The Sunday News
Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday News Reporter
CHURCHES around the country are preparing to hold Easter Holiday celebrations with a difference, with leaders of some denominations vowing to strictly enforce Covid-19 regulations as fear of a third wave has forced them to confine celebrations to online platforms.
The Easter Holidays are usually a much-anticipated period for Christians, with many churches gathering in large numbers to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This year’s Easter holiday starts with Good Friday on 2 April until Easter Monday on 5 April. According to the country’s Covid-19 rules, churches can only congregate in numbers of 50 or less.
Government has already said it will boost security during the forthcoming Easter holidays to ensure adherence to Covid-19 containment regulations, amid expectations of an increase in human traffic countrywide. Pastor Patson Netha of New Life for All said his church would have one conference where adherence to Covid-19 regulations would be strictly enforced while the rest of his flock congregate on online platforms. He said the possibility of a third wave meant that it would be irresponsible for church members to gather in large numbers.
“Right now, we are being told about a possible third wave that might be coming so we have to protect ourselves and our congregants. We don’t necessarily fear death but that does not mean we have to be careless. So, this means we have to restrict ourselves during these coming holidays. It is clearly an Easter with a difference. We will have a place where people will gather and this will be within the limits that we have been told to adhere to. The rest of the sermons that will be delivered during this period will be online,” he said.
Roman Catholic Church Vicar-General Father Kennedy Muguti said the church will rely heavily on online platforms over the next week.
“There is nothing extraordinary that we will be doing over this period because, as you know, we find ourselves in a very difficult situation and we have to do all that we can to save people’s lives. We will have normal masses within the numbers that have been prescribed. There will be a lot of virtual services on platforms like WhatsApp and I have no doubt that this will be a busy period for the church,” he said.
The leader of the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA) in Southern Africa Reverend Sikhalo Cele said education on Covid-19 will form the basis of a lot of sermons during this period.
“On Monday we begin our Holy Week and there will be a lot of prayer and worship on virtual platforms. It will also be a chance for us to educate congregants about the dangers of Covid-19 because we have noticed that people seem to think that because they have faith then they are somehow immune to it. People are allowed to strengthen themselves with prayer but worship should not be the reason why we fall sick,” he said.
The leader of the Harvest House International Church, Bishop Colin Nyathi said the church would also continue with its virtual sessions.
“As a preacher, there is a vibe that you get from talking directly to your congregants and it would have been great to have them back there in their hundreds because this is usually a great time for us. As things stand however, the most important thing is to preserve life so we will approach this Easter with caution with an emphasis on virtual sessions. That is where all our members from around the world will congregate,” he said.
