IT was an evening filled with high-spirited praise and worship for scores of churches across the island which celebrated New Year’s Eve with services while observing strict coronavirus (COVID-19) protocols.

Most of the places of worship ensured services ended before 9:00 pm and continued to celebrate online, unlike the customary watch night services, as the Government enforced curfew orders of 10:00 pm to control spread of the novel coronavirus.

When the Jamaica Observer visited Tarrant Baptist Church, a member who checked a registration list gruffly told the newspaper that only people who were listed could enter the rchurch, and media coverage was not allowed.

“No, no, no! No cameraman, no media people. Pastor say no media people,” she said.

Meanwhile at Fellowship Tabernacle, led by Rev Al Miller among other pastors, service commenced with a prayer followed by a few choruses under the theme, ‘2021 and Ready’.

Pastor Marlett Pottinger, who has been a member for 19 years, said that service was impactful as they worshipped in the midst of different circumstances (COVID-19 pandemic).

“It is more impactful now than ever because we have realised that the things of this world have been shaken. In any place where persons have put their trust, we have realised that the only place that you can truly put your trust is in Jesus Christ,” she said.

Noting that the church was grateful to worship in a physical space as the privilege was taken away from churches in other countries, Pastor Pottinger said the Government made it possible.

“What makes a big difference is the fact that we are now so grateful. We have been grateful in years gone by but we have realised the things we have taken for granted, that no longer we can do that. It is a time now to give God thanks. We are more grateful just to be able to come out, to worship, and we are also grateful for the Government that we have so that we can get together as a church,” she said.

Deacon at Church of the Open Bible and president of Guardian Life Limited, Eric Hosin echoed similar sentiments, noting that their service was about giving God thanks despite the challenging year.

“The celebration is giving God thanks and praise as we have gone through a very difficult time, but God has been very good to us and we have to give him thanks,” he said.

Adding that the church usually accommodated 1,000 people before the COVID-19 pandemic, Deacon Hosin said only 200 members were facilitated to ensure protocols were properly observed.

“Coming into the church, you are checked – and it is something that we try to make sure that we are doing as required by the Government. Watch night service, we [now] have to call it a watch evening service because we cannot go until midnight, so it is certainly different,” he said.

Meanwhile, Rev Carolyn Facey of Freedom Evangelical Association in Portmore explained that there was an unexpectedly great turnout and the hope is to partake in more street evangelism in 2021.

“It has really been good; we never expected such a turnout. We are just celebrating what God has done for us in 2020.We want to go out there and evangelise because we realise that there are many persons out there who are in need of Christ, especially during this time. We are in the process of training our young people now to bring more souls into the Kingdom, as people are desperate and their hope can only be found in God,” said Rev Facey.

Deaconess Evelyn Gayle at Power of Faith Ministries, also in Portmore, said, “The service has been good [as] persons have turned out early. Because of social distancing we can only accommodate 500 persons and tonight, we have about 400 persons. It has been a troublesome time so we are just giving thanks [to God] for seeing us through the difficult time.”