Pentecostals ready to pray safely

LINDA SOKO TEMBO writes  SOME Pentecostal churches have welcomed President Edgar Lungu’s guidance to churches to resume congregating under the rules and regulations of public health. This comes after a month long of churches suspending congregating following the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country. And Liberty Christian Centre senior, Pastor Eddie Mulenga said that he […]

Pentecostals ready to pray safely
LINDA SOKO TEMBO writes  SOME Pentecostal churches have welcomed President Edgar Lungu’s guidance to churches to resume congregating under the rules and regulations of public health. This comes after a month long of churches suspending congregating following the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country. And Liberty Christian Centre senior, Pastor Eddie Mulenga said that he was shocked that believers in the body of Christ had mixed feelings about the church opening. In an interview with the Sun, Bishop Mulenga said it was wise that President guided the church to congregate under health guidelines.    THE SUN: What is your name and at which church do you pastor?  BISHOP MULENGA: I am Bishop Eddie Mulenga, senior pastor of Liberty Christian Centre. THE SUN: what is your comment on the presidential guidance for churches to resume congregating?   BISHOP MULENGA: The church can be defined as the gathering of the saints and not just Christian individuals that is not a church. The Church is when believers come together in corporate worship. Moreover, the devil is afraid of gathering of saints.  While I understand the mixed feelings about the opening of churches, I am in total shock that some church leaders and Christians who felt that the answer to containing COVID-19 is the church not meeting. I am in shock, because if that is what we really wanted – what we should have encouraged President Lungu for – is a total lockdown.  Then we should not go to supermarkets but we thank God that the supermarkets have put many preventive measures in place to fight the pandemic such as putting hand sanitizers in public places. Or we should not be in the buses and the markets because they do not really have preventive measures in place. Opening the church for worship will not only help people pray against the pandemic but a place of educating people about how to keep safe, a place to cry out to God cooporatively about what is happening in this world. I believe the church is relevant in collaborating with government through the Ministry of Health and be able to help people. I pastor people between Chipata and Mandevu Township, we do run a successful online church service half the church do not have smart phones and we have older people in their 80s and for one month they have not been attending church. I would like to say the President was on point to have the church open and it’s not like the pandemic is ending tomorrow or next week because the cure has not been found and the scientists are still looking and it may take one year plus and people want the church to close for that long. My advice is let’s go back and pray cooperatively to God and the people who say we should be praying at home hardly pray at homes and read their bibles. God was wise when he encouraged cooperate worship and we are not wiser than that God.  We have had many pandemics and closing the church is not the solution. Finally, the church must prove to be leaders and practice social distancing, avoid handshakes and promote the use of hand sanitizer and washing of hand frequently with soap. The pastors meet for long hours but it is possible to have a service for an hour. Let us help government. The Sun