Having A 50 Percent Quota, The Christian Gospel Church In Timor NTT Still Asks People To Worship Christmas At Home

TV screen capture of the Good Friday service live streaming (ANTARA)

KUPANG - The Christian Evangelical Church in Timor (GMIT) has urged its congregations to join online services for the 2021 Christmas and 2022 New Years from home. This is to prevent the spread of COVID-19 due to crowds in the church during worship.

"Yes, we have indeed sent a standard operating procedure (SOP) and imposed a limit of 50 percent of the congregation in the church, but according to the SOP, we hope that it is better for worship to be carried out online because the church will prepare it," said GMIT Chair, Reverend Merry Kolimon. in Kupang, Antara, Friday, December 10.

This was conveyed in connection with the efforts of GMIT Kupang to prevent crowding in churches during the 2021 Christmas and 2022 New Year services. However, he said, his party did not force every church to prepare equipment for online worship.

"This means that congregational worship can be carried out in a hybrid manner (online and offline) if adequate supporting facilities are available," he added.

Those who worship at home, he said, are members of the congregation who are vulnerable to transmission of the virus, such as those aged 60 years and over, pregnant/breastfeeding women, who suffer from comorbid illnesses (heart, asthma, high blood pressure, and liver).

Therefore the congregational assembly is obliged to provide a special liturgy for members who worship at home because of their vulnerability. "Besides that, the church council pays special attention to the needs of the disabled in celebrating Christmas," he added.

Then also according to the SOP that has been issued by GMIT to the congregation, the categorical, functional or professional and regional Christmas celebrations are not carried out in the form of a ceremonial event that gathers many people for a long time.

"So Christmas celebrations together with worship outside of the church are not allowed to be carried out," he added.

He also added that every church was obliged to provide hand sanitizer, spare masks, and facilities for washing hands using soap and running water at the entrance and exit. For members of the congregation who are not in good physical condition (cough, runny nose, fever) refrain from participating in worship together in the worship room.