Tema, Mar 22, GNA – Churches in Tema on Sunday held virtual church services via facebook and other social media platforms.
The new trend is in line with the President’s directive for churches and mosques to shut down as a preventive measure against the spread of COVID-19.
The churches assembled online teams made up of a few technical men and pastors who used 30 minutes to one hour to offer prayers, singing, bible reading and preaching the gospel in virtually empty auditoriums.
Reverend Osei Kwadwo Osei-Bonsu, Minister-In-Charge, Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Redemption Congregation, said online service was the only way to reach members of the church now adding that “for the virtual church experience, it’s never the same as real church”.
Rev. Osei-Bonsu explained that one would have to keep his or her imaginative antennas very active during the virtual service to be able to reach out to the diverse audience they could not see or hear.
He added that monitoring the congregation online also meant being extra sharp to take the comments into consideration while keeping the right demeanor when delivering live at the same time.
“Sometimes some of the comments can really hit you and disorganize you but you have to be resilient” adding that “members are encouraged to comment positively and short”.
Touching on how the church was engaging its children and youth, he disclosed that for now they were deficient in that sector adding however that “the Committee on Church Life and Nurture (CLAN) is putting together a team and proposal that will roll out by next week, we are really trying our best on that”.
Meanwhile, the Tema Metro COVID-19 Response Team on Sunday morning paid unannounced visits to church premises within the jurisdiction to ensure compliance of the President’s directives.
Mr Frank Asante, Tema Metropolitan Public Relations Officer revealing this to the Ghana News Agency, said the team led by the Metropolitan Chief Executive, Presiding Member and Coordinating Director found the churches completely closed with no activities.
Mr Asante indicated that “however, the team received an SOS call that the Living Streams Chapel at Community Nine was holding their service, but when we got there, we met the pastor and about five technical persons doing an online service, the congregation were not physically present”.
GNA