Godman Akinlabi: The church is beyond a building — online services should remain priority

Godman Akinlabi, lead pastor of The Elevation Church, has asked religious leaders to exercise caution in reopening churches amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Akinlabi said churches must ensure all safety measures are in place before they reopen, adding that online services should remain a priority.

The federal government had asked churches, initially shut to curb the spread of the coronavirus, to reopen but with certain conditions, including a maximum of one hour service.

In a statement on Wednesday, Akinlabi asked religious leaders to reopen only with “critical thought, strategic planning and a sense of responsibility for the safety and convenience of their members”.

“We encourage all Christian leaders to diligently consider all options, prayerfully define processes and dimension the potential costs and consequences of reopening before engaging,” he said.

“Remember, that the Most High doesn’t live in temples made by human hands. In the last few months, we have all proven that the Church is beyond a building; we who believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are the Church, and as long as we do not lose sight of this, we will keep forcefully advancing. The Church is indeed in her finest hour.

The Elevation Church also said there is the need for religious leaders to align with state governments in the effort to curb the spread of COVID-19.

“As the onus to ensure safety and full compliance to preventive measure lies on the leadership of religious institutions including churches, we implore the leaders to understand the need to restrict large congregations and consider the following prior to opening for gatherings of any kind,” it added.

“First, the aim should be to provide and participate in ‘contactless services’ where incidences of physical contact with people and objects are reduced to the minimum if not completely eradicated. The Church must be careful not to confuse faith with foolishness, embrace certain hygiene protocols and encourage members of our congregations to do the same.

“Secondly, it is imperative to install sufficient safety equipment and processes that will facilitate these contactless services such as hand-washing or sanitisation stations, temperature checking mechanisms and the restructuring or rearrangement of pews to adhere to social distancing protocols.

“Also, communication with congregants is crucial. Church leaders need to speak with and hear from church members as faith gatherings are a collective responsibility.”