Preaching to empty chairs is a traumatic experience – Sam Korankye

The outbreak of the pandemic has led to a ban on all social gatherings in the country as part of the measures announced by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Adoo to contain the spread of the virus.

According to Sam Korankye Ankrah, it embarrasses and saddens his heart to be preaching to empty chairs in the church auditorium that contains about five thousand people.

Rev. Korankye Ankrah made this revelation speaking on Accra-based Joy New Prime TV show hosted by Emefa Apau discussing ‘The Lockdown and beyond’ with various pastors on the need for the ban on social gathering to be lifted.

He said the pandemic has changed the ways of the church and now church leaders have to resort to preaching to empty chairs on Sundays.

‘I feel very embarrassed going through the trauma of having to preach to empty chairs because of the ban on social gathering he narrated.

My church has a capacity of about Five thousand and because of the COVID-19 church services cannot be held and I have to be preaching to empty chairs on live streaming platforms and other social media platforms he said

He said because of the pandemic, the church has devised ways of reaching to out some members of the church by live streaming and by use of decoders and these are even not enough.

He was quick to add that even though this novel many of the church people have no data and have no decoders, digital boxes to be able o watch some of these sermons as it streams.

‘I have cried and cried since the pandemic broke and my tears have finished, he stressed.

He added that the pandemic has derailed the relationship between shepherd and the sheep.

‘’We are not yearning for the ban on public and social gathering to be lifted because of the collections but because of the connection, the bound between the members of the church and the leaderships.