For six months, Covid-19 lockdown restrictions prevented congregants from attending church services, but when Baptist Pentecost Church members from Khayelitsha finally returned, they were blessed when more than 30 elderly parishioners and people with disabilities received food parcels.
Church leader Bishop Sizwe Nyobole said the national lockdown had left thousands of vulnerable and neglected children hungry.
He said he had to go around asking for donations so that when the church reopened, elders, the disabled, pensioners and orphans could get something.
“It hasn’t been easy for all of us this year. That is the reason I decided to go around asking donations so that we can give to the needy when we reopen.
“We received donations from various sponsors, including some big shops. We had closed our church because of the coronavirus. But now we are starting again,” he said on Sunday.
After the short service the elders, the disabled, orphans and the sick gathered to fetch their parcels.
Bishop Nyobole said he was trying to establish partnerships with different retailers to provide support to his church members who are in need. “These are difficult times. As a leader and a man of God you cannot just sit back while people are suffering. You have to do something – bring some relief,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Nokuthula Magovu said she was amazed by the generosity shown to them.
“I am grateful to the church for giving us much needed support. Surely the generosity shown will help us going forward. Many of us had nothing because of Covid-19. This has been a really trying time to many of us. This is a good start for the church after such a long time,” she said.