African Youth Insist Their Full Participation Will Improve the Whole Church

Major Roles in Evangelism, Bible Study and Sunday School Teaching

ABUJA, Nigeria/GENEVA, 29 March 2010 (LWI) – Youth representatives of The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) member churches in Africa are calling on the continent’s church leadership to accord young adults their rightful place and participation in order to enhance better development of the church.

Presenting the youth message at the 24-28 March Africa Pre-Assembly and Church Leadership Consultation in Abuja, Nigeria, the 22 young men and women reiterated that the youth in any human society represent the strength and future of humanity.

Their message was based on a one-day consultation held prior to the pre-assembly opening in Abuja. The concerns deliberated included information dissemination by the LWF; roles allocated to youth in the church; leadership conflicts and Christian responsibilities in the church; human sexuality; climate change and food security; and solidarity with youth from the Lutheran Communion in Southern Africa with regard to Word Cup 2010.

The young adults called for recognition and attention within the churches as they play major roles in evangelism and in Bible study and Sunday school teaching. They urged the LWF to ensure implementation especially in Africa of the 1990 Curitiba Assembly decision to have 20 percent participation of young people in the communion’s decision-making processes.

They asked the LWF to provide financial support for the proper functioning of sub-regional youth activities that would help facilitate meaningful contribution of youth to strengthening the Lutheran communion.

Human trafficking is dehumanizing in all manifestations, insisted the African Lutheran youth representatives. In calling the churches’ attention and action to this issue, the young adults noted that the strongest reason behind human trafficking was poverty and ignorance.

On food insecurity, the youth representatives encouraged engagement in agricultural activities such as dry season farming in order to alleviate the challenges of poverty. It is also important to organize awareness campaigns to provide people with more information and knowledge about the effects of deforestation. Tree planting should be prioritized in arid areas to reduce drought, desertification and flooding, they said.

They said they expected leaders of the LWF member churches in Africa to make efforts at breaking the spirit of division resulting in leadership conflicts, and in building a communion of unity and mutual solidarity among the continent’s churches.

The youth called for “clear leadership on the issue of marriage, family life and human sexuality for our further discussion on this crucial issue.” (412 words)

Journey | Africa Pre-Assembly Consultation

29.03.2010

African Youth Insist Their Full Participation Will Improve the Whole Church

Major Roles in Evangelism, Bible Study and Sunday School Teaching

Quick Links

Resources