Choosing between death and death: A Covid-19 reflection

Choosing between death and death: A Covid-19 reflection

By Rev Dr Sindiso Jele, Mission Secretary, Africa - Council for World Mission

2Ki 7:3 Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, "Why stay here until we die? :4 If we say, 'We'll go into the city'--the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here, we will die. So let's go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die." The story is about four Samaritan lepers. During that time; they were considered to be outcasts and were asked to live in the outskirts of the village, in the peripheral of the mainstream life. There is an unverified narrative that links this with Gehazi (2 Kings 5:27) and his sons, I will not do that verification, lest I offend the biblical scholars and it is not the objective of this reflection. Verse 4 shows very logical thinking and also links to the topic ‘choosing between death and death’. The lepers argued: whichever way we go we will die. In the case of COVID-19 and subsequently the lockdown, if you remain in the house you will die of hunger, if you go out the virus will kill you, this is the situation in South Africa as the context of this reflection.

As mentioned above, I am using South Africa as the context of my reflection since that is where I am working and resident. I can as well use the whole of Africa or whole world, but the reflection would lose particularity and focus. Out of my reading and reflection on the situation I have the following to share:

One of the ways suggested as a non-pharmaceutical intervention in the spread of the COVID-19 is social distancing and washing of hands with clean water and soap. The suggestion is very effective considering how it has slowed down the spread of the virus and flattened the infection curve. However, it seems to be designed with certain people in mind. For the people in informal settlements it does not make sense. See the picture below. Also, the gramma of social distancing, needs a multidisciplinary interrogation, the social workers, and language experts need to come on board. The loose application of the concept of ‘Social distancing’ may lead to social isolation that can manifest itself in terms of cabin fever, depression and mental anxiety.

In settlements like these, it is very difficult to talk of social distancing. The people in these areas don’t have drinking water and talking about washing hands with clean water becomes a luxury. The shelters are tiny and there’s hardly any space for a small family to stay together comfortably; bathing, cooking and even sleeping is problematic. There is no garden space to go outside to without being found to be breaking lockdown regulations of staying within the yard if they are not inside the house. Mention the sharing of ablution facilities as well.

The other thing in my reflection that comes out of my experience of the COVID-19 and the reading of the text is the militarisation of intervention and conflict resolution in Africa in general. When the lockdown was introduced, 2,280 soldiers were deployed to help the police to enforce the lockdown regulations. The initial lockdown ended on the 30th of April 2020. A new phase comes into effect and more than 70,000 soldiers will be deployed to enforce the curfew which would be part of the new phase. This is the biggest deployment since the dawn of democracy 1 . This seems to be the problem in Africa where every intervention is militarised.

There is some sense of colonial hangover especially on the use of Africa as the testing laboratory. The former colonisers of Africa still consider themselves as superior and in control of Africa, her people and her resources. As much as a cure or vaccine is a matter of urgency; the colonialist and racist undertones contained in turning Africa into a testing laboratory cannot go unnoticed; this qualifies as a crime against humanity.

The country has seen a spike in domestic violence and child abuse since the beginning of the lockdown. Some cases are a result of abusive partners who have always abused the survivors or victims without being reported while some of it is violence triggered by frustration and stress due to other factors that have risen up as a result of the lockdown. Either way, there is no justification for being violent towards another human being. Children are locked in with their abusers; there is no school to take refuge in or a library to go hide among characters of a book. Men and women are stuck with their partners who are sexually, verbally, emotionally, economically or physically abusive. Hope is there for the physically abused as their scars are proof for a case but the economically, emotionally and verbally abused cannot present their scars to open a case and they have nowhere to run to as they are expected to stay home during the lockdown. This has taught me that a victim’s worst nightmare is to be trapped with your abuser under one roof during lockdown. The choice in between death and death, is if you remain in the house there is an abuser; if you go out, the situation is militarised and there is a virus.

Life after the COVID-19

There is an emerging normal that would be defined by screens becoming pulpits. Therefore, these platforms i.e. new pulpits, must be kept sacred as the places where the healing and transformative Word is pronounced. What is said through these platforms must be life-affirming as opposed to promoting extra-large egos, creating celebrity out of the pandemic.

Linked to the above, is the digital way of doing ‘church’ which has become the alternative to physical fellowshipping. However it is leaving out some people through the use of the social media platform. The over-digitalisation of preaching and pastoral work will leave other sheep not attended to. The poor are also members of the church and may not be able to afford these gadgets, hence would be left out. Beyond the COVID-19 especially in the period of lockdown, the church must come up with ways to minister to everyone.

There would be a new call for the liberation theologies to relook at the colonial hangover that keeps on showing its face. The liberation theology must engage seriously the humanitarian activities in this wake. Humanitarian aid may be politicised, or worse off, used as the evangelising method where the food is given on the condition that you join our political ideology or our church.

Final thoughts

There are number of lessons that can be drawn from this reflection of 2 Kings 7:3ff in relation: Lesson 1: The way forward must be a negotiated consultation involving all stakeholders 2Ki 7:3 Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, "Why stay here until we die?

Lesson 2: There is radical hope which says ‘yes’ when the situation says ‘no’…Such hope is built on the strong faith in God who never abandons his people. Such faith sees those that the society has pushed to outskirts of life to the centre as in the case with the Army camp. With that hope you can face the Syrian army.

