23/06/2022
General conference youth Director Ps Busi khumalo writes
Dear friends, youth and colleagues.
This video was recorded and shared on social media by the Cape Conference (South Africa) in the Eastern region where I was presenting on youth ministries matters. Let me give this message some context.
1. As indicated in the video. The age of the members in youth ministries is capped at 30. This decision was taken by the 13 world divisions, MENA and Israel even before my appointment as GC youth director.
2. This decision was ratified by the GC session in St Louis recently and will be chronicled in the next edition of the Church Manual.
3. The rationale for reducing the age is that those above 30 should be challenged to serve the church in other capacities. The church needs the wisdom and skills of those who have been nurtured by youth ministries for 26 years (4-30). The question should not be “what is the church doing for us?” But rather “what am I doing for the church?” We always talk about mentorship. Those above 30 have a golden opportunity to mentor the youth.
4. The 30+ group are not precluded from serving as youth leaders. If they do, then they would be part of youth ministries albeit not youth.
5. There’s no honorary youth membership. You are either a member or a leader.
6. Pastors are leaders of the church and they have oversight over all the church departments. They are thus default leaders of the youth.
7. Those who are above 30 have an option to be part of youth ministries leadership or donate their uniforms to the many needy youth in the church. Remember, youth ministries is not about donning the uniform but it is about service.
8. Master Guide (MG) and Senior Youth Leader (SYL) are leadership courses in youth ministries. Those who have been trained in these courses are duty bound to be part of youth ministries in action. This does not mean hoarding positions but mentoring the youth.
9. Youth ministries is about inter-generational collaboration. The young need the old and vice versa.
10. The older generation should intentionally pass on their skills to prepare the youth for church leadership.
11. We live in perilous times. Our debates and discussions should now prayerfully focus on how to reclaim the youth and how to involve them in church activities and the mission of the church.
WHAT IS YOUR TAKE?