important Glory Fire Church Covid-19 Update (since July 19th 2021)
Please take a moment to fully read!
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In the light of the government guidance and recommendations we are gently advising people coming to Glory Fire Church to wear masks.
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Can everyone also maintain basic awareness of social distance and regularly wash hands.
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Those who do not wish to wear a mask are free to do so, but please be aware of the social distancing and handwashing mentioned above.
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Anyone with symptoms of COVID-19, even if they are mild, should not attend. They should self-isolate immediately and get a PCR test.
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If someone has been instructed by NHS Test and Trace to self-isolate because they have tested positive for COVID-19, or they are the close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, they must self-isolate and not attend.
Why we are seeking to take this approach:
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We are commanded to love our neighbour (Mark 12:31) and some people, including visitors may feel cautious. We want them to feel safe and respected.
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We are commanded to obey and honour those in authority (Romans 13:1-2, 1 Peter 2:17)
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Whilst the government is not legislating the wearing of masks they are strongly advising to do so in crowded places. So as Pastors we think it is righteous before God to not disregard or disdain their guidance and advice.
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All organisations, employers and venue managers, have a legal duty to manage and mitigate all kinds of risks to those who come into their premises and in the eyes of the law their compliance with legislation and following guidance is taking into account. This is still directly relevant to the situation with Covid 19 in the UK.
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Throughout the whole pandemic we have closely followed the government guidance and it has been important to distinguish between guidance and legislation.
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For example: prior to July 19th 2021 the government legislated the wearing of masks but advised against singing and said if there is music please can it be recorded music.
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We could not compromise on singing as we sing to enter God's presence (Psalm 100:2), but we decided to suspend live music for a time.
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There is a righteous context to challenging the government. We as Pastors were part of a class action suit taking the government to court along with other pastors in the UK to force them to fully open churches (Only 122 Pastors took this stand, in the whole of the country!). The government backed down and the Prime Minister declared Churches open for services from January 1st. 2021.
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Note: The vast majority of Churches did not open in January.
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Glory Fire Church has been open since July 2020, we have not closed our doors.
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We suspended official services during the second lockdown from October to December 2020 in compliance with legislation but we remained open for 'individual prayer' within the boundaries of the law.
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We thank God for His faithfulness during these times. We have seen no outbreak of Covid outbreak, and we have remained open and have been fashioned more and more to become a House of Prayer.