By Rev. Teboho G. Klaas, 19th Episcopal District
The Covid-19 disruption has also changed how pastoring takes place more than one way. During strict lockdown regulations, except for burials, a pastoral service does not feature as an essential service as it would be regarded a part of the heal team while a person is hospitalised. Pastors are not permitted to physically minister to the sick in hospitals.
Until Sunday, March 22, 2020, Robinson Temple AME Church conducted more than one weekly worship, in addition to other prayer and study opportunities. Over 200 others were reached through recorded sermons beyond the in-person worship encounters, a practice spanning 10 years now. A third weekly public worship was in the offing for Saturday early evenings to allow members unable to partake on Sundays, due work or other reasons.
While commemorating the Lent season, on March 15, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced an initial, light nation-wide lockdown which saw schools closed to prevent further infections. A South African tested positive to Covid-19, returning from Italy with 9 others who were still to be traced and tested. A week later, a 21-day lockdown with stricter regulations was declared.
3,465 people of South Africa’s estimated 58 million population are confirmed Covid-19 positive, with 58 deaths recorded. Meanwhile, screening, testing and tracing is gaining speed through public health, especially for people without medical aid coverage.
In the first announcement, at least, public worship and bible studies could still be conducted with physical distancing and sanitisation of hands was applied for as long as people did not exceed100 in the sanctuary.
The only form of gathering permitted during the lockdown is a funeral, which is limited to a maximum of 50 people in attendance. A day after the lockdown announcement, a member of the congregation (a stewardess and WMS member) died to natural causes (not to Covid-19 related) in a hospital.
The deceased wish was cremating her remains, a second encounter in my 30 years of pastoral experience, which the family honoured. The liturgical wording in our denominational book of worship proved inadequate because it is about laying down to earth when the deceased’s remains are to be burnt. I meant reworking prayers to fit the purpose, as I did in my first encounter.
Pastorally accompanying the bereaved, especially, during cremation, got intensified. The regulations, I was advised, required cremation to be done within three days after death was declared. More daily hours were needed to spend with the bereaved than usual.
Due to this death, I directly encountered the government’s granular details of the regulations which place a pastor in the realm of essential service, deposing a primary affidavit commissioned by the local police. I took an oath that I will strictly comply with the lockdown regulations requiring me to ensure that no more than 50 people will attend, they are physically distanced by a metre or two away from each other, their hands are sanitised and none physically has contact with the corpse during viewing, including the bereaved.
In addition, it was my responsibility that an attendance register is compiled, reflecting the attendees’ names, last names, identity numbers and contact details. This would enable tracing afterwards, should a person allege the funeral as a possible venue at which Covid-19 infection could have taken place.
In the event a government official inspects the funeral, a pastor would be liable for the transgressions and that could cause the funeral being stopped from proceeding. A flurry of media reports in these four weeks indicate pastors arrested for non-compliance with the regulations. Sadly, funerals have been identified as drivers of a rapid spread of infections.
Basic training in pastoral care fit for bereavement is a must for pastors because it is not only a spiritual responsibility but also requires administrative and leadership skill. It is intensely involved with working closely with bereaved families, counselling them in decision-making which still accords dignity to the deceased.
For instance, the cultural practice of cleansing corpses is not permitted these lockdown times and is a point of consternation for many. As a pastor, I needed to guide in foregoing the cultural practice in the interest through the process.
On the other side, it also meant managing a grieving congregation and community which does not have an opportunity to bid farewell to one of its own. Grieving is not a private activity of the family but a community process, especially in the instance of a person so active in the life of church ministries and the community. Interestingly, I still found a way to keep company with the bereaved family as I saw four churchwomen having arranged with the bereaved to stay in the house and prepare a family lunch to take after the cremation of their beloved.
