Prophet Shepherd Bushiri has said the church in Malawi should not just take a leading role in preaching the message of hope to the nation, but it should also contribute to the needs of the people affected by COVID-19.

Bushiri made the statement on Wednesday afternoon while announcing Online Inter-Christian Faith Prayers for Malawi slated for Thursday evening from 7 to 8pm and will be LIVE on all local television stations.

The Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) leader who is leading the team of church leaders in these prayers underlined that Malawi is experiencing a scourge on the conscious of humanity and its colossal effect is so vast to be handled by those in power alone.

“Despite the grip of fear and the resultant negative aspects that COVID-19 has had on the church, we still believe that the Church must not negate its prophetic role of advising the Church to remain faithful and to always obey God,” he said.

In a separate interview, one of the men of God attending the prayers, Bishop Dr Gilford Matonga, chief Bishop of Pentecostal Assemblies of Malawi, said it’s important for the church to unite during this pandemic because ‘we have a voice and we need to use it effectively’.

He added that, during the prayers, the church will underline that it has a duty to provide truthful and honest advice to the public by ensuring that our people are adhering to guidelines and regulations put in place by government.