COVID-19 and the Persecuted Church in Chad

The Barnabas Fund is, as ever, keeping a careful and caring eye on the situation of believers all over the world.  COVID-19 has disproportionately affected poor and persecuted Christians.  The following is a summary of recent news published by the Barnabas Fund.

Chad, 1st April 2020

According to a senior pastor in the country, on 30th March there were seven confirmed cases of the virus in the country.  The government has acted quickly in shutting down public places, including the airport and all mass transportation.  The Church has responded quickly and obediently to the order to shut down places of public worship – in contrast, and in defiance of the Islamic Affairs Council, a number of radical mosques refused to close their doors.  This has prompted the government to send in security forces to shut them down.

Chadian culture doesn’t lend itself to lockdown.  There is no support for those who are unable to leave their homes to go to work.  Chadian homes are open, and people live not so much inside their homes as generally within their compounds, which will make preventing the spread of the virus difficult.  Some of breaking the rules – hiding in bars to drink and smoke behind closed doors.  Theivery is on the rise.  The prohibition of public transport is being enforced in the capital, but not in the surrounding areas where security is less tight.

Lack of resources is impacting the Chadian Church – the inability to produce publications raising awareness about the virus, the lack of communication links between churches, and scarcity of basic supplies such as soap, bleach and adequate food for poor Christian families.

In the face of these difficulties, the pastor reports these blessings arising from COVID-19:

1. “The Church is forced to unite and cooperate
2. The evaluation of these first two weeks shows that meeting in home and small groups has not affected the demographics of the Church on the contrary.
3. The bars, video clubs and others being closed, families are more together and Children are not under the bad influences of these media.
4. People are more open to God.”