Trelawny pastor hosts virtual communion
Published:Wednesday | April 15, 2020 | 12:08 AMLeon Jackson/Gleaner Writer
Western Bureau:
With restrictions on gatherings forcing many churches to restrict the number of persons attending services in person to 10, many have been moving worship sessions online to reach out to congregants.
With this being Easter – the most important season in the Christian calendar – two Sundays ago, one Trelawny pastor went online to execute the communion in remembrance of the body and blood of Jesus that was broken and poured at the cross.
The Reverend Devere Nugent of the William Knibb Circuit of Baptist Churches in Trelawny served up the virtual communion during his service under the theme ‘Word From The Mountain’.
As he undertook the ceremonial part of the communion, where members would be served wine, representing the blood of Jesus Christ; and bread, representing his body, Nugent called on worshippers who wanted to take part to have their own wine and bread at hand at their respective homes.
“He went through the usual ritual of blessing both, and then we all partook of the communion from our respective locations,” a member of the congregation told The Gleaner.
In explaining his decision, Nugent said with five churches to have services in his circuit, he decided that if he could preach online, he could also do the communion online.
“It was impossible to reach the membership for regular communion,” said Nugent, who is renowned for his revolutionary way of doing things. “Communion is a display of one’s relationship with God. It is a renewal of faith.”
No concerns
Quizzed as to how non-members might react to seeing the service online, inclusive of the communion, which is considered particularly sacred, Nugent said he has no real concerns.
“You cannot be judgemental. Even in church, you cannot be certain about the condition of a person’s life. It is between them and God,” said Nugent.
In fact, the pastor believes that online church create a unique opportunity for the church.
“We are now able to reach our members right across the world. They can get a feeling of being in a service that is intimate to them,” said Nugent.