Praise And Sanitiser: The New Normal

While some congregants are delighted to be back in church, most religious institutions will remain closed due to Covid-19

- Duenna Mambana

The pungent smell of hand sanitiser fills the crisp morning air as worshippers, dressed in their Sunday finest, queue patiently outside the church.

It’s been months since the faithful have been allowed to assemble at places of worship, and at the House of Fellowship in Tembisa, congregants are waiting to have their temperatures checked and to sign a register before they’re allowed to enter.

Under level 3 lockdown rules, only 50 people are allowed inside places of worship. On the first Sunday in June there were just 35 congregants at the House of Fellowship, their faces obscured by now-ubiquitous face masks.

Congregants were admitted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Hugs and handshakes, once the standard greeting at the church, are no longer allowed. Instead, people are giving one another polite nods, and tentative elbow bumps.

Through their masks, though, one could make out smiling faces. Churchgoer Dumisani Nkuna tells DRUM she’s excited to be back.

“Walking in here today felt very emotional. I was immediately filled with hope that everything would be okay. There’s just something about fellowship you can’t fake,” she says.

The choir, known as the worship team, are decked out in black-and-white outfits, complete with matching masks. Like the band and the congregation, they’re positioned a metre away from one another. They’re no longer allowed to share microphones and despite their enthusiastic performance, few people are moved to dance to the hymns.

Despite the sombre atmosphere, Dumisani is relieved to have church services back in her routine. “Look, even if government only allowed 10 people [at a service], I’d have been happy sitting in my corner and listening to the Word. As long as I get to be in some kind of fellowship, I’m happy.