Lesson 3: Being a church would need to be redefined and imaged especially how it approaches counselling with the people with anxiety. The people reach a stage where they have nothing to lose, at that time they become dangerous and they are suicidal i.e. ‘If we stay, we will die, if we go we will still die’. Very difficult to deal with someone who has nothing to lose, choosing between death and death, how do we minister with them. The church must emerge after the COVID-19 with such a question.

Prayer from Genesis 18:22-24 (NIV)

Leader: The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord.

All: Father help us to remain standing in the moments of anxiety

Leader: Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?

All: Father we plead for your mercy and urgent intervention in cure of the COVID-19

Leader: What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it?

All: You are a kind God, Lord hear our prayers, Amen

AFRICA South Africa President acknowledges faith community’s “great contribution” combating COVID-19

“The faith community is an integral part of South African life and has made a great contribution in the ght against the coronavirus,” said South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa on a televised broadcast as he led the National Day of Prayer on 26 May.

With over 20,000 infections and 500 deaths in South Africa, he recognised the important role of the faith community in the provision of spiritual support and social relief, acknowledging that “much of it has been done under extremely dicult circumstances and with minimal resources.”

During the broadcast streamed online and on radio, he spoke about their “responsibility to take care of the spiritual, psychological and emotional well-being of all South Africans”, and his belief that “prayer will comfort and strengthen us as we continue to confront this pandemic.”

The President went on to highlight how noble values were exemplied by faith communities in the crisis, as they oered their facilities for quarantine, screening, testing, and school lessons, or as places of shelter for survivors of gender-based violence. In addition, they contributed to charitable works of helping the needy, feeding the hungry and caring for the sick. Mr Ramaphosa also paid tribute to their eorts during the nation-wide lockdown, where they encouraged people to remain focused and consistently reminded people that the lockdown regulations were in place for the common good and the welfare of all.

With the move to coronavirus alert level 3 on 1 June, he gave an update on provisions for the religious sector following a meeting of the National Coronavirus Command Council which considered the inputs made by the sector in recent consultations with interfaith leaders. With careful easing of current restrictions, places of worship may resume services for up to 50 people or less, with protocols to ensure social distancing, sanitation, and avoidance of any religious ritual that could pose a risk to worshippers.

Religious leaders stage silent protest in Pretoria

In a media statement issued by the oce of the South African Council of Churches (SACC) General Secretary Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana, the SACC was “shocked to learn of the declaration of the SANDF (South African National Defence Force) on the death of Collins Khosa with absolving the Defence Force members involved in his death.” 1 Alarmed by these developments, religious leaders staged a silent protest against brutality by law enforcement ocers at St Albans Anglican Cathedral, Pretoria on 7 June. The silent vigil was intended to express their disdain for brutality exhibited by their police and defence forces, and to call for greater accountability and justice for these families. At the same time, they were “standing in the gap for ordinary citizens who are equally experiencing the grief and mourning that this current moment has brought upon us.”

In a pastoral letter earlier this year 2 , the United

Congregational Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA)

General Secretary Rev. Kudzani Ndebele and President Rev Sikhalo Cele expressed unequivocal support for the life-saving measures introduced by governments. They shared their conviction was that “the church's witness that is expressed through provision of loving, caring service is expected to come alive in a very special way in times like this”, and encouraged their Church “not to allow the circumstances brought about by COVID-19 to dene them, but rather, Christians should continue to focus on Christ in ways which their faith and hope in Christ dene and strengthen them for the challenges they face.”

Standing in solidarity with the Church and those who have tested positive for COVID-19 and their families, they emphasised faith, prayer, perseverance and God’s sovereignty in working all

things for eventual good, and encouraged their congregation members to “nd ways in which we can continue to bear witness to the love of God for all Creation in the midst of our current debilitating circumstances.”

Africa Day, which falls on 25 May, is usually a time of celebration of Africa’s diversity and vitality, and to promote African unity. This year marks the 57th anniversary of African leaders coming together from 22 to 25 May 1963 in Ethiopia to establish the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which later became African Union (AU) in 2002.

In his Africa Day Message, the

Uniting Presbyterian Church of Southern Africa (UPCSA)

General Secretary Rev Dr Lungile Mpetsheni acknowledged the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, as international travel bans prevented UPCSA leadership from visiting and holding meetings in countries which UPCSA operates, among other disruptions.

In his message, the UPCSA General Secretary called on the church to “stand up and be strong” (Isaiah 52:1) as a reconciled community, to consolidate its position as a denomination of the Church existing in Africa, and be a blessing to Africans.

As they joined millions of other Africans in observing Africa Day, he expressed gratitude towards UPCSA congregations which have embarked on life-arming programmes and projects by providing poverty relief schemes and pastoral support to those infected and aected by COVID-19, and encouraged them to continue to show support to those in the front line, especially health workers.

This came after an earlier message in mid-May, where the Moderator Rt Rev Peter Langerman had commended the UPCSA faithful for continuing to serve under “restrictive and dicult circumstances” in rural, township and suburban congregations in Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. Met with “dwindling congregational incomes, creeping despair and health challenges”, they persevered in meeting the needs of the community, including conducting online services.

An ordination service was held at United Church in Zambia (UCZ) St Paul’s Congregation in Lusaka Presbytery on 31 May, where around 27 ministers were ordained to the Holy orders of Word and sacraments in UCZ. Ministers in UCZ are trained for six years before this sacred ritual, majoring in Bachelor of Theology and ministerial formation at the UCZ University in Kitwe, followed by practising ministry under supervision.

