Nazarites Church of God (NCG) worshiper and Master of Business Administration (MBA) graduate Dr Nkosiyephana Mabaso’s research study explores how the church responded to the COVID-19 pandemic from a strategic management point of view.

‘I became a dedicated member of the church in August 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions as I needed hope during the time of despair,’ said Mabaso.

‘Many religious organisations were negatively impacted by COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, however, what interested me as an MBA student was the NCG’s response to the situation given the large audience of NCG’s church service on social media, particularly Facebook.’

The study supervised by Dr Bibi Zaheenah Chummun looked at how the church continued to operate after the outbreak of the pandemic and the subsequent stringent lockdown conditions which prohibited gatherings of any form.

‘Religious organisations are amongst those institutions that are expected to provide social relief in various ways during a disastrous situation. However, the NCG never stopped providing its core church services. These include reaching out to various communities through the use of information technology, using various platforms such as public radio stations and Facebook to spread the word of Jehovah,’ he said.

Benchmarking against other religious organisations, Mabaso said that the study’s findings revealed that some religious organisations are organised in a similar way as the NCG when it comes to being a non-profit making organisation. Apart from an MBA, Mabaso also holds a PhD in Information Systems and Technology from UKZN.

‘Churches, like NCG have strategies that are geared up towards achieving their vision and mission. My research gave me a platform to understand the word of Jehovah better than before. After graduation, I will formally request a slot in the next church’s executive committee meeting to present my findings.’

Words: Thandiwe Jumo

Photographs: Abhi Indarajan and Supplied