While Zambia’s Health Mandates Prohibit Hugs and Handshakes, Limit Church Services to Two Hours, and Restrict Holy Communion, Adventists Call for “Complete Compliance”

Once more, the state and medical authorities seek to control every aspect of religious practice and human life. There is a lust for power and control, which extends to deciding what actions churches may or may not take. Revelation 13 predicts that those in positions of power will soon issue an oppressive decree requiring worship to take place only on Sundays. And if the state can tell us how many hours we can worship, when we can and cannot shake hands and give hugs, or when we can participate in communion service, then they can certainly tell us what day we should attend church.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is among the major churches in Zambia that have received a list of health directives from the Office of the Vice President regarding new regulations aimed at curbing the cholera outbreak. The following was reported by the local news:

• “The Office of the Vice President has directed that churches must lessen the duration of worship to a maximum of two hours in view of the cholera outbreak. The Office of the Vice-President has also directed that congregants must avoid handshakes or hugs. In a letter dated January 9, 2023, addressed to various church mother bodies, the Office of the Vice-President Parliamentary Business, National Guidance and Religious Affairs Division Permanent Secretary Ndiwa Mutelo said church members must observe the health guidelines.” [1]

In response to Zambia’s government health mandates, both the Southern and Northern Zambia Union Conferences issued a joint-letter to all Seventh-day Adventist Church leaders and members calling for “strict adherence” and “complete compliance with all guidelines issued by the Office of the Vice President.”

Once again, when it comes to whether or not the state should impose church policies, Seventh-day Adventists are blindly following the advice of politicians and the medical establishment. Too often, health mandates have been wrong and almost always disregard civil and religious liberties. The Covid-19 mandates were too severe and oppressive when it came to personal freedoms and economic activities. We all now realize that the lockdowns, mask mandates, and social distancing measures infringed upon individual liberties, created economic hardships, and didn’t work to stop the spread of Covid. Additionally, the long duration of these measures, coupled with uncertainty about their effectiveness, raised serious concerns about government overreach.

Although public health is important, a balanced approach that takes into account the physical well-being, socioeconomic, and religious aspects of society is required. These are all essential. As a matter of fact, Jesus predicted that there would be “pestilences” (Matthew 24:7) during the last days and that we would have to endure these kinds of outbreaks while still maintaining the church’s mission of preaching the gospel to the whole world (Matthew 24:14). Our work doesn’t go into lockdown mode, but rather, it increases in strength in its upward flight.

“The third angel, flying in the midst of heaven and heralding the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus, represents our work. The message loses none of its force in the angel’s onward flight, for John sees it increasing in strength and power until the whole earth is lightened with its glory. The course of God’s commandment-keeping people is onward, ever onward. The message of truth that we bear must go to nations, tongues, and peoples. Soon it will go with a loud voice, and the earth will be lightened with its glory. Are we preparing for this great outpouring of the Spirit of God?” (Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 383)

Sources

[1] https://diggers.news/local/2024/01/12/govt-directs-churches-to-restrict-worship-to-2-hours/