Three sets of people that will play out in the post-covid-19 days. Those who will run back to church, those who will walk back to church and those who might come back to Church.
An online conference organized by The Coaching Network (TCN) on Sunday, June 14 took a look at the post-COVID-19 days with the Church in view.
The conference titled, “the church and living godly in the post-pandemic world” x-rayed what the church will look like after the pandemic.
Speakers at the conference were Pastor Olatokunbo Odunuga, Pastor Mrs Funmi Coker, Pastor Pitan Adeboye and Dr Oyewole Sarumi who was also the convener of the conference.
Pastor Odunuga noted in his delivery that since the country has been on lockdown, a lot of church-going people have become complacent while some have become spiritually alert.
“Some are beginning to ask questions about the purpose of the church. Some now believe they can worship God at home. They cite the example of the early church which started from people’s home which is true.
“But we must also appreciate that there are benefits in large gatherings. Those who are not losing anything by not going to the large gathering should be made to appreciate the need for corporate fellowship in the post-COVID-19 days” He said.
Odunuga, an elder in the Redeemed Christian Church of God explained that there is corporate anointing in large gathering adding however that whether large or small gathering, God’s standard of holiness has not changed. “Godly living is for all time. Ungodly life is an aberration. The time is no longer there for us to be careless” he said.
Pastor Mrs Coker in her contribution noted that the physical church may no longer be attractive in the post-COVID-19 days.
She, however, suggested that for the church to be more effective after COVID-19, it should begin to integrate new technology in its operations. “Pastors should also be more transparent,” She said.
She said before the pandemic the church was more concerned about building, budget and the body, which translates to the number of crowd churches are able to gather. But in the post-COVID-19 days, she suggested that the emphasis of the Church should shift to the three Rs: Repent, Return and Re-imagine.
Her words, “This is time for repentance for the church. This is time for a revival. We should also return to our first love. We should return to what the true church is. We must ask ourselves, are we in tune with the will of God. We must rely on God’s direction on what next to do.
“We must also re-imagine. We must seek for direction on how to do church and not just rely on our wisdom. We should allow the spirit of God to direct us. We will certainly all have a role to play in the post-COVID-19 days.”
In his address, Pastor Pitan Adeboye urged church leaders “not to allow the circumstances around us to overwhelm us. We need to live a life of self-control, upright and godly life. Church leaders should begin to renounce the hidden things of darkness and should not handle the word of God deceitfully. We need to be honest in both our public and private lives.”
Adeboye said the growth of the church in the post-COVID-19 days will be largely hinged on the honesty of the pastor of each church. “We should live transparent lives and churches should not organize programmes out of tradition but rather should be led before they hold any programme.
“Our messages also need to change from messages that appeal to material needs to messages that have to do with bearing our cross and following Christ daily.”
Post-COVID-19 Church
The convener of the meeting, Dr Sarumi in closing said the church must find a way of integrating virtual meetings with physical meetings in the post-COVID-19 days.
He gave a rundown of research carried out by his organisation and Church Growth International Ministry.
According to the research, the church may not get all its members back days after services begin to hold again.
“From our findings, we discovered that there are three sets of people that will play out in the post-COVID-19 days. Those who will run back to church, those who will walk back to church and those who might come back to Church.
“To this end, the church has to rethink its operations, reimagine it, reinvent it and change. In the coming days, the church should begin to think about how to help those who are unemployed and how to build people up spiritually.” He said.
BY OUR REPORTER
