Impact of Coronavirus Lockdown among the Seventh - day Adventist Community Members in Masvingo Urban, Zimbabwe

Abstract

This study sought to establish the financial, spiritual and social impact of the Coronavirus lockdown among the Seventh-day Adventist community members in Masvingo Urban, Zimbabwe. The study focused on how the households, the informally employed parents and students perceived their financial, spiritual and social status during the lockdown, especially pertaining to the positives and negatives that might have emanated from the period. The study employed the participant oriented interpretive phenomenological approach, which allowed the respondents to share their lived experiences during the period. The four SDA districts in Masvingo have about 4000 members who were all given a chance to participate in the study. From these, 35 members who comprised 20 males and 15 females of between 16 and above 55 years, from the parent and student categories returned the questionnaire within the stipulated two week period directly to the researchers and via their pastors. Collected data was coded according to the financial, spiritual, and social experiences, which were further divided into subthemes. Key findings revealed that members of the church, who were involved in the formal and informal sectors of the economy, were financially affected during the lockdown. Some members were spiritually affected, due to boredom; hence some broke the Sabbath regulations. Some found the alternative radio, television and online Christian programs spiritually uplifting, though. Socially, members were affected by the inter-provincial, inter-district and national border restrictions imposed at the time. Evidently, some members took the time to bond with their immediate family. The study recommends that there be plans in place to address the financial and physical needs of the members on the part of the government and the private sector, including the church during lockdowns; such plans should also include effective distribution methods of these resources to the households. Further, the church needs to introduce more radio and television programs.