EAST ASIA

Over the past few months, churches in Hong Kong have dealt with the implementation of the “Regulations of Prohibition on Group Gathering”, and a new national security law imposed by China. Without physical worship gatherings and personal interactions due to the COVID-19 pandemic and regulations, Hong Kong

Council of the Church of Christ in China (HKCCCC)

General Secretary Rev Dr Eric So emphasized “the spirituality of pause, silence and wait” in his latest letter to the churches.

In a world driven by eciency and economic activity, pausing is synonymous with laziness and other negative attitudes and traits. The biblical story of Elijah in 1 Kings 17 indicates that Pausing was possibly part of “God’s plan of drought on the Israelites” and a time of preparation for Elijah. Similarly, Pausing is not just crucial to complying with preventive measures during the pandemic, but also to be equipped for our next mission from God.

Next, Rev Dr So added that Silence is “a critical exercise for Christian spirituality”, navigating us to restore our intimate relationship with God and seeking His empowerment to be channels of faith, hope and love in our communities. Finally, Waiting “does not imply indolence and leisure”. Instead, it can be recognised as a test of hope in the Christian faith, and the perseverance built on the eternal promises of God.

Presbyterian Church in

Singapore (PCS) Moderator Rev Keith Lai urged the churches to discern God’s purpose in the pandemic in his letter to the congregations. Referring to the biblical times of Joel, Rev Lai wrote about how we need to be awakened to God’s judgment; to godly sorrow; and to God’s mercy and “the Lord's message to Joel son of Pethuel can become a modern-day warning call and teaching moment for future generations.”

In a subsequent letter to the churches, Rev Lai preached from Habakkuk, who “kept in perfect tension the truths of judgment and mercy”. The Moderator cautioned against fatalism (hopeless resignation that we are helpless) and triumphalism (the dangerous premise that God will always protect us from all disaster if we ask, and full all His promises in the here and now).

Many churches have put faith to action, working with various local and international church and government organisations to support COVID-19 relief initiatives. PCS responded to the urgent appeal from the Disaster Relief Committee of Southern Presbytery of Gereja Presbyterian Malaysia (GPM), which faced a lack of medical resources especially in government hospitals, as well as material needs for under-privileged communities. PCS members and the Synod have also contributed nancially towards a month’s food supplies for 200 needy families in Kathmandu, following an urgent request from a ministry partner in Nepal.

Presbyterian Church in

Taiwan (PCT) has donated personal protective equipment (PPE) to PCS, with the assistance of a CWM Partner-in-Mission (PIM) from PCT to PCS Rev Dr Li Hau Tiong. 500 of these medical gowns were delivered to All Saints Home, which provides eldercare services. PCT has also released an emergency donation to CrossReach, a care provider in Scotland, to increase digital capacity among its communities.

PCT’s Seamen’s/Fishermen’s Service Centre (SFSC) collaborated with Workforce Development Agency of the Ministry of Labour to launch an urgent service, where medical masks and safety instructions on hygiene and social distancing were provided for an estimated 3,000 shermen across the Southern harbours. With 77 squid jigging shery vessels sailing back to southern Taiwan harbours in May, this outreach eort was critical to protecting migrant shermen and to mitigate the risk of a coronavirus outbreak, explained SFSC Director Rev Chen Wou-Zang.

A eet of PCT pastors continued their Tunsuzebsa itinerant pastoral ministry in Hsin Yi Township, Nantou County in end April, led by Rev Vava Manqoqo, pastor of Sinapalan Presbyterian Church from Bunun Ciubu Presbytery. These seven Bunun pastors and their family cycled along a 20-kilometre path in the mountains in central Taiwan, to minister to the tribal elderly, church members in need, and local churches along the way.

The Tunsuzebsa event was initially set up for exercise and recreation among pastors interested to cycle in the mountains, and gradually evolved into a prayer and outreach ministry as they stopped to take breaks during their rides.

SOUTH ASIA

With COVID19 laying bare global and societal inequalities, country lockdowns have posed a severe threat to livelihoods and food security for the poor.

Church of South India (CSI)

Moderator Most Rev. Dharmaraj Rasalam said that they have oered their institutions especially hospitals and nutrition centres to be used as isolation centres. They have also encouraged church members who own hotels to provide their hotels as isolation centres, bearing in mind that they already are equipped with infrastructure such as kitchens, washrooms, and laundry.

Among these eorts were the Dioceses of Krishna Godavari; Cochin; Medak; Karnataka Central; Coimbatore and Kanyakumari’s distribution of

dry rations and provisions to vulnerable groups such as the homeless, rural farmers, sanitation workers, migrants and the transgender community. Besides providing food for tribal families, CSI College of Engineering in Ketti, under the auspices of the Coimbatore Diocese, designed Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the district collection.

Madhya Kerala Diocese supplied vegetable kits, and some of its youth volunteers helped police and health teams in collecting details of interstate travellers to monitor for COVID19 symptoms. The Madurai-Ramnad Diocese donated medical masks and hand sanitisers, and the Christian Mission Hospital, under its auspices, handed over an isolation ward to the government authorities. In addition, the Kodackal Hospital under the auspices of the Malabar Diocese set apart an isolation ward for those who are under surveillance for COVID19.

The Kanyakumari Diocese had also handed over beds including the ICU units of its diocesan hospital to the District Corona Prevention Team, as did Rayalaseema Diocese. The Union Mission Tuberculosis Sanatorium in Arogyavaram Medical Centre (AMC), which was the rst sanatorium in South India, provided healthcare, readied medicine and equipment for respiratory problems, and created awareness of COVID19 preventive measures for the community.

