An inquiry into the effects of COVID 19 to the church: a case study of the Brethren in Christ Church-Nkulumane (2020-2021)

Abstract

The novel covid-19 pandemic led to change in lifestyles and other social activities including religious gatherings. In Zimbabwe, the government restricted attendance of worship places in March, 2020 to help curb the spread of covid-19. This study sought to make an inquiry into the effects of COVID 19 to the Brethren in Christ Church. A case study was carried out in BICC Nkulumane, one of the oldest branches in Bulawayo as a representative of other BICC churches. Questionnaire and interview guide were used for data collection. 40 questionnaires were distributed to the targeted group and group interviews were carried out to obtain enough information within a short space of time. Key leaders of different church ministries, the pastor, and randomly picked congregants saved as the participants. The study found out that church gatherings have been affected forcing services to be done online. Online services were a challenge for the church at Nkulumane. Moreover, leadership challenges were also discovered not forgetting the negative impact on the faith of the believers. In as much, offerings have taken a nose-dive trend at Nkulumane contributed by a combination of different factors. After the findings, recommendation were proposed with the hope that they may provide a solution to the prevailing challenges caused by the outbreak of COVID 19.