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Showbiz Reporter

IN the wake of a looming lockdown, as well as stringent measures being implemented across the country to prevent the further spread of the deadly world pandemic – Covid-19, local controversial celebrity prophet Black Elisha says he has scheduled a number of Zoom and social media services as a way of reaching out to his flock, in an adaptative custom to the new norm.

A number of churches in Bulawayo on Sunday complied with the new lockdown regulations, which include the banning public gatherings with most of them resorting to conducting virtual services.

Vice-President and Health and Child Care Minister Constantino Chiwenga last week tightened lockdown regulations where all gatherings except funerals are banned.

Church leaders said the cancellation of public services is in compliance with lockdown regulations to combat the spread of the deadly global pandemic, which has killed almost 4 million people worldwide.

Prophet Black Elisha who leads Christ Life Generation Church, said he had resorted to online services since the world went under lockdown in 2020, as he values human life and sought to prevent the spread of the virus.

“In as much as many churches rely on live gatherings, I found it best to avoid congregating because of the nature of this virus. Of course, there were and are preventative measures implemented to prevent its spread but my parish and self-decided it was best not to reopen until we were on the safe side,” said Black Elisha, known for his unorthodox spiritual padlock healing.

He said the lack of some churches to embrace the new norm would spell their demise, as the country and the world at large was facing restrictions induced by the virus.

“Connecting to your primary audience within a certain radius of where your business is located is the goal. It connects people to businesses and events that show a common interest based on what they have shared in social media profiles. Therefore, as a church we have embraced this and will be conducting our services online in accordance with the restrictions,” said Black Elisha.

He said the lockdown had given birth to new ideas and encouraged local churches to think creatively in connecting with the surrounding community.

“I argued that geo-socialization helps the local church connect with residents searching for specific ministries. Adaptive changes are those that address core values and that demand innovation, learning and fundamental revisions to the system itself,” said Black Elisha.

He said since the world went under lockdown, he observed little change in the local church as a whole.

“While some congregations have embraced geo-socialization, most churches still function on an older model of doing church and have ignored the need to be innovative or dismissed it outright,” said Black Elisha.

Covid-19 forced the local church’s hand, compelling even the most reluctant congregations to lean into the digital age of connectivity and community.

“As a result, geo-socialization is no longer an emerging trend but a global reality. With so many congregations forced to stream services online, individuals are now connecting to communities of faith within their communities they had not visited in person previously,” he said.

People from around the world are viewing live-streamed services of congregations they would never likely connect with otherwise.

“On a given Sunday, my church has worshippers view our live feed from the comfort of their homes.”

Christians are now connecting with churches who engage their interests or their beliefs because everyone has been forced to embrace the concept of digital community during this time of physical distancing.

“At the time of my initial research, I noted the unique challenge is finding a way to adjust church systems in order to create organically the adaptive change geo-socialization requires,” he noted.

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced churches to lean into the knowledge and ingenuity of the millennial generation to stay connected and thrive.