WESTMORELAND, Jamaica — Administrators of the Hatfield Wesleyan Holiness Church were happy yesterday as they welcomed members they have not seen face-to-face for far too long.

For some, it was the first time in over a year they had gathered to worship in such numbers. In keeping with the relaxed COVID-19 protection measures announced last week, there were 42 worshippers in the church, 70 per cent of the group of 60 they typically have, on average.

A cautious Rev Wade Moore, the pastor in charge, kept a watchful eye on his congregants to ensure they were not putting each other at risk. As a church, he said, members are accustomed to hugging and kissing each another and generally being in close contact. Yesterday, unless they came from the same home, only two persons were allowed on each pew.

“As the pastor, I am responsible for what happens here. And because of that I have to be like the Christian police, so to speak, to make sure that things don’t get out of hand. So I try my best to explain to my people what they need to do and how they need to do it,” Moore explained.

Churchgoers all wore masks, observed social distancing, complied with temperature checks and had their hands sanitised at the door. Microphones were also sanitised in between users.

“[COVID-19] is real and it is out there, and if we are not careful it could affect us and bring us back to square one,” Moore said.

The past year, he said, has been challenging. Elderly members, particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, had to stay away, and with crowd-drawing activities curtailed the church was unable to host events they usually rely on to generate funds used to help the needy.

“We had a soup kitchen, but we had to close that down,” said Moore. “As a church we need money to feed the indigent and to take care of people who don’t have anybody. If the church doesn’t have any money, then we cannot reach out to the community in social ways.”

He conceded, though, that there had been an unexpected benefit: the church has become more tech savvy. Services are streamed live on Facebook and members keep connected through 8×8 Meet and WhatsApp. Moore said, in an effort to keep members safe, they will continue to leverage technology for the immediate future.

One churchgoer who has been utilising the online platforms is Marllet Jamieson. At one point, she stayed away for six months. Yesterday, she was happy to be back.

“I am happy for the reopening because a lot of persons are now able to attend, especially the older ones who are not able to navigate technology like Facebook and YouTube that well. Personally, I’d rather be here than watching it online because I can participate here,” she said, adding that, based on the protocols she saw being observed, she would recommend that others return to church.