Pastoral Interventions During the Pandemic

Mookgo Solomon Kgatle is Professor at the University of South Africa. He is a National Research Foundation (NRF) Y Rated researcher (2019-2024) in the area of African Pentecostalism. Additionally, he is the visiting scholar at the Centre for Pentecostal and Charismatic Studies-University of Birmingham (2020-2022) and founding President of the Southern African Society for Pentecostal Studies. Collium Banda is extraordinary research fellow at North-West University, South Africa, and adjunct lecturer at the Theological College of Zimbabwe. He is an emerging researcher with interests in African Pentecostalism, Christian doctrines in the African public space, African traditional religions, African indigenous knowledge systems and Christianity in African contexts.

1. Introduction: Pastoral ministry during COVID19 in South African Pentecostalism.- 2. Virtual ecclesiology in light of the challenges posed by COVID-19 in South Africa.- 3. The shutdown of Church services during COVID-19 in South Africa: a Social work perspective.- 4. Pentecostal pastoral calling and ministry in South Africa during COVID-19.- 5. Caring for grieving congregations due to the death of their pastors to COVID-19.- 6. The subtle benefit of social gathering and its prominence during hard Lockdown: a pastoral care approach.- 7. The use of social media during the spread COVID-19 in South Africa.- 8. The impact of Social media on the 'Black' church during COVID-19.- 9. Martin Luther's hymn in the Global Pandemic of the 1520s: Pastoral ministry lessons for COVID-19.- Epilogue.