Church leaders unite at Covid-19 training session, to prepare
Members of the South African Council of Churches (SACC) took part in a training session to discuss ways to guard against
Covid-19 at the Chris Hani District Municipality (CHDM) council chambers recently.
SACC regional deputy secretary and CHDM deputy mayor Noncedo SeptemberCaba said the church leaders discussed how to safely reopen places of worship and how to follow regulations set to fight
Covid-19 at funerals. These include safety
“precautions such as social distancing, wearing masks and so forth, emphasising the importance of following the safety guidelines.”
She said representatives from environmental health and the health department provided presentations for the two sessions.
She pointed out some of the challenges raised by concerned church leaders which, among others, included stigmatisation of those infected with the virus.
She also said some funerals were conducted without the observation of law enforcement officials and municipal representatives - a concern brought up by members during the session. Rev Patrick
Msengana from the Anglican Church of Southern Africa said it was important for congregations to comply with government s
’ Covid-19 regulations.
We need to work as agents “of transformation and make sure people are aware of the regulations of the government. We need to make sure we
“offer pastoral care where there is a need. Such workshops are to prepare us for when congregants return to church. One of the major concerns “is the issue of stigma and people who do not want to comply with rules and regulations. Those were the main challenges raised in this workshop.”