wfn.org | "Use Our Talents and Energy," African Youth Challenge Lutherans

["Frank Imhoff" <FRANKI@elca.org>]

"Use Our Talents and Energy," African Youth Challenge Lutheran
Churches
Lack of Understanding among Young People, Their Elders and Church
Leaders Impede Effective Participation

NAIROBI, Kenya/GENEVA, 4 April 2003 (LWI) - "The youth have so
much to offer to the Lutheran church, our zeal for God, energy and
talent should not be ignored or restricted," was the message from
African youth to their church representatives attending the
Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Africa Pre-Assembly Consultation
(PAC) in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

In their message to the March 23-26 African PAC, a meeting to
prepare church representatives for the July 2003 LWF Tenth
Assembly, the 25 youth representatives said there was lack of
understanding among young people, their elders and church leaders.
They cited "communication gaps" and the "reluctance to let go of
'old time' traditions and rituals that may no longer be relevant
for young people," as issues that hinder them from effectively
participating in the life of church and society. They noted that
conservatism in worship and prayer limits youth creativity, and
urged that sermons preached in their churches "be relevant to the
daily lives of the youth."

The youth further stressed the need to be "mobilized and equipped
to use our own talents and creativity to establish job
opportunities," for themselves, so that they could stop depending
on the government or their parents for support.

With regard to the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa, the youth
delegates said the socio-economic disintegration in their
societies - manifested in high rates of unemployment that promote
prostitution and promiscuity - contributes to continually
increasing rate of HIV infections, especially among the young
people. Other practices that lead to the spread of the HIV virus
include harmful traditions like female genital mutilation, habits
such as body piercing, as well as drug and alcohol abuse.

The African youth decried the many forms of violence to which they
are exposed, including rape and incest, terrorism, ethnic and
religious intolerance and political instability, as well as
gangsterism, which is widespread among young people.

Concerning the LWF Tenth Assembly theme "For the Healing of the
World," the youth concluded in their statement: "Healing should be
all inclusive. If the youth are not healed, the world is not
healed."

The African PAC, held jointly with a meeting of all heads of the
29 LWF member churches on the continent, was the fourth of five
such consultations focusing on the Tenth Assembly theme and
content from the different regional perspectives. The last in the
regional series will be the Latin American and Caribbean meeting,
April 6-9 in San Salvador, El Salvador. The Asian churches met in
Medan, Indonesia, March 2-6, while European church representatives
met February 23-26 in Vienna, Austria. The first regional PAC took
place January 23-26 in North America, in Denver, USA. An
international gathering of women from all the regions was held
14-17 November 2002 in Montreux, Switzerland. A global youth
conference will take place July 12-18 in Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the
Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now
has 136 member churches in 76 countries representing over 61.7
million of the 65.4 million Lutherans worldwide. The LWF acts on
behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as
ecumenical relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human
rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and
development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva,
Switzerland.)

[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is LWF's information service.
Unless specifically noted, material presented does not represent
positions or opinions of the LWF or of its various units. Where
the dateline of an article contains the notation (LWI), the
material may be freely reproduced with acknowledgment.]

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