Only Xmas service for hotspot church

With a week to go before 25 December, Tony Christian, senior pastor at Gelvandale Baptist Church, is preparing for Christmas in the country’s biggest Covid-19 hotspot, the Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) metro.

While the revised restrictions in the NMB metro, as announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa, still allow for physical gatherings in limited numbers, his church has placed themselves under lockdown as the infection numbers started surging.

“Even after the first wave, we didn’t go back – it was just a waiting game as we have a number of seniors and wanted to make sure they are fine,” said Christian.

He said when larger gatherings were allowed, the church resumed gatherings at the end of September, but had suspended those again.

“With the second wave, and being in a hotspot, we had to find the best way to protect our people.”

However, while the church is still deciding whether to meet indoors or outdoors, they do plan to have a physical service on Christmas day.

“We are commanded in the scriptures to not neglect the fellowship of the brothers. In other words, to physically come together. It’s a commandment, not a suggestion,” said Christian.

“I can’t see us going back in December and having services every Sunday. Just for the sake of safety, a Christmas service is the only thing we will be able to do.”

Christian said it had been very trying for the church not to meet for Easter, when the country was under Level 5 lockdown and not all church members can afford the data required to access streaming sermons.

Some also needed the church’s help for basic necessities.

However, he said they have come through it stronger.

“It has forced us personally to look at our lives – in a strange way, it’s caused a renewal in our lives,” he said.

“Sometimes God has to use drastic things to bring your to your knees and help us think about our lives and our relationship with him.”