Church of Bangladesh (COB) is involved in several COVID19 relief eorts through its various ministries. SHALOM, a development organisation of COB, distributed leaets about how the coronavirus spreads. To develop more frequent handwashing practice and stem community transmission, SHALOM installed 20 handwash plants in key public places such as sh and vegetable markets and hospitals. Hand sanitisers, soap and masks were given out, together with instructions on eective handwashing and how to maintain social distancing. In addition, 500 food packages have been distributed among families whose livelihoods have been severely impacted.

Similar projects have also been undertaken by the Christian Ministry to Children and Youth (CMCY), after its residential hostels, vocational training centres and daycare centres serving 3,500 children and families were closed during the lockdown. In collaboration with the Compassion International Bangladesh (CIB), food packages and cash gifts were given to 2,300 children, as preparation for school examinations have been disrupted. A taka 2,000 (2.30 USD) cash relief was gifted to children in another project facilitated by church leaders, committee members and local priests.

CARIBBEAN

United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands (UCJCI) hosts “COVID-19: The Economic Fallout and Recovery” Forum

The United Church in Jamaica

and the Cayman Islands

(UCJCI)’s Church and Society Sub-Committee hosted “COVID-19: The Economic Fallout and Recovery”, an online public economic forum in May. Streamed from Webster Memorial United Church, 1,572 people participated across online platforms as panellists drawn from critical sectors of society gave their analyses of the current economic crisis and what our response should be as a nation, as individuals, as government and the church.

They voiced the need for churches to better organise and mobilise people at the community level, going beyond oering care packages to “develop an agenda” around those who are forgotten by society. They also asserted that “the Church has to organise itself to press those who are in the seat of power in the private and public sectors, to respond to the realities of our time.” For example, the Church should therefore seek to sit at the table of discussions on closing the digital divide, they said.

In addition, the Church should focus more on equipping its congregants for public advocacy, and holds “the

potential to be a building block for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises” through hosting nancial and business expos, training, networking, and “educating the citizenry on the message of the Gospel outside of its walls, which is relevant to business”.

At the government level, they saw the need for more capital projects and signicant investment in agriculture and digital infrastructure, and for small business leaders to nd new growth areas, build sta capacity and craft strategies for absorbing sudden shocks to business.

The UCJCI also hosted an online Synodical Family Service themed “Building Strong Families for a Post COVID-19 Society” on May 17. Streamed from Webster Memorial United Church in Grand Cayman during Child Month, the service was intended to inspire and empower congregation members to thrive during the pandemic, and ensure they and their families emerge from the crisis stronger than before.

The Children’s Ministry Commission of UCJCI has been creating materials and programmes circulated via WhatsApp every Sunday to engage children in house worship, as the UCJCI endeavours to keep the vision for their growth and development at the heart of the mission of the Church. During these times of curfews and lockdowns, the materials have included a special Palm Sunday series of online-based lessons and activities, a COVID-19 Awareness comic, Superbook and other bible stories, and more.

CWM Caribbean and CANACOM hosted “Caribbean voices on rising to life with Jesus”, a Zoom webinar series where speakers identify concrete ways Caribbean churches can respond to the COVID19 crisis in the areas of ecumenism, worship, re-imagining pastoral care, domestic violence, and more. Moderated by CANACOM Education in Mission Secretary Mrs Jennifer P. Martin, the webinar kicked o on 12 June, and the speakers included CEO of Caribbean Family Planning Aliation Rev Patricia Sheerattan Bisnauth, and Moderator of Presbyterian Church of Trinidad and Tobago Rev Joy Abdul, among others.

EUROPE

Complying with directives from UK and Welsh governments to contain the COVID-19 spread, the Union of Welsh Independents (UWI) urged churches to discontinue all meetings held in their buildings till further notice. At present, (June 25) with the COVID-19 appearing to be in decline, measures are in place to gradually open church buildings for private prayer and subsequently for limited worship services. Church members were, and still are encouraged to look for spiritual sustenance on resources on the Union’s website and social media platforms. The

Presbyterian Church of Wales

(PCW) set up a free church service over the telephone for people who are not condent of using the internet. Upon dialing in, callers can opt to listen to a Welsh or an English church service which includes readings, prayers, hymns and a message.

UWI General Secretary Rev Dyfrig Rees expressed the wish of the Union “to fund churches through innovation for innovation”, through an upcoming ‘Investment and Innovation Programme’. "The phenomenal growth in the activity of some churches on social media attests to the number of Christians experience a new rebirth in a world of alternative activity because of the virus,” wrote Rev Rees in UWI’s Spring issue of Union Matters.

Traditionally, churches had been “tied to their buildings and condent in their pulpit ‘six feet above any criticism’”. Having turned its chapel into a screen and its congregation into faces upon it, churches have “chosen to put themselves on the same level as others, through the medium of the world wide web, and to consider the whole world as the eld of all their endeavours”.

Believing that “this new activity is symbolic of a far more substantial and deep movement in our midst”, he appealed to them to not “revert to the usual” after this time of contagion. “As with our Lord, the church itself has reached the real world and there it will become a presence working for truth and a voice to announce life in all its complexities to the whole of creation.”

As the lockdown measures in the UK are slowly being eased,

United Reformed Church

(URC) has released “Ready for the new ‘normal’: A discussion paper for a pandemic recovery and resumption plan”. The resource, prepared after discussions held with local churches and ocers serving the church, consists of three sections, beginning with a road map to reect on how to move ahead. The next section deals with practical questions to help with planning how church can safely resume during the lockdown, such as alternative worship provisions, space planning, dealing with grief and trauma, and risk assessments. The last part of the booklet provides wider questions of principle to mull over, such as whether a physical building is necessary for the church to function, and what worship will look like in the new normal.

