RCCG alters church services

• CAN issues guideline to churches
• Lekki Central Mosque shut down, suspends congregational prayers

TRACKING_____Churches and Islamic organisations yesterday directed branches of their worship centres to change their mode of service in compliance with government directives to check spread of coronavirus. This was as the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) advised all churches in the country to ensure strict adherence to the public health guidelines for combating coronavirus, in all gatherings, especially not having more than 50 persons in one service.The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, announced slight alteration in the mode of service for parishes in Lagos and Ogun states. The announcement, contained in a memo dated March 18, 2020, signed by the Assistant General Overseer in charge of Admin and Personnel, Pastor J. F. Odesola, was sent to pastors of the church. Odesola said the mission authority had instructed that parishes with an average attendance of 50 members or less could hold their services without any alteration or changes. But, according to him, parishes that have an average attendance above 50 members are directed to make use of their house fellowship centres to run simultaneous services with the main church.He said: “Parishes that have the facility to run more than one service can also do so, under the strict directive that worshippers won’t exceed 50 people per service. “One supervising minister and an usher could be seconded to each centre for collation of necessary reports (attendance, new converts, new comers, etc.” Odesola added that all centres were requested to connect to Dove Television to join the live broadcast from the general overseer during the period. Meanwhile, Lekki Muslim Ummah (LEMU) has suspended all congregational prayers and activities indefinitely at the Lekki Central Mosque in Lagos. The mosque, in a statement issued by the Publicity Secretary of the Lekki Muslim Ummah (LEMU), Alhaji Abdul- Fattah Olajide, said the LEMU President, Dr. Kamoru Omotosho, ordered the suspension of congregational prayers and activities at the mosque in view of the government’s directive. Omotosho urged all worshippers to perform their obligatory and superrogatory prayers in their respective homes for now. Olajide added that the Chief Imam of the Lekki Central Mosque, Shaykh Ridwan Jamiu, had earlier explained that the suspension of congregational prayers was in line with the Sunnah (practice) of Prophet Muhammad (peace be unto him). “The temporary restriction is meant to forestall or curtail the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in our jurisdiction,” Shaykh Jamiu stated. The Imam explained further that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “If you hear of an epidemic in a land, don’t go there.

If you are in a land afflicted by an epidemic, don’t go out of it.” Also, the LEMU Vice President, Dr. AbdulGaniy Olusola Labinjo said arrangements had been concluded to sanitise the whole of the Lekki Central Mosque complex during the shutdown. He said in a statement that the firm providing janitorial services for the mosque had been directed to sanitise the complex during the lockdown. Meanwhile, CAN also directed all churches to observe Sunday, March 22 and 29, 2020, as days of prayers against the pandemic in Nigeria and globally.This is contained in a statement issued by the CAN President, Rev. Samson Ayokunle, and made available to journalists yesterday in Abuja by his Media Assistant, Pastor Adebayo Oladeji. CAN said: “All churches should pray that God should stop the spread of coronavirus in Nigeria and all over the world and that God should protect Nigerians from this disease and that God should heal those who have been infected already.” On federal government’s ban on more than 50 persons in a gathering, CAN called on churches to hold worship services using; “House cell-based service, online service and where possible particularly for churches who do not have online system, services can be broken into shifts of not more than 50 members in each shift.“Each branch/assembly should provide alcoholbased hand rub sanitizer/ for use, regular washing of hands with soap and water; use of same towel is not allowed. “Maintain at least one metre (three feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing, avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth, drink hot water regularly, practice respiratory hygiene. This means cover-