The Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) has appealed to Ghanaians especially their member churches to strictly adhere to directives from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Ghana Health Service (GHS) as part of global efforts to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Council said Ghanaians observing the basic precautionary measures from these organisations would help minimise the spread of the virus in the Country as well as protect the people from being infected with Covid-19.
Precautionary measures
Speaking on behalf of the Council in an interview with GPCC News Team, the General Secretary of the Council, Rev. Emmanuel T. Barrigah said Ghanaians should regularly and thoroughly clean their hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer or wash them with soap under running water so that any virus could be killed or washed off.
Adding that, they should try as much as possible to maintain social distances, at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between themselves and anyone who coughs or sneezes.
The General Secretary further urged Ghanaians to comply with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s directive of banning social gathering as part of measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus in the country.
Even though, he said the President has suspended all church services for the time being, this is the time individuals should take advantage to draw closer to God by having their personal devotion and reading their bibles.
Rev. Barrigah noted that, even though they know the essence of services to Christians referring to Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them,” but these are not ordinary times so church services could be done on traditional and social media as many churches were doing.
“The Church is not the building, the church is individual who is in a relationship with Christ so whether we are able to meet or not we can still carry on with churches as it being done by many churches,” he said.
Social distancing affects church income
Acknowledging the fact that these are difficult times for the church where they do not have the benefits of receiving offerings and tithes to help government projects, the General Secretary indicated that, some are sending but majority of them are not sending their offerings and tithes.
He, therefore encouraged members to send in their offerings and tithes to their various pastors since buying data to bring service online and paying airtime through traditional media is costing churches a lot.
The ban on the gathering he said “will adversely affect the income of the churches since most of them are used to help the social development of the country, but the President is taking all these decision to protect our lives as Ghanaians therefore let us all adhere to it.”
As a Council, he pointed out that, they have declared their support to the President to help stop the pandemic in the Country.
He said, even though it is quite disturbing but there is a need to stop the pandemic once and for all hence Ghanaians especially members of the Council should strictly adhere to directives all round to end the spread of the COVID-19.
SOURCE: GPCC NEWS