Complementing this is “New Reality, Same Mission”, a booklet oered by members of the URC’s Church Related Community Work, Mission and Discipleship teams, and Church Action on Poverty. This guide is aimed at stimulating renewed community engagement, and is structured around an established pastoral model and process of “experience, exploration, reection and action”. At each stage of this pastoral cycle, it oers information and examples to enable individuals and local churches to explore questions of community presence and engagement and social justice in our new reality.

Prior to that, URC also produced a “Virtual funerals – liturgies and words for our digital world” booklet, which oers a shorter liturgy that can be led by a worship leader online or over the phone, for funerals during the pandemic. There are also texts and ideas for ministers, worship leaders, families and friends, which can be tailored to the needs of each situation.

It provided the links of churches oering livestreams of Sunday services, podcast sermons or service recordings, guides on safety pertaining to home visits to vulnerable groups; using technology such as Facebook and YouTube to broadcast worship, Bible studies or meetings; and online worship and learning resources among others.

PACIFIC

The Pacic Conference of Churches (PCC) addressed the Standing Committee of Foreign Aairs and Defence of the Parliament of Fiji in a statement earlier this year, with appreciation and support of Fiji’s ratication of the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). Since 1975, PCC has consistently advocated for a total ban of nuclear weapons. Extensive portions of the Pacic continue to be uninhabitable today, and remaining radioactive substances from the French tests will spill into the Pacic Ocean after what looks to be an imminent collapse of Morurua In the statement, PCC urged the committee to “to hear the cries of our communities who struggle to sing the Lord’s song as songs of freedom and justice in their own land.” It also renewed the call for “just reparation and compensation” as the Pacic people and environment continue to suer from the extensive, permanent after-eects of nuclear experiments in their homelands. Victims of nuclear testing are marginalised and the impact on their health, degradation of their environment and pollution of their waters has been largely invisible or left un-addressed.

Towards the end of April, the rst seeds for the PCC Food Bank was planted in Suva, Fiji situated in direct view of the central Government oces and buildings which housed many of the United Nations' programmes, said PCC General Secretary Rev James Bhagwan. Designed using the concept of crops planted in a secure manner to provide for those who are the most in need, the harvested food will be oered for free at a roadside stall. Some of the crops will be distributed to informal squatter settlements, homes for the destitute and aged care facilities.

"Hopefully this project will encourage people to make use of land which is idle, bring fresh, healthy food into diets, reduce the reliance on imports and allow islanders to get in touch with the soil and creation," Rev Bhagwan said. The Tongan and Vanuatu national councils of churches have asked for

support to form similar food banks and money will be sent to facilitate these requests, he added.

Following Fiji’s rst COVID-19 conrmed case in March, some churches took immediate action to limit human-to-human contact, especially in the distribution of the Eucharist. The Pacic Conference of Churches (PCC), which many CWM’s member churches in the Pacic region belong to, shared links to live-stream worship by several Christian denominations, to provide believers with alternative means of worship, prayer and to celebrate life.

“We know that the Church is far more than the buildings we worship in – now is a time for us to demonstrate this truth. While many things have been cancelled, compassion and care never will be,” said

Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand

(PCANZ) Assembly Executive Secretary Wayne Matheson. He was writing to all churches to inform them that all physical gatherings for public services of worship in the PCANZ was suspended from March till further notice, a decision aligned with government restrictions on public gathering and in solidarity with other national churches.

Moderator Right Rev Fakaofo Kaio released a pastoral message urging them not to panic, producing weekly videos including prayer, scripture reading and reections, leading by example on “how to pull close while being apart”. A webpage was specially set up to provide Presbyterian and Uniting Church sta, ministers, chaplains, parishes and presbyteries with guidance on managing the life of their church and communities during this pandemic.

Cyclone Harold, a Category 5 Tropical Cyclone, wreaked tremendous havoc on Vanuatu’s northern Islands in April. Unable to send people to aid in recovery due to the COVID-19 border restrictions, PCANZ congregations and church members raised funds in support of the recovery programme by their Church partner Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu (PCV). This was a testament to their faith despite their uncertain economic future, and of the strong commitment to their partner churches, said the PCANZ Moderator.

1 https://mailchi.mp/b589bb854804/media-statement-272020-sacc-ca utiously-welcomes-reopening-of-churches-5017634 2 https://www.cwmission.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/UCCSA-Co vid-19-Pastoral-Letter.pdf

| HUMANITY WINS

Rethinking the essential

Amid disruptions caused by the pandemic, many workers who have always been a ubiquitous but invisible presence on the streets, in hospital wards, nursing homes, and in homes, have become classied as “essential workers”, now heralded as heroes.

With countries under lockdown in the past few months, supermarket and food delivery riders have kept groceries and sustenance supplied to residents in their homes through contactless delivery. Drivers, garbage collectors, workers in sanitation and cleaning services, pest control, logistics, manufacturing, distribution, and security services continue to make their rounds, often armed with face masks and hand sanitisers. There were even workers who lived in a factory for 28 days to make millions of pounds of raw PPE (personal protective equipment) materials to help ght the pandemic. 13

In appreciation of essential workers, musicians worldwide have performed for their neighbourhoods on their balconies, among other gestures by individuals and communities. People have run virtual marathons within their homes as fundraisers for those in need of medical care or have lost their jobs.

