Churches in Cape Coast record low attendance on first Sunday after easing restrictions

Churches in the Cape Coast metropolis and its environs, recorded low turn-out on the first Sunday after the partial easing of the COVID-19 restrictions on large public gathering.

In an address to the Nation on Sunday, May 31, the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo gave the green light for religious activities to commence in stages starting from Friday, June 5 for Mosques and Sunday, June 7, for Churches.

"An abridged format for religious services can commence. Twenty-five per cent attendance, with a maximum number of attendance of 100 congregants can worship at a time in a church or at a mosque with a mandatory one-meter rule of social distancing between congregants", the President stated.

Some of the protocols to be followed also included the fumigation and disinfection of religious places of worship, placing of Veronica buckets for handwashing at vantage points, provision of alcohol-based hand sanitizers, and the wearing of nose masks to protect congregants.

Some Churches like the Lighthouse Chapel and the International Central Gospel, Presbyterian, and the Methodist Churches did not open on Sunday and are waiting until they meet all the directives.

Others that welcomed the news and expressed their readiness to hold church service, however, recorded low attendance.

At a branch of the Action Chapel International in Cape Coast, the GNA observed that few numbers were present even though the church observed all the necessary protocols as directed by the President.

The story was not any different from the Charismatic Evangelical Ministry and a host of others the GNA visited.

Speaking to Reverend Dr.Isaac Kwofie, a senior pastor at the Action chapel international, he indicated that the church respected decisions taken by its members who failed to show up.

Adding to that, he noted that, the church would continue to observe every necessary safety protocol because though God had a role to play, there was the need for believers to play their part.

He urged Ghanaians to boost their immune system as they prayed to fight the deadly virus, which had ravaged the socio-economic life of all nations.

Giving reasons for not fellowshipping on Sunday, Mrs Sabina Sam, a member of the Presbyterian church said the decision by the Moderator for the Church to hold on Services was right and to her, the time was not right to hold church services.