Covid-19 Restrictions: Let’s Manage The President’s Directives – Methodist Bishop

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Rt Rev. stephen Bosomtwe-Ayensu, the methodist bishop of the Dzorwolu society of the methodist church Ghana in the Accra diocese has advised all churches to religiously comply with the presidents directives on easing restrictions on the religious bodies which has paved way for churches and mosques to go back to church to worhip in their churches.

According to the man of God, we are not in normal times and therefore calls on all to put structures in place so not to let down the president for giving them them the opportunity to go back to church.

In a phone interview with Nana Dogbe on Ahotor fm’s mid-day news on 1st June 2020, Rt Rev. Stephen Bosomtwe-Ayensu though was challenged how he would run in turns of 100 the over 1500 congregants of his society as per the directives of the president yet encouraged his fellow pastors, bishops and prophets to religiously comply.

“In my church for instance, on the day the of the Lord’s supper (communion), about 1500 congregants come to church and i’m wondering the number of turns to cover them all. This means that some of them would be disenfranchised but we have no option because we are not in normal times. let us then manage the directives so that we don’t let the president down for easing the restrictions. If we comply and everything goes on well, i believe the president will do away with all the restrictions” – Rt Rev. Stephen Bosomtwe- Ayensu said.

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Background

The president of Ghana, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his 10th address to the nation asked religious bodies; churches and mosques to go back to worship but a directive that they do the service not to exceed 1 hour.

“So, fellow Ghanaians, with effect from Friday, 5th June, we will begin Stage One of the process of easing restrictions.

An abridged format for religious services can commence. Twenty-five percent (25%) attendance, with a maximum number of one hundred (100) congregants, can worship at a time in church or at the mosque, with a mandatory one metre rule of social distancing between congregants. In addition to the mandatory wearing of masks for all persons at all times in churches and mosques, a register of names and contact details of all worshippers and hand washing facilities and sanitisers must be provided, with a maximum duration of one (1) hour for each service.

Religious institutions that are desirous of opening their premises to their members, such as churches, mosques and others, must disinfect, fumigate and put in place the requisite logistics needed to guarantee safe opening and operation. They must work with the designated, regulatory bodies and undertake test runs of the protocols I have outlined. I would appeal to them, in the case of Christians, on the first Sunday of re-opening, i.e. 7th June, in the case of the Adventists, Saturday, 6th June, and in the case of Muslims, on the first Friday, i.e. Ṣalāt al-Jumuʿah on 5th June, to dedicate their worship to prayers for the nation in these challenging times. The Minister for Religious Affairs, will, tomorrow, Monday, 1st June, outline, in detail, the specific guidelines for the safe reopening of our churches and mosques.”