Triumph of the human spirit

The holy month of Ramadan looked dierent for Muslims around the world this year, without community gatherings for evening prayers and breaking fast with friends and family. The Muslim community in Dearborn, Michigan hosted a Ramadan lights competition, turning their tradition of decorating their homes for Ramadan into a friendly, citywide challenge, in hopes of spreading joy. 12

Love in the time of COVID19

At least 35 other groups across Canada organised what they call ‘caremongering’ groups to oer help to vulnerable groups and some have gone beyond the usual errands. Computer experts oered to help the less tech-savvy to set up home

oces, one created a video chat to help those undergoing addiction recovery in isolation due to COVID19, a Toronto distillery made hand sanitisers for free, and so on. 3

Hundreds of Calgarians stepped forward with food delivery and shoveling sidewalks through a Facebook group called YYC COVID-19 Volunteers, which was dedicated to helping community members in need in Canada. The group went beyond coordinating volunteer eorts to become a place for people to share their anxieties and be comforted by uplifting messages. 2

Feeding school children

Amid fears that the withdrawal of free school dinners would leave three million children in the U.K hungry after school closure, local charity Feeding Britain which runs food poverty schemes explored setting up emergency programmes to provide sustenance to children from early March. 4

Schools in Houston and San Francisco provided drive-through meals to students who rely on school lunches as their main source of nutrition. 5 With parents and educators working at helping children learn from home, some educational companies such as Discovery Education have made their subscriptions free. of ICU valves, a local business brought a 3D printer to the hospital, redesigned and produced valves in a few hours. By the next day, ten patients had already been accompanied in breathing by a machine using a 3D printed valve. 6

Resurrection power among us

A church cell group in Singapore raised funds among themselves for Operation #BoosterShot, to sponsor coee for healthcare professionals in two hospitals. The cell group later decided to start an online campaign on a crowdfunding site to raise more funds to allow them to expand the initiative to the other hospitals. 8

In another ground-up initiative, welfare packs of hand cream, latex cleaning gloves, pain soothing patches and hand-written thank you cards were packed and distributed, seeing as cleaners were working longer hours as sanitisation eorts were stepped up. 9 When face masks were running out, a couple and two of their friends gave away 6,600 free masks they had procured. 10 Also, people have taken to the digital world, submitting online messages of appreciation and tribute to front-line ghters – doctors, nurses, police ocers and many others. 11

1 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/20/business/china-coronavirus-w uhan-delivery.html 2 https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/spread-love-calgary-acts -of-kindness-during-covid-19-pandemic/ 3 https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/you-re-not-alone-in-this -canadians-are-caremongering-through-the-covid-19-pandemic-1.485 9369 4 https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/mar/09/charities-feed -children-if-coronavirus-shuts-uk-schools 5 https://salud-america.org/coronavirus-care-amazing-acts-of-kindnes s-during-a-pandemic/ 6 https://twitter.com/michalnaka/status/1239316241984049152 8 https://saltandlight.sg/news/operation-boostershot-cell-group-offershealthcare-workers-boost-of-encouragement-with-free-coffee/ 9 https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/heroes-unmasked-covid-19- has-unified-us-nation-working-mum-leads-effort-distribute-300 10 https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/heroes-unmasked-singapo rean-couple-and-friends-give-away-6600-free-masks-after-procuring 11 https://www.straitstimes.com/multimedia/graphics/2020/02/tribute -coronavirus-fighters/index.html?nlblurb 12 https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/27/us/ramadan-lights-challenge-d earborn-michigan-trnd/index.html? 13 https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/they-lived-in-a-factoryfor-28-days-to-make-millions-of-pounds-of-raw-ppe-materials-to-help -fight-coronavirus/

A tribute to Biango Buia, a good and faithful servant

CWM received the very sad news of the sudden passing of Mr Biango Buia. Biango died peacefully in the early hours of 6 June, 2020, while still in active service as Acting Assembly Secretary of the United Church of Papua New Guinea (UCPNG). Mr. Biango Buia was a devoted supporter of CWM, who served as a member of the Council (then Trustee Body) and as Moderator of the Pacic region. He served CWM with the best of his skills and passion and we are the better for having had him as part of the team that navigated the journey on which we currently are. Biango was very passionate about the work of CWM, ever ready to speak of the sense of privilege and responsibility he felt for being part of this family; and of his desire and commitment to see the mission understanding of CWM nd expression in the UCPNG. The entire CWM family pays tribute to this good and faithful servant of God and of the Church. We oer our heart-felt condolences and assurance of

our prayers to his family and the UCPNG in this time of loss and bereavement. We pray that the faith by which Biango lived and the causes of justice he defended, will live on in the lives and action of those he inuenced during his lifetime. And I heard a voice from heaven, saying to me, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who from now on die in the Lord.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labours, for their deeds will follow them (Rev 14: 13, NRSV).

We salute the life and legacy of Rev Samuel Arends

We are grieved to have received news that an outstanding leader and servant of the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA), and fellow worker in the Council for World Mission (CWM), has died. Rev Samuel Arends, who served as General Secretary of the UCCSA from 1988 to 1997, was the father of Rev Alistair Arends, who also served as General secretary of that Church and a Director of Council for World Mission (CWM) until 2016. Rev Arends passed away peacefully, In the 1980s to 1990s Rev Sam Arends served as Trustee of CWM. During that period, he contributed with profound commitment and unmistakable clarity. He was a clear thinker, a passionate activist for the cause of the dispossessed, a preacher, with a word for the moment, and a trusted friend. He seemed to have perfected the art of speaking the truth in love. As such, he managed to maintain the integrity of the relationships entrusted to him without compromising on his faith, convictions and integrity.

