Allow those at age 58 onwards and Children below 13 to attend church, clergy says

 Apostle Bishop Dr. Washington Ogonyo Ngede of Power of Jesus Around the World.He has urged the Government to allow those above 58 years and below 13 years to also attend services at their places of worship as President Uhuru Kenyatta today announced phase re-opening

By Dickson Odhiambo

July 6, 2020

Allow those at age 58 onwards and Children below 13 to attend church, clergy says

 A Clergy in Nyanza has urged President Uhuru Kenyatta and Members of the Interfaith Council to allow those at 58 years and above to attend to the places of worship as President today has announced a phased re-opening of the country.

The Chairman of the Nyanza Council of Church Leaders Apostle Bishop Dr. Washington Ogonyo Ngede says the move to open the church by the Government three months after being shut due to fear of spread of corona virus is a good one indeed and thank President Uhuru Kenyatta for doing so.

Addressing the press his office within the Power of Jesus around the world Church’s compound today, Ngede said they had presented a proposal to the Interfaith Council to allow those aged 65 and above to also be allowed to go and worship at their various places of worship across the country.

He says the move to cap the age at above 58 and 13 years and below not to attend to such places of worship should be reviewed and allowed to also be part of the congregation.

Ngede says all those who are not showing serious health conditions should be allowed to attend the services at their places of worship without any restrictions so long as they will be strictly adhering to the Ministry of Health guidelines to help in curbing the spread of Covid-19.

“Let allow people to come to the church without putting restrictions on what age should attend and which ones should not. So long as they will be able to observe the strict guidelines from the Ministry of health that have been set out to help in curbing the spread of this pandemic,” Ngede says.

Ngede says elders should be there in the church to keep on guiding the younger generation hence should be at the places of worship, adding that those aged 58 years and below are still young and can’t run places of worship alone.

On the issue of not allowing children below 13 years not to attend the places of worship, the clergy is of the idea that they too be allowed to attend the services especially during the Sunday school, adding that the Bible requires children to be allowed to be before the Lord.

Ngede argues that the Children should be allowed to have a separate room acting as a place of worship where they will attend the services.

“We will ensure that children have separate room where they will attend the services at taught by their Sunday school teachers. We can’t keep our children away because they are the future of the church and other places of worship,” Ngede adds.

The clergy further says even Jesus Christ recognized children and allowed them to be within the places of worship, adding that this should act as a true testimony that children belong to God.

Apostle Bishop Dr. Ngede’s sentiment comes barely a few hours after President Uhuru Kenyatta has today announced a phased re-opening of the country including places of worship to commence the phased re-opening for congregational worship and public{in person} worship in strict conformity with all applicable guidelines and protocols including the self-regulating guidelines that the Interfaith Council has developed.

The President says in the guideline that the Interfaith Council has developed, only a maximum of 100 participants will be allowed at each worship ceremony and not more than one hour.

Uhuru has ordered that Sunday schools and Madrassas shall remain suspended until further notice, and in-person worship shall not include congregants under the age of 13 years or above the age of 58 years or persons with underlying conditions.

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