It’s your right to reopen your church if you can abide by guidelines – Pastor

The General Overseer of the Spirit Life Revival Ministries Bernard El-Bernard Nelson-Eshun has said that it is the right of churches who decide to reopen after government’s easing of COVID-19 restrictions on worship and public gathering to do so as long as they can abide by the directives.

President Akufo-Addo said in an address to the nation on Sunday, 31 May 2020 that worshippers should be limited to a maximum of 100 people with services not exceeding one hour.

In addition to that, religious leaders must enforce the wearing of facemasks, mandatory handwashing and provide a register of all attendants for easier contact-tracing.

This, according to Nana Akufo-Addo, forms part of measures to open up the country for life to return to normalcy after restrictions were imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

However, some churches such as the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), The Maker’s House (TMH) and the Destiny Empowerment Chapel International (DECI) have issued notices to their members, that they will remain closed despite the easing of restrictions on worship until further notice.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, 2 June 2020, Prophet Nelson-Eshun whose church also remains closed until further notice noted that: “The churches that wants to open have the right to open as long as they can abide by the directives of the government. It is their right to go back to church.”

Also, “the churches that wants to remain closed equally have the right to remain closed. It is unfortunate for anyone to make a statement that “Those churches that wants to remain closed are doing so for media attention”.

He indicated that: “The churches that want to remain closed are not wiser, more intelligent or godlier. The same applies to the churches that want to open their premises.”

According to the General Overseer, “every church has taken a decision based on the needs and health concerns of its members,” thus “let us allow the churches that want to open with the government directives do so and also allow the churches that want to remain closed to go ahead with it.”