Church in a Century of COVIDic Captivity | Epistle 2
DANCE DIFFERENT
By Kwamena Bello
A cross-section of a vibrant congregation, pre-COVID-19
Dear Church,
The directive of the State for a four-week cessation of church gatherings following confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ghana is NO ATTACK on the Church; rather, it is an opportunity to extend the frontiers of our outreach and impact.
I know some of you are so peeved by the directive and you reckon this as an attack on the Church, because whilst the Church cannot have its usual gatherings, apparently nightclubs and bars are allowed to operate.
I can agree that the exception seems irrational because people do not go to nightclubs to listen to a motivational talks, but mostly, to drink, bump, wind, and grind; a classic example, that is, of close contact engagement — very fertile ground for many to pick up the virus.
That said, and be that as it may, Pastors must now kindly and urgently, release the ministry to the saints; matter of fact, your assignment as a minister is to train the saints for works of ministry (Ephesians 4:12).
Let’s use this season to focus on developing care-cell (home-cell/house fellowship/home groups) system so that the saints can serve each other more intimately with God’s gifts of grace he has given each member of the body of Christ, and by extension, their communities.
In the meantime, let’s follow the various protocols as given by the State’s health officials, which protocols – with the exception of a few – must continue even when the outbreak is finally over.
Additionally, and equally importantly, let’s invest in technology and make good use of New Media. The drumbeat changed a long time ago, hence, we cannot afford to dance the same way as we’ve done. No, not anymore.
It’s time to wake up and seize the day.
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The author is a Missionary Lead with the Assemblies of God, Ghana (Elevation Assembly, Accra). The first version of this write-up was made on his FaceBook wall on March 17, 2020.
