Dennis (centre) presents hand sanitisers and face masks to Andy at BEM On the Rock Church in Miri.
MIRI: Borneo Evangelical Mission (BEM) On the Rock Church here last Sunday held its first service after nearly four months of closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the Movement Control Order (MCO).
According to senior pastor Andy Anyi, preparations involving all aspects of health and safety protocols had been made by the church over the past two weeks.
“This thorough preparation is vital to ensure that the church is completely ready and safe for use during services. In addition, the church ensures that observance of SOP (standard operating procedure) as directed by the government is in place to give members of the congregation peace of mind about their health,” he said.
Andy disclosed that about 1,000 people attended the service every Sunday before the MCO was enforced.
During the service last Sunday which was held in two sessions – at 8am, and 11am – about 250 people attended each session.
“Church-goers can book their seats via ‘Google form’ which will be issued by the church every weekend. Through this ‘Google form’ system, the church can control the number of people attending each session,” he said.
Meanwhile, those who are unable to attend services can watch the broadcast on YouTube at 8pm, and BEM On the Rock Facebook page.
Andy said throughout the MCO period, the church used social media as a platform to broadcast worship services to church members.
“Most of the other church programmes have also been conducted via social media so that the church is always in touch with its congregation.”
The Sunday service was also attended by Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau and his wife Debbie Irang.
At the service, Dennis announced a grant of RM2,000 for the church’s preparation for its reopening, as well as RM10,000 to support the development of the church.