The pastor of Rhema Deliverance Mission, Awka, Dr Amaechi Nwachukwu has donated bags of rice, bottles of vegetable oil and cash to members of the church.

This is to help mitigate the harsh impact of the government’s order to Nigerians to stay at home to avoid the spread of COVID-19.

Members of the church on Friday and Saturday thronged to the church premises, after Nwachukwu announced on the church’s Facebook page, inviting members to come for food items in the church.

The pastor said that the reason for the gesture was to ensure that members stayed well, even as they stayed at home.

He said, “To all the families worshipping at Rhema Deliverance Mission, Awka, you are by this notice invited to come to the Church from 10 am tomorrow, Friday, 3rd of April, 2020 to collect a small token from the church to support you in this trying period.

“The support will be given in families. We shall observe social distancing and hand sanitizing. Everybody should not come at the same time. May God keep us alive to declare his good works in the land in the land of the living. Amen, he said.”

Meanwhile, the disbursement took place on Friday and extended into Saturday as members jettisoned the appeal for social distancing and besieged the church for the food items.

Newsmen report that members went home with two bags of 5kg rice, a bottle of vegetable oil and a cash gift of N1,000.

Some members of the church who expressed happiness praised the pastor for his magnanimity, while also stating that he had proven that the church is not only a place to make donations but has shown that the church cares for its members too.