Evangelical churches give thanks

The TT Council of Evangelical Churches (TTCEC) is thanking those who have come together to fight against the covid19 virus.

In a release, the council thanked the Prime Minister for steering the country through troubled waters despite having his own personal storms to navigate. It thanked the health minister for demonstrating compassion and concern for every citizen, and the CMO for maintaining calm and providing daunting clinical information.

The council thanked frontline workers from the ministries of national security and health, doctors, nurses, police officers, defence force and coast guard personnel, supermarket employees and those working at the utility companies.

It said the work of pastors and church leaders had also gone unnoticed. Pastors and leaders have been engaged in all-night and half-night prayer meetings, praying and fasting since the inception of the partial lockdown. The council said the case and death count would have been worse if not for their labour of love through prayer and petitioning.

TTCEC said the pastors and church leaders have been away from their families for many days and nights counselling those impacted by the pandemic, whether through loss of income or becoming ill with the virus.

The council said many pastors would have given up their salaries to ensure the needs of their congregation were met.

TTCEC said while it was grateful for the financial gift to churches to assist in meeting the needs of the people, many churches would have been doing so in their various communities since day one of the pandemic through their own finances. It said the reason TT has been able to feed its people despite the many challenges is that the church has been the extended hands of God’s love and hope holding the nation together.

The TTCEC thanked the pastors who had closed the doors of their sanctuaries in compliance with the government’s stay at home policy, as a mark of solitude and patriotism towards fighting the virus. It said it understood that the power of the church was its flock, and so continued to labour while respecting the call of social distancing.