Presbyterians to resume church services June 28
Shut to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus, the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) has announced that it will reopen its churches on June 28.
This follows the government’s announcement on May 31 that it has eased restrictions on public gatherings.
Public gatherings were banned last March after Ghana recorded its first coronavirus cases.
The president’s announcement that churches can meet but under strict protocols has been greeted with mixed reactions from church leaders.
Some say they will remain shut until it is much more safe to hold services. The Presbyterian Church says it will however resume.
But this will be in three stages, starting on Sunday, June 14.
Stage one is for District Heads only that are ready from June 14, which will be followed by stage two for all Pastoral Stations of the Church that are ready only from June 21.
The third and last stage will be for all Presbyterian Church of Ghana congregations that are ready from June 28, taking into consideration the guidelines from the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Culture.
Congregants are not supposed to exceed 100 and anti-coronavirus protocols are to be upheld strictly.
Guidelines for returning to the Presby chapels were contained in detailed directives issued and signed by Rev. Dr. Godwin Nii Noi Odonkor, Clerk of the General Assembly of the PCG, on behalf of the Church after a General Assembly Council Standing Committee meeting held on Wednesday, June 3, 2020.
If a Congregation is not ready per the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Culture and the Church’s own detailed directives, such a Congregation will be given more time to prepare, the guidelines added.
Presbyteries and District Head Stations are expected to support smaller and weaker congregations with logistics to get them prepared to reopen for services.
The directives urged all Presbyterian congregations to use the preceding week to prepare for disinfecting and fumigation of chapels, providing all the necessary logistics for observing the protocols of hygiene.
Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rt. Rev Prof. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante urged all agents of the Church to adhere strictly to the directives from the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Culture and the Church’s own directions.