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| Coping Strategies of the Church during Covid-19 Pandemic in Nigeria
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BAIYERI, Hezekiah Banji and UMEJIAKU, Ucheakolam Elizabeth
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Abstract:
Many churches were apparently shut down during COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria, It is not too certain what challenges some students faced during the lockdown, such as alleged incidence of rape, domestic violence, hunger, deprivation. Moreover, COVID-19 did not only affect students, but their respective local churches in rural and urban centres. Furthermore, there seems to be inadequate systematic evidence-based research reports on coping strategies of some of the churches attended by students as members. Therefore, this paper asks this question: What coping strategies do Roman Catholic Churches and Anglican Churches adopt during COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria? The work is a qualitative research which adopts case study research design, with emphasis on the use of open-ended questionnaire and online key informant interview to collect primary data and the use of content analysis of secondary data such as internet materials, research reports, journals and text books. Findings are namely; churches were shut down during lockdown associated with COVID-19, churches faced the challenges of poor income due to relatively little tithe and offering, lack of physical contact in the church, escalation of impoverished church members, low level of personal spirituality in contrast to lively spirituality usually enhanced by physical contact in church fellowship. Similarly, the findings show that churches adopted these coping strategies: online interactive prayer programme, online bible study programme, live streaming of worship service through facebook, youtube, zoom, skype and google meet, distribution of audio and video records of live services and palliative to church members. This paper recommends the following: integration of virtual technologies into church activities, on line giving mechanism of tithe and offering, digital management information system in church administration as pro - active measure ahead of disaster period.
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