Chakhesang Baptist Church Council (CBCC) has cautioned believers against vested interest groups running misinformation campaign to derail the fight against COVID-19 and advised them not to panic or be swayed by false prophecies but continue to pray that God will use the vaccine to bring healing and protection to all people around the world.
In a statement, CBCC executive secretary Rev Khrotso Mero said that the “so-called divine revelation pertaining to COVID-19 vaccines” in circulation purportedly issued by “Eastern Zion Hospital Healing Ministry, Pfütsero,” had drawn the attention of the council.
In this regard, CBCC said it was obliged to issue a statement so as to create awareness among the believers that such kind of unfounded and false prophecies were very much contrary to the Bible and Christian faith.
Since the pandemic began, CBCC claimed that churches around the world have been sincerely praying for God’s intervention and healing from this dreaded disease that claimed millions of precious lives. Therefore, it said the church believed that the vaccine that has come was indeed God’s answers to the prayers of believers, whose God is always concerned for the overall well-being of humanity, including the physical well being that was part of the kingdom of God.
As the church believes that health is a fundamental human right, the council said it was the moral obligation of the church to ensure that each and every individual have the opportunity to live a healthier and fuller life, “which is the will of God”.
Health was also the key to economic growth for a developing country like India and vaccination formed the bedrock of public health, it stressed.
Although the people may have doubt and have apprehension on the efficacy of the vaccines initially, CBCC said the church always believes that any kind of vaccination attested by World Health Organisation and approved by government can never be against the will of God.
“In any case, vaccination has nothing to do with salvation and do not have any biblical basis. A vaccine does not get to decide and cancel the work of Christ on the cross,” it added.
Recalling that even in recent past similar prophecies emerged from the same group claiming that Aadhaar card and rubella vaccines were against the will of God and attract the “Beast marks”, the council said these were also then clarified and condemned out right by it in 2018.