We listened to him, a sad and broken father at the funeral service of Alistair, and our hearts warmed with joy as he spoke words of armation about his son, punctuated with the light-hearted humour for which he was known. We watched him, sad and broken at the loss of a son in whom he was, obviously, well pleased; but he was also the radiant expression of a proud and condent father at his son’s accomplishment in the ministry where they served as partners. In that moment, we experienced him in the weakness and fragility for which we are known as human being; but equally, with the buoyant spirit, charming personality and generous heart that characterised his life.

The CWM family – Directors and Trustees, fellow General Secretaries and member churches and the CWM Secretariat – salute our father, brother and colleague as he takes his departure from this world of “many dangers, toils and snares”. Through it all, he trusted in the grace and love of God; served his fellow human beings with honesty, respect and generosity of spirit; and demonstrated that life is about healthy balance in which family life is integrally interwoven in all relationships and commitments.

To his dear wife and all members of his family, the UCCSA and all his close friends and companions on the journey, we oer our condolences and the assurance of our prayers during this time of loss and bereavement. We entrust him into God’s gracious keeping and pray that his soul rest in peace.

Peace perfect peace, death shad’wing us and ours?

Jesus has vanquished death and all its powers.

It is enough: earth’s struggles soon shall cease,

And Jesus calls us to Heav’n’s perfect peace

So long Uncle Sam! Your faithful stewardship lives on in those you touched; and God’s eternal “well done” and welcome are yours to embrace. In that assurance, we bid you farewell.

Online conference calls for an economy of life in a time of Covid-19 pandemic

A series of two e-conferences held on 17 and 24 April, brought together some 25 participants to reect on the socio-economic-ecological impacts of the COVID-19 crisis and how it oers the world an opportunity to rethink and reshape nancial and economic systems so that these actually give priority to ensuring and investing in the health and well-being of communities and the planet. The initiative was co-sponsored by the Council for World Mission (CWM), World Council of Churches (WCC), the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), and World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC).

The speakers brought up historical political factors that have led up to and continue to frame the crisis, as well as the theo-ethical and moral implications and the necessary short and long-term transformations in policies, institutions and systems that are needed to relieve and prevent more suering, but also, more critically, to tackle the roots of the crisis.

“In the harsh light of COVID-19, we see more clearly the great inequality of income and wealth. We see the massive gender inequities and generational disparities of our economies,” said Prof. Dr Isabel Apawo Phiri, WCC deputy general secretary. “Our responses to the pandemic could very well rewrite the world for the better, and

fundamentally transform the way we live, what we eat and buy, what we produce, how we distribute goods and where we invest,” she added.

Council for World Mission general secretary, Rev. Dr Collin I. Cowan, noted that “the shape and magnitude of the pandemic may have obscured us but the writings, which have been on the wall for a very long time, all pointed to some global catastrophe for which we would be little prepared because self-serving nationalism, callous disregard for the poor and xenophobic attitudes and behaviour have kept us cornered, cocooned and ill-prepared for any disaster of this magnitude”.

“Our economic systems must prioritise people over prot. We must not forget to protect the livelihood and basic needs of people”, said Rev. Dr Martin Junge, general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation. “COVID-19 is further calling us to a theological and ethical renewal where we address inequality, poverty, and public policies to ensure enough resources and equal access to health services. Now is the moment to reinvigorate this conversation”, added Junge.

The “Economy of Life in a Time of Pandemic“ e-conference sessions were part of and promoted by an initiative of the four organisations called “New International Financial and Economic Architecture (NIFEA),” which seeks to promote an alternative nancial system that should emerge from the imagination of the margins, from those who have been left out of social-economic and political decision-making.

Rev. Dr Chris Ferguson, World Communion of Reformed Churches general secretary, stressed that the current global scenario calls us “to show up and carry forward the core visions and core themes of NIFEA and that these have to necessarily be transformational,” he said. “We need to raise the questions about debt and taxation. Our next steps, including our short-term steps, cannot be less than radical.”

The two sessions led to the development of a common message from the convening organisations, which will also be the basis of advocacy towards key nancial and economic institutions such as the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, G20 and United Nations.

Rev Bernard Thorogood 1928 ~ 2020

We remember Rev Bernard Thorogood, with gratitude

Council for World Mission (CWM) is saddened by the news that Rev Bernard Thorogood has died. The 92-year-old patriarch, who served faithfully and with distinction, as a missionary of the former London Missionary Society and the rst General Secretary of CWM passed away peacefully in a Sydney hospital on 30 April 2020.

It was during the 1950s and 60s that Rev Thorogood served as LMS missionary in the Pacic region, mostly in the Cook Islands. At a time when the churches, founded by the early missionaries, were seeking to establish themselves as credible and authentic witnesses to the gospel in context, Bernard Thorogood was a positive source of inuence and inspiration for the people. He assisted them to assert their identity and to arm their place in the great missionary enterprise, which needed to nd root in the voices, faces and experiences of the local people.

In 1977, when CWM emerged as a partnership of churches, with a strong mandate to enable the churches to become the real beacons of hope and messengers of good news in their context, Rev Thorogood was appointed as its rst General Secretary. His visionary and audacious leadership in those pioneering years set the stage for member churches to claim their giftedness and to participate in the sending and receiving of missionaries from everywhere to everywhere. His leadership has also paved the way for a CWM that has ourished to become a highly recognised prophetic presence in the global landscape and within the international ecumenical community.

