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The Federal Government directed the discontinuing of all movements in Lagos, Ogun State and Abuja as part of the measures to curb the pandemic in Lagos on March 30. Since then the worship centers in the states have remained shut.
After the lockdown that took four and a half weeks, churches are stated to open today being Sunday,
9th of August in Lagos State.
While the Catholics, Anglicans, Methodists and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria are resuming services, two clergies, Pastor Chris Okotie and Pastor Tunde Bakare asked their members to worship from home.
Lagos CAN Chairman, Apostle Alex Bamgbola in a statement, said that the reopening was a loud testimony to the prayers of the church leaders. Most clergies expressed their delight on the reopening of the churches.
But on the other hand, Serving Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church formerly known as Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, advised his members to ignore the directive of the State Government.
Bakare disagreed with the decision saying that the Nigerian Center for Disease Control, NCDC, projected that Covid-19 may reach its peak this month.
“I have to appeal to you once again, please keep safe and do your best to stay alive. Do not let anyone, whether religious leader or governmental leader, to drive you like a sheep to the slaughter,” He said.
“If they (government and the authorities) said that the month of August is going to be the peak of the infection, why should they ask people to rush in (re-open churches) again?
“Please keep safe and do your best to keep alive by keeping all the necessary rules. We know that by the grace of God this pandemic, like the others before it, has an expiry date. It shall not see our end. We shall see its end in the mighty name of Jesus.”
Also sharing his thoughts, Pastor Chris Okotie, who is Founder/Senior Pastor of the Household of God Church International Ministries, argued that going to church in veiled faces or masks amounts to mocking God.
In a statement titled: ‘WHY WE CAN’T WEAR MASK IN CHURCH’, urged members of the Household of God Church not to resume service today.
According to the Senior Pastor in a 28-minute voice recording sent via WhatsApp to his church members, wearing of masks or face shield was unacceptable.
Citing Bible quotations, the pastor said “for Christians to wear any type of mask or face shield to church is to reintroduce the veil which was torn the moment Jesus died on the cross.” He said with the tearing of the veil, there is no longer separation between God and His people, warning that wearing of masks would reverse the order.
According to him, he didn’t talk about the mask initially in his earlier broadcast on the Covid-19 mystery because he was waiting for its full manifestation. Okotie said he decided to speak out now because mask is now graduating into a face shield which is a veil.
Meanwhile, the General Superintendent, Holy Spirit Mission (Happy Family Centre), Bishop Charles Ighele, has described the reopening of worship centers in Lagos as a welcome development. He also urged the faithful to observe the set rules and maintain hygienic lifestyle.
“I am one of those with the view that churches ought not to have been locked down in the first place”, Ighele said.
“A genuine church of God is a sacred place which men should handle with care. Unfortunately, a number of churches are not genuine.
“Covid-19 is one the mildest pandemics. If the world becomes normal after those other horrible plagues, the church and the world will also come out of this.
“For now, the culture of hugging can be suspended because culture is changeable. “Pastors should educate worshippers that the virus is mostly contacted from loved ones and people you know or sit with or relate with. Therefore, a new but temporary culture of social distancing and a permanent culture of constant hand washing and general hygiene should be adopted.
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