastor Machaka of Heartfelt International Ministries said plans were underway for them to reopen, but will conduct morning and afternoon services to manage the stipulated number of people.

“There will be temperature checking and sanitisation,” she said.