#CHURCHTALK 06: What is The Church, and What are Her Alternatives During this Crises?

COVID-19 patient speaks to CNN from Rome Hospital

For the first time in modern human history, the entire world is battling one common enemy: Coronavirus.

All over the world, people, young or old, rich or poor, powerful or weak, educated or illiterate, everyone is presently in danger, and is required to take the same set of safety precautions in order to avoid getting infected.

Though it was first reported in Wuhan, China, the virus, also known as COVID-19, has now spread to all the continents of the world. But, some have taken a harder hit than others.

Currently, according to news reports, Italy is recording as many as 700 deaths per day from Coronavirus. Their hospitals are packed with patients, and their doctors are now so stretched with duty that final year medical students have been drafted in to provide support.

As at date, Italy has recorded 4,825 deaths from over 53,000 cases; China has recorded 3,259 deaths from over 81,000 cases; Iran has recorded 1,556 deaths from over 20,000 cases, and Spain has recorded 1,375 deaths from over 25,000 cases. These are the worst-hit nations.

In addition to these France, US, South Korea, Germany, Britain, Switzerland, Belgium, etc are also major flash points too.

In all, about 13,000 deaths have been recorded from the over 311,000 cases in 177 countries and territories around the world today, and still counting.

Governments across the world are shutting down schools, hotels, casinos, parks, and other shared public spaces. Companies are also closing their offices and asking their staff to work from home, on orders from the government.

Statement on temporary closure of all Eko Hotels & Suites brands. 

In addition, in some places, government is placing restrictions on the number of persons who can congregate in places of worship. In Lagos state, Nigeria, for example, the state government has instructed that only 20 people can be allowed to congregate at any single time in Churches and Mosques. Many churches are known to host tens of thousands of worshippers, congregated at a single time. This is now a public health risk, considering the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

There is currently a debate going on about the propriety or otherwise of this order; whether churches and mosques should obey, and whether both churches and mosques should be held to the same standards when checking compliance or the lack of it.

However, firstly, what is the church? This is the question which today's edition of #ChurchTalk will answer.

Sunday Mass at Saint Joseph Cathedral in Bambari, Central African Republic in October, 2015. The church usually congregates in church buildings for the purpose of Christian fellowship. Photo credit: The Wall Street Journal

What is The Church?
The Church is the general assembly on earth, of God's firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven.

Hebrews 12:22-23 [NLT] 
22. No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering.
23. You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect.

The Church are the people in whom God dwells. Because of their faith in Jesus Christ, God dwells in them as individuals. And when He looks at them, He sees Jesus Christ, His firstborn Son in whom they believe. This is why they are also called "the firstborn" too.

And their names (their spiritual identities in Christ) are written in heaven. This is similar to how the biological identities of all Americans are written in America.

So, the Church is people, not a building that merely serves to shelter, assemble or congregate them for Christian fellowship/interaction.

Acts 17:24 [NLT] 
24. “He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples,

1 Corinthians 3:16 [NLT]
16. Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?

Since the church is people, and not a building, she can meet at any place of her choosing, at any time, and in any number too. The venue and numerical size do not matter. It is still the church.

The church is the light of the world. Meaning that she is supposed to bring illumination, freedom and truth to all the nooks and crannies of the world where she can reach.

Pastor Aloysius Ohanebo, General Superintendent of Watchman Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement, ministering to a worldwide audience of church people via live streaming technology during the church's special program last year. 

As the light of the world, the church is expected to obey civil authority, especially when the aim is to ensure public order and safety.

Romans 13:1-2 [NLT]
1. Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.
2. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.

In this time of public health crises, the church should explore alternative means of congregating, in the interest of the safety of her congregants, and also personal obedience to civil authorities. Some alternatives which can be explored by church authorities in order to comply with government's directives in Lagos are:

1.   The use of live streaming technology to conduct services. All major social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, all support this technology. YouTube and some church websites also support it. Pastors and church leaders can begin to focus on streaming live messages from a studio, while their members connect and watch.

A Home Cell Fellowship meeting

2.    The use of home cell fellowships. This way, the church can meet in very small groups at many places, to fellowship, interact and bring more value to their immediate communities.

1 Corinthians 16:19 [NLT] 
The churches here in the province of Asia send greetings in the Lord, as do Aquila and Priscilla and all the others who gather in their home for church meetings.

The practice of home cell fellowships was exactly how the church started out many centuries ago.

3.    This situation also drives home the point that church organizations do need to have presence on Cable TV too. I hope that those who currently have will utilize it to bring quality, soul-lifting programming through Tele-evangelism. And, also, I hope that those who do not have and can acquire one will do so as soon as it is possible to.

Finally, opportunity makes for progress and advancement. And I see an opportunity for Church unity here. Church people should unite in obedience to adhere to this instruction from the Lagos state government, in the interest of the advancement of the gospel.

Whether church people can see it now or not, there will be a tomorrow, an aftermath of this public health crises, when they will be judged based upon the basic parameter of obedience to constituted authority. A new day will have come for the church, but that new day is being made now.

The use of home cell fellowships right now will particularly expand the number of people that can be reached with the gospel of Jesus Christ at the local level. They can connect with neighbors and others, and in the process, fulfill the great commission about preaching the gospel to everyone.



Chukwubuikem Paul Anunaso is a civil/structural engineer. He is also the editor of The Paul Anunaso Blog, and can be reached at anunaso.cp@gmail.com

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