The role of church youth in the transformation agenda of South African cities

Eugene Baron

doi:10.4102/hts.v73i3.4771

Abstract

The churches in City of Tshwane have incredible youth capital. There is so much energy and passion that fill the concrete walls of the mushrooming churches. This article emerges from a research that was conducted to explore religious innovation and competition amidst demographic and social change among churches in the City of Tshwane. The data of the study suggest that the impetus behind most of the innovation and development in the churches is borne from the hearts and minds of the young people. The striking involvement of the youth in the congregations, their participation and also the reflection in the data in terms of youth agency highlight the concern on their involvement in urban, social change, with specific reference to the City of Tshwane. The article assesses the participation of the church youth in the transformation of the city.

Highlights

In 1976, the youth of Soweto took the bigger agenda of non-racialism to the streets
In a postapartheid South Africa, in 2016, the bigger agenda of poverty was taken to the streets of various universities, where the youth protested for free education
The researchers reported the involvement and participation of the church youth in the focus groups and that their level of involvement was more than the older members of the congregants (F1)

Summary

Introduction

In 1976, the youth of Soweto took the bigger agenda of non-racialism to the streets. In a postapartheid South Africa, in 2016, the bigger agenda of poverty was taken to the streets of various universities, where the youth protested for free education. The South African missiologist, Derrick Mashau (2014:4), takes the discussion further than Van Gelder, within his focus on transformative encounters in the church, and addresses the role of the church in the midst of political power and exploitation of the most vulnerable in the City of Tshwane. He argues that the political powers are responsible for the challenges that the City of Tshwane is faced with.

Findings

Discussion on the data

Conclusion