Jesus Celebration Centre, one of the biggest churches in Mombasa, has said it will not be reopening any time soon.
Lead Pastor Wilfred Lai said on Sunday the requirement to run services for one hour limits them from worshiping and “doing all we gather to do”.
“It will be difficult to implement,” Lai said in a statement.
He said the 100-person limit per hour session was also untenable.
He said it would be difficult to choose who will join the services and who will not.
JCC has a membership of more than 10,000 worshippers.
The main church, JCC Bamburi, has a capacity of about 5,000 people while the Buxton branch can host about 3,000.
There are also the Likoni and Chaani branches which can host about 1,000 and 800 respectively.
“It will be difficult to send away anyone who comes for help without attending to them putting into consideration that, that’s what we are called to do,” Lai said.
The church asked its pastors to continue online services until when it will be possible to meet “as a family”.
“However, our Home Bible Churches (HBCs) should start to meet from July 20, 2020 on our normal HBC day,” Lai said.
June Lance, a worshipper at JCC, echoed Lai, saying the one hour period was too short to warrant people travelling from far areas to the church.
She said the one hour would not be sufficient time to be spiritually nourished.
“It is like going to see a doctor in hospital and the hospital tells you you have only five minutes to be at the hospital. You cannot state your problem, be diagnosed and be treated in five minutes. It is better not to go to hospital at all,” Lance said.
“That one hour is only for praise and worship. So it is better we go on with our online worship.”
She said the age limits mean there will be few pastors to care for the flock.
“Most of our leaders are 58 and above. Who will preach to us?” she posed.
But worshipers at the ACK Mombasa Memorial Cathedral will have no such worries.
Their only worry will be who will get to church first.
The church has opened a desk for worshipers to register before attending the Sunday service.
Church provost Festus Kiseu said registration for entrance will be on a first come, first served basis.
He said apart from the normal 7am, 9am, 11am and 6pm services they have introduced praise and worship service at 2pm.
“The Sunday service will resume this weekend as per the government protocol before the reopening,” he said.
Kiseu said the church administration will strictly implement government directives and called for cooperation from worshippers.
“Anyone who will not be registered and who has not got the nod will not be allowed to attend the Sunday services,” he said on phone.
In the church, only 78 worshippers will be allowed.
The other 22 slots will be taken by the clergy and the church choir members.
All the services will be strictly for one hour.
“Please, we would not like to see people waste chances to come to church. Once, you have been registered and given the green light to attend a service, please come. If you don’t, you will have wasted that one slot,” Kiseu said.
Edited by Henry Makori
