IMPACT OF THE 2019-20 CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) PANDEMIC ON THE CHURCH IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) that started out as an epidemic in Wuhan, China in December 2019 has become a pandemic, affecting the whole world. The first confirmed case of the disease in Nigeria was announced on 27 February 2020, when an Italian citizen in Lagos tested positive for the viral infection. Since then, Nigeria has witnessed the spread of this disease across the different states of the country. The pandemic has impacted both global and local economies in several ways along with other implications. In Nigeria the disease has impacted areas such as economy, health, social, religion, and others. This paper using critical analysis of observations of events within the church in Nigeria and other publications from written and online sources, examines the effects of COVID-19 on the Christians and their churches in Nigeria. It argues that the pandemic has impact on the church. It highlights the negative and positive impact of the pandemic on the church. The negative impacts include loss of human lives, church closure, trauma, and decline in church finance. The positive impacts include survival strategies, promotion of unity, enhanced church/government co-operation, and spiritual revival. The paper recommends that the church should innovate ways for survival such as virtual services, collection of church funds through modern banking transactions. These strategies will help the church during the COVID-19 infection period and beyond.