Methodist Churches not applying to reopen for worship yet

SIBU: The Sarawak Chinese Annual Conference (SCAC) Methodist Church would not be applying to the authorities to reopen churches for services for the time being.

SCAC president Rev Dr Tie King Tai said this was due to the restrictions outlined in the government’s standard operating procedures (SOP), which restricted the congregation to 30 per service.

“As far as our churches are concerned, it is not applicable to us,” he said.

Tie said on March 22, Sibu Masland Methodist Church had obtained a permit to conduct online services – on condition that the number involved would not exceed 30 per session. As such, he said Sibu Masland would continue to maintain its online Sunday worship in June.

He also encouraged other Methodist churches to run their own ‘live’ channels to enable online Sunday services.

Methodist churches as well as those of many other denominations statewide under the Association of Churches in Sarawak ( ACS), have been closed since March 15, prior to the enforcement of the Movement Control Order ( MCO) due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is understood that three churches in Bintulu, not under the ACS, have received permits to reopen for services after June 10.