The Church Punished By Inconsistent, Prejudiced Politicians

Invercargill Reverend Calls For Ability to Worship Together

Damian Rowe
Stuff

First Presbyterian Church Reverend Nyalle Paris says people should now be able to worship in churches together.  Under Covid-19 Alert Level 2, the Government has restricted public gatherings of groups larger than 10 people, which will reviewed by Cabinet on May 25. 

However, cinemas, bars, restaurants and shops can operate and earlier this week the Government raised the limit of people able to attend funerals. Rev Paris said while the pandemic meant people were living in unprecedented times there had been no new coronavirus cases in the Southern District Health Board catchment area for weeks and it was time to allow some form of worship.

It seemed ironic that cinemas, cafés, bars and schools could open but the church could not, Rev Paris said.  It was also against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights regarding the freedom to religion, he said.


Attorney-general David Parker earlier said breaking human rights was justified.  “The Government believes the restrictions it has imposed are a justified and appropriate response to the unprecedented risk Covid-19 poses to the health of all New Zealanders. There is no vaccine, no cure and the health advice stressed the crucial importance of physical distancing."

Rev Paris said he believed congregations were unable to gather because fellowship was where people typically hugged and shared tea and biscuits.  However, they could conduct worship with people distanced and putting sign in and hygiene measures in place, Rev Paris said.

The church held its last service of March 22, and had a roll for contact tracing, distancing practices were in place and most elderly people older than 70 stayed home, he said.

The importance of getting back to church to May 31 was Pentecost, an important day in the Christian calendar that celebrated the coming of the Holy Spirit.  The church had been operating online services, but the several weeks of lockdown had been the longest period Rev Paris had known when they could not meet.

For Baptist Sandra Knight, who had been going to church for nearly 40 years, the lockdown had been the longest period of time she had not been at church since she was 15.  "When I first walk into church, when we are actually allowed to attend, together I will cry." 

Knight also wants churches to be able to open and is perplexed as to why they are not allowed to worship when other spaces can hold 100 people.  During the lockdown, Knight said she missed the people, praying together and the music they would sing at church.