The Tribune

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

ts-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

THE doors of Zion Baptist Church will remain open for worship despite the social distancing suggestions from government, Senior Pastor T G Morrison told The Tribune yesterday.

A day earlier, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced that religious leaders had agreed to cancel church services and related events in an effort to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The suspension is scheduled to end in April.

However, the Shirley Street church is not complying. “The doors of Zion will be open,” Pastor Morrison said. “The church is a place of refuge. I have a fundamental struggle to see the courts of the house of God closed, even in hurricanes the houses of worship are used as shelters.

“Without any form of theological discernment, you just shut the doors of the courts of the house of God? The health officials say shut them, so you just shut them, but we believe a man was dead for three days and rose again from the dead. I have a serious struggle with this.

“This does not mean that I do not appreciate or accept that there is a point where social responsibility is necessary, neither do I dispense with the notion that persons whose health is compromised or the evidence suggests that their health is in jeopardy should not exercise their freedom or faith in a manner that is amenable to them. But, to say that the courts of the house of God’s doors should be closed, to me, is a little far-fetched. I struggle as to how we can come to that place without any kind of trepidation.”

Pastor Morrison said Zion’s doors will not only be open to those of the Baptist faith, but to people from all denominations whose churches have suspended services.

Last Sunday, Pastor Mario Moxey of Bahamas Harvest Church, told his congregation that it would be the last service for a while. The Bahamas Christian Council met on Tuesday to discuss the suspension of services and related events.

“We have cancelled worship experiences and church activities for the time being,” Pastor Moxey said. “Our members think it’s the responsible thing to do and we are all in agreement with this. No date has been set as yet for us to resume, but we have prepared for four weeks.

“We have (contended), up to the end of April, that we can deliver to our congregation. It hurts on the front end to suspend the services but on the back end it’s a success as it will help keep us safe.”

Bishop Simeon Hall of New Covenant Baptist Church, has donned a mask since he learned of confirmed cases in The Bahamas.

“My home is heaven, but I am not homesick,” Bishop Hall noted. “I stand in agreement with the church and government on this issue. We must be responsible. The underlying goal is to limit the social contact with one another and to keep each other healthy. There is nothing wrong with suspending services for a few weeks in order to control the spread of this virus.

“There are mechanical ways to keep in touch with the congregation and other ways to interact for the time being. Our ultimate goal right now is to save life. And if we can do that, then we have accomplished what the church is supposed to do.”

LaGloria Davis, of Christ Church Cathedral, said she is a little disappointed that she will not be attending church on Sunday, but understands ‘safety first’. “I look at it as a safety measure and I just hope that persons would adhere to what the health professions are advising. We need to stay home as much as possible.

“I am a little disappointed in the suspension of services, but I will take the time to watch services on TV. (Anglican Bishop Laish Boyd) did say he would hold mass in the chapel at the diocese office and it would be live streamed.

“I think that social distancing is very important to stop the spread of this virus. We need to adhere to that and see how best we can contain it so that we can return to life as we know it.”

Some church leaders have advised members with weddings and funerals to hold small events where social distancing is observed.