The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net 

LOCAL church leaders will be using creative means and technology to host watch-night services and midnight mass in order to adhere to COVID-19 social distancing protocols.

Bahamas Christian Council President Bishop Delton Fernander outlined these measures yesterday as he praised the government’s decision to allow special worship services during curfew hours this holiday period.

The religious leader said even though churches have been given the greenlight to resume watch-night services, they will not take on the usual format this year due the changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said some special services may be held virtually, while others may be conducted in outside spaces well suited for social distancing, such as parking lots.

“We’ll have what I call the hybrid moment today,” he said.

“The hybrid moment means that we will all be streaming and all be packaging programmes and some will be totally cyber and there will be some in the physical space according to the protocols, according to what the space allows.

“And even this year, some will be in parking lots. In parks and they will use a drive-up model and have worship that way so we will be very, very creative so that we can make sure… because there’s no Junkanoo and so there’s going to be more people without excuses on why they can’t come to church and so, we’re going to have facilities seeing a larger volume than normal.”

Asked if officials were concerned about overcrowding at the watch-night services, Bishop Fernander replied: “Well, I think that we have got to take those models and things into consideration. I have spoken to denominational heads and they’re going to run multiple services and this may be the first time ever you have to book your time at worship.

“You’re going to have to go to a Facebook site that is free or some other more digital apps to say ‘I am coming to the 10pm services (or) I am coming to the 9pm service (or) I am coming to the 11pm service.’

“So, unfortunately, this year we’re going to have to run multiple services unless you have the massive facilities that you can take the volume of people that are coming.”

His comments came a day after Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced the loosening of several COVID-19 restrictions ahead of the Christmas holiday season.

Social gatherings will be permitted with a maximum of ten people beginning December 24 to January 3, 2021.

During the same period, religious services may also be held during curfew hours after 10pm to accommodate midnight mass, watch-night services and other liturgical services.

“This applies to New Providence, Abaco, Grand Bahama, Exuma and Eleuthera, as other islands do not currently have evening curfews,” Dr Minnis said in a national address on Sunday.

Bishop Fernander expressed gratitude for the move on behalf of the BCC.

“We are very thankful,” he said. “We started the dialogue and we kind of pointed out the importance of the advent season to the church and the importance of there being some kind of lifting of the spirit of the country.

“And so, we’re going to do our very best to enforce all of the protocols that we’ve been doing and try to make this time of celebration — maybe the only one we have to gather as a country – meaningful and impactful and safely, so we are very thankful.”

On Sunday, Dr Minnis also called on religious leaders to make requests to the competent authority in the event they required additional provisions to appropriately celebrate the Christmas season.

He said such requests will be given consideration with appropriate consultation with public health officials.