After retiring from the position of General Secretary for CWM, Bernard went on to serve the United Reformed Church as its General Secretary, a position he held until 1992. Throughout all this time and even after his retirement, Rev Thorogood continued to demonstrate an active interest in the life and wellbeing of CWM. Although he was unable to attend our 40th-anniversary celebration in Singapore, in 2017, he was the rst of our former General Secretaries to send a message of congratulations to CWM. He continued to share his thoughts about the direction of CWM with the current leadership. Up until as recently as the early part of this year, we received correspondence from him, including his most recent anthology, which carried some rather inspirational pieces and a clear articulation of his discipleship journey and the sense that he had nished his course, kept the faith and was ready for his nal destination with the God he served and the future he embraced.

Council for World Mission celebrates the life and witness of this great servant of the Church and as our leader emeritus. We remember him as someone who led with integrity, boldness, pastoral sensitivity and prophetic relevance. He gave much and took us far in those early years when we were learning what it meant to break loose from the vestiges of the colonial missionary mentality and power constructs and to redene ourselves as an organisation of equals irrespective of geopolitical location, numerical strength or nancial capacity.

The Board of Directors, member churches and the Secretariat of CWM oer our sincere condolences to his dear wife, Joan, his children John and Neil and all other members of the family, as well as the United Reformed Church. We assure you of our prayers for you during this time of great loss, and we encourage you to take comfort in the sure knowledge that Bernard gave as much as he could and that our lives are the richer for knowing him, serving with him and learning from him.

For all the saints who from their labours rest,

Who Thee, by faith, before the world confessed

Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest

CWM joins ecumenical call to end social injustice and racism

United Nations Human Rights Council debate on “current racially inspired human rights violations, systematic racism, police brutality against people of African descent and violence against peaceful protests.”

As people of faith, we welcome the debate held by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on 17-18 June on “current racially inspired human rights violations, systematic racism, police brutality against people of African descent and violence against peaceful protests”, and the call for the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry into the on-going human rights violations of African descendant people in the United States and globally.

The recent killing of George Floyd in the United States sparked protests across the world and was the catalyst for calls for the UNHRC to hold this debate which was supported by 54 African countries and more than 600 human rights organisations around the world.

The world watched for 8 minutes and 46 seconds as a police officer knelt on the neck of Mr. Floyd resulting in his death. George Floyd’s murder points to the systemic and pervasive ways in which racism continues to inflict death and pain on black communities globally. Racism is a global problem that needs to be changed through legislation and intentional actions such as holding countries accountable for the systems that perpetuate inequality and injustice because of racism. The world is responding to these deadly acts of racism. The call for action from the United Nations is timely, it is appropriate and is an acknowledgement of the oppression, marginalisation and killing of Black people.

The United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024) was an invitation from the UN for the world to recognise that African descendant people are a group whose rights have to be promoted and protected. Noting that there are over 200 million people of African descent in the Americas, the decade calls for recognition, justice and development. In naming the need for promotion and protection of human rights of African descendant people, the UN is ensuring that George Floyd and others receive justice for the grievous actions committed against them. We must ensure that each individual has the right to live in freedom with dignity and respect, and to have their human and civil rights guaranteed.

Anti-black racism and racist actions are violations of human rights. These acts of racism against African descendant people are well documented historically and in our contemporary contexts. The historic roots of anti-black racism are grounded in the commodification of African lives as seen in the Transatlantic Slave Trade, the East Africa Slave Trade, and the disregard for those who were enslaved and their descendants.

The call for change has not been enough. Petitions to their nations’ capitals have not brought about the deep changes that are necessary in countries around the world. As Christians believing in the love of God and the call for justice in the Judeo-Christian scriptures, we join with organisations around the world in calling for change and to the upholding of the human rights of African descendant people.

We welcome the words of Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, UN Special Rapporteur on Racism Professor E. Tendayi Achiume, High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, and other speakers in the debate who condemned the murder of George Floyd and the structural injustice and oppression both in the US and elsewhere which allowed it to happen. We salute the bravery of Mr. Floyd’s brother Philonise Floyd who so movingly shared the tragic details of his brother’s last moments, conveying the trauma he and his family are experiencing following the loss of a much-loved member of their family in these circumstances.

We call upon the Human Rights Council to investigate the circumstances of his death and the situation of systemic racism and related police brutality, both in the US and other parts of the world, and to ensure accountability for these violations. We call upon the Government of the US to fully cooperate with the investigation.

We call upon our churches to learn about the ways in which members and congregations can help drive global change to combat racial injustice through the United Nations human rights mechanisms.

Additionally, we ask that members:

Call for an end to militarisation, police violence, the killings, and all other forms of violence against African descendant people

Commit to dismantling racism and discrimination in all forms

Embrace and encourage an anti-racist environment within communities with commitment to accountability

Commit to reflection and introspection that will increase personal awareness and ways to be engaged in solving this global problem

On behalf of the signatories of this letter, the Permanent Missions to the United Nations at Geneva will be contacted to urge them to support the resolution for the Human Rights Council to create the Commission of Inquiry.

Anglican Church in Canada

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Council for World Mission

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

KAIROS Canada

National Council of Churches (USA) Reformed Church in America

The United Church of Canada

The Episcopal Church

United Church of Christ

World Communion of Reformed Churches

World Council of Churches