The Tribune

SEVERAL religious leaders have called on the Minnis administration to reopen churches, saying they cannot continue to accept the government “crossing the line” into the work of the church.

A letter signed by 20 pastors said when the pandemic began they gave “unequivocal support” as they believed then that the emergency orders and the protocols were necessary and imperative.

“We have now concluded that this crisis, though new and unprecedented, is missing the power and essential benefits of collective, public worship,” the letter sent to the media yesterday said.

“(More than 40) Bahamians have died from COVID-19 and hundreds more have contracted the coronavirus; the Bahamian economy is teetering on the edge; the healthcare system is being challenged; social issues are being exacerbated; weddings and funerals – major planks of our Bahamian life and culture – cannot take place (without restrictions). And now an active hurricane season is threatening us once again.

“It is ludicrous, contradictory, and somewhat suspicious that churches can be used as soup kitchens and hurricane shelters, but not for collective public worship,” the letter says.

“The Christian church, in its highest form, is not a secular institution, and cannot always cower to the dictates of the state. COVID-19 seems to have caused the state to cross the line and make encroachments into the calling and work of the church. This is extremely unfair, and we cannot accept this any longer.”

The letter said while private and even virtual worship have merits, there is no substitute for the fellowship of believers for those who need communal service.

“The fact that communal worship is not an option for the church is unacceptable.

“The closure of churches for communal worship diminishes the power and efficacy of two or three people lifting their collective voices in praise and adoration. Christian believers worship a Holy God because we are imperfect and finite.

“In this national crisis, when everything nailed down seems to be coming loose, if Bahamians can worship collectively while obeying established social distancing, sanitisation, and other protocols, we believe they are better fortified with spiritual resources to face the unexpected.

“We have concluded that the government should revert to its previous decisions that communal worship, as well as funerals and weddings, should be allowed according to the size of the church’s edifice and once social distancing and other relevant protocols can be put in place. We will continue to encourage our most vulnerable members and/or visitors to take additional precautions or to worship virtually or privately.

“Again, we stress that we are not prepared to go much further with the current secular, shortsighted decisions.”

The letter was signed by Apostle Christopher Russell; Apostle Stefan Russell; Apostle Larick Kemp; Bishop Simeon Hall; Bishop Stanley Ferguson; Bishop Ian Brathwaite; Bishop Samuel Fowler; Bishop Mark Knowles and Bishop Walter Hanchell.

Other signees are Bishop Wesley Thompson; Bishop Hubert Kemp; Bishop Samuel R. Mackey; Archdeacon James Palacious (ret’d); Rev Dr Phillip McPhee; Rev Dr R E Cooper; Father B Bradley Miller; Father Ethan Ferguson; Father Shazzasbazzar Turnquest; Rev Geoffrey Wood and Rev James Newry.

Although many lockdown restrictions have been eased in New Providence and Grand Bahama, churches on these islands and several others are not allowed to hold in person services.

According to the latest emergency order, churches on islands included in the second schedule of the document can only host a worship service via livestream from 7am to 1pm as long as no more than 10 people participate in the service.

In person church services across the country resumed in early June after being halted during the first wave of the pandemic.

They were again suspended when a second wave of cases began to surge.