Mixed responses on Sunday morning trailed reopening of churches in Lagos, after about five months of closure to contain the spread of coronavirus in the state.
Checks by BusinessDay showed that while most churches reopened and allowed members in for worship, others made good their earlier position not to reopen.
Some of the churches which opened on Sunday were the Baptist, Anglican, Catholic, Redeemed Christian Church of God, The Apostolic Church, Deeper Life Christian Bible Church, Four Square, Christ Apostolic Church, among several others.
However, the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), in Alimosho area of Lagos, led by Temitope B. Joshua, did not open for service.
Aside shutting its massive gates, armed policemen were conspicuously stationed at the main entrance street to the church, who turned back intended worshipers and informed them that the church was yet to reopen.
Also, Day Star Church in Oregun, Ikeja, did not physically open for service, as its senior pastor and founder, Sam Adeyemi ministered online.
Also not opened was the Household of God Church, Oregun, led by popular musician turned pastor, Chris Okotie. Okotie had earlier kicked against the protocols of mask wearing and limiting congregation to 50 percent, as announced by the state government. The pastor believed that wearing of face masks to the church was unbiblical.
Similarly, branches of the Mountain of Fire and Miracle Church did not open for worship on the directives of its founder, Daniel Olukoya.
The non opening of some of the churches was in spite of the applauding of the decision of the Lagos State government to allow religious bodies resume their activities, by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
Lagos CAN chairman, Apostle Alex Bamgbola had described the reopening as a loud testimony to the prayers of church leaders.
But many other churches visited opened for services and observed the Covid-19 protocols put in place by the Lagos state government and Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
They include Baptist, Anglican, Catholic, Redeemed Christian Church of God, The Apostolic Church, Deeper Life Christian Bible Church, Four Square, Christ Apostolic Church, among several others.
At Four Square Church, Okiamu Street, off Governor’s Road, Ikotun, when BusinessDay visited, members were seen washing and sanitising their hands as they made their way into the church. Security personnel were also taking the temperature of members before allowing entry into the church premises.
Resident pastor of the church, Michael Abulatan, who spoke with BusinessDay said the Covid-19 protocols were observed in strict compliance to the government’s directives.
“As you can see yourself, the church is half empty in compliance with the 50 percent capacity directive by the government. All our members wear and before anybody is allowed in, we must check the temperature,” said Abulatan.
The situation was at Faith Revival Apostolic Church on Egbeda- Isheri Road, also in Alimosho. Apart from limiting service time to one hour, chairs within the church auditorium were arranged two metres apart to allow for physical and social distancing.
It would be recalled that while Catholics, Methodists, Anglicans and the leadership of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, (PFN) agreed to resume services, some popular clerics, including Tunde Bakare, Chris Okotie, D. Olukoya had urged their members to continue to worship from home.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, penultimate Saturday, announced the reopening of worship centres in Lagos with effect from from Friday, August 7 (for mosques) and Sunday, August 9, (for churches) but at 50 percent capacity and strict adherence to other Covid-19 protocols.
Lagos CAN chairman, Apostle Alex Bamgbola, in a statement on behalf of heads of the five blocs of CAN, said the reopening was a loud testimony to the prayers of church leaders.
