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Churches press on with outreach mission despite falling offerings

Published:Tuesday | April 21, 2020 | 12:20 AMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

Although taking a financial hit with coronavirus restrictions on public gatherings making allowance for no more than 10 persons present at each service, local churches are still pressing on with their mandate as stewards of their respective communities.

Churches generally depend on monetary offerings during services and special events to raise funds to maintain their operations and assist the needy in the community.

Westmoreland Custos Reverend Hartley Perrin, who pastors the Petersfield-based St Peter’s Anglican Church in the parish, said that its outreach continues for the sake of spiritual growth, albeit that the members’ ability to give is restricted due to services being streamed over social media.

“We’ve been using Zoom and Facebook with a view to reaching out, but that doesn’t bring us any financial merit,” Perrin told The Gleaner. “But we’re hoping that it will help the general populace, as well as the members, in their spiritual encounters at this time.”

No money coming in

Despite the hit, he said that the church is still assisting where it can.

“The income of the church has been significantly impacted, and there’s no money coming in because there are only a few members who would consider making a contribution to the church [at a time like this]. We have been doing a bit of outreach to the community, especially to the most vulnerable, but we’re limited because of the fact that we don’t have the resources,” Perrin said.

The Reverend Marc Mullings, pastor of the Mount Salem-based Emmanuel Chapel in St James, said that wise church assemblies would have planned ahead for their resources to be sustained in times of restriction.

“Astute assemblies would have ensured that they have emergency reserves so they can deal with things like this,” said Mullings. “We know there are assemblies that have made the necessary arrangements for persons to continue to give. A number of us as churches are working together to get some care packages out to the different communities, and for the next few weeks or so, we should be able to weather the storm.”

In Hanover, the Reverend Glenroy Clarke of the Lucea United Church said that churches must practise good stewardship of the resources they have so that in times of emergency, they will be able to still function.

“Offerings are the income that the church has, but the church preaches a message of stewardship, so as a steward, you have to be wise and prepare for any eventuality. As a church, we have been doing outreach in this time, as we have distributed over 400 care packages so far through our resources,” said Clarke.