Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Amidst Coronavirus' Pandemics, Churches still Administer Services Leading to Easter

Amidst Coronavirus Pandemic, Local Church Still Service Its Congregations

Analysis and Written     : by Fernando Savero Suhendra
Published Date               : Wednesday, 29 April 2020

[News Reporting]
News Writing
As coronavirus’ pandemic is infiltrating across Indonesia, in a press conference conducted at the presidential palace, on Sunday afternoon (15/3), President Joko Widodo strongly urged all Indonesians to limit their activities outside of home, from learning, working, and even to the extent of worshipping, including church services, to optimally counter the Covid-19’s issue.

In response, the Chairman of Persekutuan Gereja-Gereja di Indonesia (PGI), an alliance body of churches in Indonesia, Pastor Gomar Gultom, addressed that Christians do not congregate collectively for their Sunday services.

Following the appeal made by the president as well as the remark delivered by the Chairman of PGI, churches, both megachurches and local churches, such as Gereja Isa Almasih (GIA) Kopo Permai, undertook modifications, in order to accommodate alterations, from their traditional, typical forms of liturgies to a more high-tech-based.

Alternatively, church’s’ ongoing services are broadcasted live through applications such as ‘Livestream’ and ‘YouTube’.

Not only that, other prior-regulated weekly spiritual activities are either conducted via applications, such as WhatsApp for churches-affiliated meetings and Zoom for cell groups, or postponed to an unknown period, such as pre-marital guidance sessions and catechism.

According to Mr. Yohan, a 20-years weekly attendee in GIA Kopo Permai,

(1:21) “Sewaktu ibadah bersama-sama, tentu dapat berkomunikasi, bersenda gurau, dapat saling menasehati, saling berbagi, dan saling menguatkan iman dan pengharapan kita di dalam Tuhan Yesus Kristus. Akan tetapi, di dalam situasi seperti ini, kita harus menerima dengan lapang dada.” (1:45) [ (1:21) “During cooperate service, each members of the assembly are adequate to communicate, cheer, advise, share, and empower one another in faith and hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, in this kind of situation, we necessitate to accept it willingly.” (1:45)]

Concerns pertain to senior churchgoers as well as those from the middle-to-low income society also arise.

One of those issues relates to limitation of quota, which hinders the utilisation of the media, in this case YouTube, since it ceased in the middle of durations or become an obstacle for download.

To anticipate it, the church normally compressed to WhatsApp’s size prior to sending it.

To conclude, despite those obstacles, when contacted, Pastor Yusak Sugiono, the pastor from GIA Kopo Permai, perceive the situation optimistically as

(2:19) “Cara Tuhan untuk membangkitkan orang percaya untuk lebih dekat dengan Tuhan.” (2:25) [(2:19) “God’s way of raising believers to be more intimate with Him.” (2:25)]

Interviewees’ Contact Details:
Name                                     :dr. Yohan Suhendra
Phone Number                       : +6281222962609/081222962609
E-mail                                    : yohansuhendra@gmail.com
Method of Interview              :Interviewed face-to-face

Name                                     : Pastor Yusak Franky Sugiono
Phone Number                       : +6285223777845/085223777845
Method of Interview              : Interviewed through WhatsApp’s voice call

Background's Story
As coronavirus’ pandemic is infiltrating across Indonesia, the Indonesian president, President Joko Widodo, on Sunday afternoon (15/3) strongly urged all Indonesians to limit their activities outside of home, from learning, working, and even worshipping, such as church services. In a press conference conducted at the presidential palace, he voiced, “Dengan kondisi ini saatnya kita bekerja dari rumah, belajar dari rumah, ibadah di rumah. Inilah saatnya bekerja bersama-sama saling tolong menolong, dan bersatu padu, gotong royong, kita ingin ini menjadi gerakan masyarakat agar masalah Covid-19 in tertangani dengan maksimal.” (2020) [“With this condition, it is our time to work from home, to study from home, and to worship from home. It is our time to cooperatively assist one another, and united in mutual cooperation. We want this to be communities’ movement so that the Covid-19’s issue may be dealt with optimally."] Aligning itself with the president’s commend, numerous measures have been taken by religious’ organisations, including churches, to adapt with recent adjustments. 

With a population of 272,864,014 citizens, according to the World Population Review, 9,87% of them professed as Christians. (2020) Due to their crucial role as an agent to fulfil spiritual and wellbeing of congregations and as an agent of kindness, love towards the community, churches still necessitate to sustain their duties to deliver services. Nonetheless, as a result of the government’s approach of social distancing to anticipate further escalations of the number of cases, in contrast to regular weekly services, a form of home-based services is instituted.  As reported by Ibnu Hariyanto from detikNews, when contacted on Saturday (21/3), the chairman of Persekutan Gereja-Gereja di Indonesia (PGI), Alliance of Churches in Indonesia, Pastor Gomar Gultom addressed that “Ibadah Minggu di rumah masing-masing, tidak berkumpul di gereja.” (2020) [“Sunday service is to be hold in their respective homes, not gathered in the church.”] He added, “Gereja memfasilitasi pilihan lagu dan doa-doa melalui live streaming.” (2020) [“The church facilitates choices of songs and prayers through live streaming.’] This message is to be applied particularly in prone district areas, known as the red areas, as well as overall districts, mainly in the capital city, Jakarta, along with other cities.

           To accommodate to alterations, churches undertook modifications to their typical forms of liturgies, from traditional, amateur styles to technological mode, utilising digital applications. Churches’ ongoing services are broadcasted live through digital aspects such as ‘Livestream’ and ‘Broadcast Me’. Pastors greet, brief, and give announcements, including sharing the Word of God, to their corresponding churchgoers through live features in Instagram, and even YouTube channel. In the meantime, disinfectants are being sprayed in churches. For megachurches with a high number of attendees, such as JPCC (Jakarta Praise and Community Church), Mawar Sharon Church, etc. with their numerous branches disperse across the archipelago, this might be easily attainable considering they have been engaging high-tech prior to the outbreak, whereas for others, peculiarly local churches, this might be state-of-the-art course, where hard work is compulsory in order to be accustomed to the rather unexpected transition.

           Albeit, the positive aspect it yields as it provides time for churches to be sprayed with disinfectants for cleanliness and health-intentions, the policy does limits activities of the church.
Bibliographies:





at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Social Media and Education

What benefits and problems are entailed in the increasing reliance on digital media in and outside the classroom?  Written and Published:...