Online church is not a church. This is the view of some charismatic and Pentecostal church leaders that are calling for the immediate lifting of the ban on faith-based gatherings.
Others have already approached the courts while marches were held a week ago.
They say if gatherings at places such as casinos and gyms are allowed, why not the church.
Since the beginning of the pandemic in South Africa, many churches were left with the option of either closing doors completely or moving to online services.
SABC’s Maageketla Mohlabe reports:
Church leader Bishop Kelly Tsedu-Muntswu was one of those with an option of going online. But only a few of over 250 members can participate. And Tsedu-Muntswu detests it.
“Online church is not church. I can’t even cater for the quarter of this congregation because of affordability and obviously, because of the gadgets that are used to do a proper live service.”
And the offering basket has been empty. “One of the kingdom patterns we have as a church is offering and tithe, and that for us is not a burden, that’s how we operate.”
His sermons take at least an hour. At one point, there were data connection issues and he was forced to abandon the sermon.
‘No funding’
Now, there’s a call for the lifting of the ban. “We get no funding from the government. We get no subsidy from the government. I don’t get any stipend from the government. In this area, I do counselling for the community for free of charge, at no cost. We work with CPF in this area. They bring their people here for counselling, and the offering we receive on Sunday when we gather here, it helps us to run the ministry and to service the community which is very key for us,“ says Tsedu-Muntswu.
40-year–old Solly Nonyana joined the church when it started in 2012. He says, “It is difficult for us and for those who don’t have smartphones or data, and those who don’t have money to buy data. You have to cut for that day to save data, and wait for the next day.”
The eldest members feel cheated. Shiloh Family Church member, Mpho Magalefa says, “We don’t have Facebook. I don’t have money to buy the data. So, please open our churches so that we, elderly people, can be healed.”
Another church member Agnes Seanego says, “I will do my best to protect myself and others at the church, and also we take the temperature at the church and fill the temperature register.”
Court cases have been lodged and pickets conducted. Now the plan is to go to parliament on Friday.
Convener of Pastors Against Church Closures, Moafrika Wa Maila, says, “In parliament, we’re there to say ‘declare the church to be an essential service place and declare the pastors to be essential workers’. Because if 41 000 people died, pastors went to bury them, but they don’t have the permit to drive around. If 41 000 people died, it means they have counselled the families of the deceased; they interacted with them. The people must come to church to get moral support, to get spiritual uplifting.
Tsedu-Muntswu says, “You see, in church, this is not a place for songs gymnastic. We serve holy communion in this church. And for old people, for them, this part of holy communion is very key for them.”
