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Mashudu Netsianda and Leonard Ncube, Chronicle Reporters
MOST churches countrywide resumed physical services yesterday following last week’s announcement by President Mnangagwa easing Covid-19 lockdown measures.

Under the relaxed Level Four regulations, gatherings at funerals are still restricted to 30 people with other public gatherings not supposed to exceed 50 people.

Churches are now allowed to congregate only if there are 50 or less members in attendance and exercise personal hygiene coupled with wearing face masks.

Worshippers throughout the country had gone for two months without congregating in their places of worship in line with the renewed Level Four lockdown regulations initially announced by Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, who is also Health and Child Care Minister, in January.

Some churches had resorted to conducting virtual services and livestreaming their services.

A Chronicle news crew yesterday visited selected churches in Bulawayo and observed that there was largely some form of adherence to the prescribed measures aimed at curbing the spread of Covid-19 such as maintaining social distancing and hand sanitising.

At the Apostolic Faith Mission of Africa (AFMA) church headquarters at Lobengula Extension, the news crew observed that congregants were being sanitised and their temperatures were also being checked at the gate.
Inside the temple, congregants sat about one metre apart and they were 50.

AFMA leader Reverend Rosewell Zulu said they were excited to congregate at their place of worship and thanked President Mnangagwa for easing the lockdown regulations by lifting the ban on church gatherings.

Rev Zulu said the church has 22 branches in Bulawayo and yesterday they were worshipping in groups of 50 people in various suburbs in the city.

“We are so grateful that we have been allowed to resume services because gatherings are for the edification of the church. Fellowship is important in that as Christians, it spiritually strengthens and revives us as we share the Word of God together in the house of the Lord,” he said.

“President Mnangagwa is a leader who listens to the whisper of the Holy Spirit by allowing churches to gather.

However, our appeal to the Government is that as we are now heading towards Easter, they should allow worshippers to at least occupy 50 percent of the total capacity of the building without compromising on social distancing.”

Rev Zulu said they disinfected the church building before the start of the service in line with national Covid-19 guidelines and World Health Organisation (WHO) health regulations.

“Most importantly we are happy that God has protected us from Covid-19 because our salvation comes from God and remember he said ‘I am the Lord that healeth thee.’ It is also important to adhere to the heath regulations and as the church we continue praying to God to protect our health frontline workers,” he said.

Mr Dennis Ngwenya, chairman of the parish pastoral council at the St Adolph Ludigo Roman Catholic Church in New Magwegwe said they have staggered Sunday church services to accommodate three groups of congregants.

“We have a membership of more than 1 000 congregants, but due to the lockdown regulations allowing a gathering of only 50 people, we have introduced three slots so that we cater for at least 150 per Sunday, which means each member will be able to attend Mass once per month,” he said.

Chronicle also observed that members were being sanitised at the entrance before accessing the church building and after the service.

Ms Nontokozo Moyo, a Catholic congregant in New Magwegwe, was visibly elated as she came out of a church service.

“I am really so happy and my spirit has been revived because I really longed to attend church services and to me, this is a great day. I have been praying and fasting for this day to come and God has answered my prayer,” she said.

Mr Zacharia Chiururu, a member of Johane Masowe WeChishanu Apostolic Faith Church in Entumbane said he could not wait to attend his first service on Saturday since the lockdown was tightened in January. He thanked Government for easing the lockdown regulations.

Senior Pastor in charge of Brethren in Christ Church (BICC), Bulawayo Central, Rev Ndabezinhle Nyathi said they were still in the process of coming up with a programme for the services, which will start next Sunday.

“For now, we are livestreaming and posting our sermons and musical audios on various social media platforms. We will start congregating next Sunday,” he said.

In Victoria Falls, there was excitement among various congregants as they headed to their respective places of worship yesterday.

For many that celebrate Easter, the relaxation of the lockdown came as a relief that they will be able to meet for traditional services unlike last year when church gatherings were banned when Government introduced the first lockdown on March 31.

A snap survey in Victoria Falls yesterday showed that most churches that worship on Sundays conducted services.

The Roman Catholic Church’s three parishes in Victoria Falls conducted two sessions each.

Church leaders who spoke to Chronicle said they were adhering to the WHO protocols and Covid-19 lockdown restrictions.

“We are following health protocols and have put in place sanitisation and temperature check points. We have come up with groups of 50 and others are at the Chinotimba branch. Some of our members have their own sanitisers and we are recording personal details for anyone entering our premises,” said one of pastors at the Apostolic Faith Mission of Africa (AFMA) in Mkhosana.

“People are very happy to be back after a long break from congregating and our prayer is for God to eliminate this pandemic so that we can preach the gospel freely.”

A church elder from Christendom Pentecostal Church also in Mkhosana, Mrs Senziwani Ndlovu said their members danced in excitement following resumption of services

“We have put members in groups of 50 and so we had two sessions today. Usually, we worship the whole day but today we restricted sessions to two hours only,” she said. — @mashnets @ncubeleon.