Young Adult Ministry Translates from America to Africa
Do you ever feel a bit lonely in the world of young adult ministry where you lead? Do you ever wonder if God has given others the heart you have for ministry to this generation?
The thought crosses Darryn Botha’s mind each day.
Botha is the only minister to young adults in the entire Baptist Union of South Africa, where he serves Pinelands Baptist Church in the northern suburbs of Cape Town. Several months ago, he sent me an email inquiring about Threads and trying to figure out how he could get his hands on our Bible study resources.
Two weeks ago, God made a divine appointment for us to meet. Botha and two members of his church staff came to America for training, and they made stops in New York, Chicago and Atlanta before they left for home. We got together at a conference center in the mountains of north Georgia to eat some Mexican food, compare notes on culture and talk young adult ministry.
From our conversation, I learned the basics for success don’t change much between our cultures.
Every Sunday evening, around 150 young adults between 18 and 30 gather at Pinelands for a time of worship. Considering there are only 350 active members in the entire church, this simple gathering for fellowship, prayer, praise and Bible study is a huge part of the overall church’s ministry.
“What was interesting to me is that the older people in the church came to me and said, “We need something for the young adults. This is important to us,’ ” Botha said. “They could see the need.”
The need is striking in South Africa. There are more than 16 million people between the ages of 18 and 34, which is approximately 25 percent of the country’s population. Yet, they don’t seem to be at all connected with the church.
“This entire generation is missing, and if we are to be truly one Body, we need to make every effort to rectify this imbalance,” writes Darryn in a thesis he has prepared on young Adult Ministry.
Botha has hope. The decades of damage done by apartheid is slowly beginning to be repaired, and South Africans of all races are uniting to make a future for their country. But there is great poverty in the country, which makes service a vital part of the ministry at Pinelands. Many of the homeless and poverty stricken inhabitants of Cape Town gather along the entrance to a shopping area called Canal Walk, looking for help. Botha’s Young Adult group provides food and help to these people weekly.
“We want to make a difference,” Darryn said. “The area around Canal Walk is a place we can do that.”
The next step for Darryn is to start smaller Bible study groups for the people who come on Sunday nights. Beyond that, he has an even larger vision for 2010, when the World Cup comes to South Africa. The main venue for the world championship of soccer is just 10 miles away from his church, with a smaller stadium less than five miles away.
“The world is coming here,” Both said. “Most of them will be young adults and we must be ready to reach them.”
About the Author
Jim Johnston has worked in a variety of roles, ranging from marketing to publishing to Internet development. Prior to coming to LifeWay, he worked as a reporter and editor for the Montgomery Advertiser and also as an adult-in-missions editor at the Brotherhood Commission in Memphis. Jim and his wife Tammy have been married for 23 years and have two sons, Spenser, 17, and Ethan, 10.
There have been 3 replies so far
Hey there - Avid South African Threads fan just trying to help avoid some seriously major misconceptions about ministry in SA…Darryn B is definitely NOT the only Young Adult (YA) minister in the Baptist Union out here. As a lifelong Baptist I myself was mininstered to by some awesome YA pastors not all that long ago and today my husband and I are involved in the YA ministry at our church. We reach a range of young people from the ages of 18 to 28 and run 4 mid-week bible studies to cater for their different needs - school-leavers, young marrieds, students and professionals. Perhaps this is just a case of semantics - our YA pastors tend to go under the generic title of “Youth Pastor” - but I just didn’t think it was right to have this idea out there that YA ministry in Souuth Africa is in any way defunct. It is happening. There are many out here who have a heart and passion for young people - many of us who are striving to create a space for YAs in our churches, to reach out to them and bring them home. For some the vision is big - like Darryn’s, planning for 2010 - for others, God is focusing us on the details, buidling relationship with those in our immediate sphere of influence. As with YA minsitry anywhere it is such an awesome privelege to walk this road with these young people, watching them find their rythm with God, challenging them and ourselves in the process. You guys should head out this way some time…bring us one of your events….that would be cool! Thanks for a great site.
1 | afridelic
Friday, August 31, 2007, at 5:49pm
Afridelic, Very sorry for the slight. Maybe you and Darren can get together and compare notes. Both of you need a network and support. And yes, we are talking about an event in South Africa one of these days. May God Bless You and Your Ministry! jj
2 | Jim Johnston
Wednesday, September 5, 2007, at 1:45pm
I know Darryn Botha. In fact I previously was on staff at the church that he is at. One of the saddest things I saw repeatedly in South African ministry is the way in which it was treated by many of my fellow youth workers and children’s works. It seemed to be merely a stepping stone. Something that was the thing you do before you become a “big pastor.”
Senior Pastoral positions seem to often be what a person is working towards. I think our hearts for ministry need to be different. Like Darryn’s and many other passionate youth,children and young adult pastors. This is who I am. This is what I do and I’ll give it my all. Many of the churches in South Africa I believe compound this problem, by treating those positions as semi pastoral. You’re a pastor… but only sort of. NO! If you are shepherding a group whether that group consists of 2 year olds or 82 year olds then your are a pastor.
This is something I have greatly appreciated about Pastoring at a church in Canada. I may be a children’s pastor, but the position I have at my church is treated with as much importance as any other pastoral position. Why is this important? Not for title or self importance, but I believe taking the position seriously means that people take the ministry seriously. People at our church see that Children’s Ministry and , Youth Ministry and Young Adult Ministry is essential to the life of the congregation.
It takes a paradigm shift. I’m hoping and praying that this is a shift that many churches in South Africa are making.
3 | Sonburn
Thursday, September 6, 2007, at 3:52pm
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