Coronavirus: Churches are ready for 10 services a day – GPCC

The Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) says churches are ready to organise as many as 10 services a day if the restriction on public gathering is lifted.

According to the President of GPCC, Rev Prof Paul Frimpong-Manso, the church is prepared to apply the precautionary measures to resist the spread of COVID-19.

Prof Frimpong-Manso, who is also the General Superintendent of Assemblies of God, Ghana revealed this during an interview with Power FM’s News anchor, Daakyehene Ofosu Agyeman, on whether the church is ready for service if President Nana Akufo-Addo lifts the restrictions.

Prof Frimpong-Manso, referring to the Bible, quoted Hebrews 10:25:
“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”

He, therefore, appealed to the government to formulate safety guidelines for churches to pave way for them to resume worship activities.

The call comes as the ban on all public gatherings, including church services, remains in force.

He disclosed further that churches have proper structures and the capacity to roll out effective social distancing and safety measures unlike the market places and other business centres which have a challenge adhering to safety etiquettes.

Prof Frimpong-Manso said: “You see the ban was on social gathering but we have Parliament meeting…in the markets, they say social distancing but markets sometimes are crowded so if we can have people meeting at the market and Parliament is meeting, recently chiefs were installing their traditional leaders which was not the best, so I think preventing church and asking church members not to meet is not the best.

“At this time we’re all helping to put in some mechanisms so we are expecting that in the shortest possible time, churches should be able to meet but with certain conditions in place.

“For instance, the church should not be full to 100 percent capacity but will be divided for instance a church with capacity of 1,000 can divide themselves into about five to 10 services having sanitisers and putting in place all the necessary protocols and some guidelines to govern the running of the church.”