The South African Baptist Journal of Theology, 2022
is an African evangelical church?" What does the African evangelical church look like? What is th... more is an African evangelical church?" What does the African evangelical church look like? What is the mission of the African evangelical church? These questions must be framed in response to a Western conceptualisation of the church within the African context. To deconstruct the Western hegemony, the African evangelical church must look honestly at what it means to be evangelical in Africa. Furthermore, this must also be contrasted against the call for personal salvation and piety at the expense of the common life of the individual and community. This article engaged with relevant sources on matters pertaining to African evangelical ecclesiology; and suggested that the African evangelical church could only be a true African evangelical church if it engages with the public and risks venturing away from a physical understanding of the church and personal piety and salvation as the sole purpose of its mission.
In the last 30 years, there has been a growing interest in contextualization among theologians in... more In the last 30 years, there has been a growing interest in contextualization among theologians in Malawi. Theological platforms have been set up to guide and shape the discussion. However, despite this growing interest in contextualization, mainline evangelical churches have been very slow in responding to the need for theological relevance. Contextualization of youth ministry has similarly been neglected. Recent research has shown that much as youth and youth leaders are aware of contextual realities that shape the worldviews of the youth, they do not understand how these realities shape or inform youth ministry philosophy that speaks to the needs of the youth. As a result, youth ministry in many ways lacks relevance. The article, therefore, proposes steps that should be considered if evangelical churches in southern Malawi are to develop a youth ministry philosophy that effectively engages youth in their world.
Any discussion on youth identity would have its focus on identity formation during the adolescent... more Any discussion on youth identity would have its focus on identity formation during the adolescent years. Adolescence is universally considered a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that commonly occurs during the period of one’s puberty from to lawful adulthood. Adolescence is thus usually associated with the teenage years, however its physical, psychological, spiritual or cultural expressions very often begin earlier and could end later. This identity formation has always been closely linked to the developmental theories used in the various disciplines of the social sciences. While it remains important to collaborate with the social sciences as dialogue partners as part of the interdisciplinary nature of practical theology, practical theology has unfortunately become subservient to the social sciences in this regard. The social sciences argue that identity is about formation through various tasks and phases resulting in the individuation of the person. The ...
Reconciliation in its most basic definition means coming together especially in the light of misu... more Reconciliation in its most basic definition means coming together especially in the light of misunderstanding and prejudices. When one thinks of reconciliation from a South African perspective, apartheid, racial segregation and injustices spring to mind with various results and negative consequences. One such consequence is the breakdown of the family and while there are many contemporary factors that continually threaten the family; it is not hard to acknowledge and understand the effects that apartheid and social injustices has had on the family. This paper will therefore highlight some of the effects that the apartheid system has had on the family structure with particular reference to the Coloured Community of the Cape Flats, some of the consequences the breakdown of the family has on the youth i and how youth ministry can act as an agent for reconciliation in the family within this context.
Human dignity is a fundamental right of every citizen, according to the South African constitutio... more Human dignity is a fundamental right of every citizen, according to the South African constitution. Not having access to these fundamental rights, such as education, housing and employment, to name a few, have resulted in Communities in Tension (CiT’s)2, which is a product of systemic societal abandonment of young people and have eroded and undermined the human dignity of young people. It is one of many tasks of youth ministry to address the systemic abandonment of society as manifested in CiT’s which ultimately will address the human dignity of young people. It is further argued that addressing this matter can only be achieved through “belovedness”.
The relationship between Baptist identity and youth ministry are inseparable. The future identity... more The relationship between Baptist identity and youth ministry are inseparable. The future identity of the Baptist Union of Southern Africa (hereafter BUSA) is directly dependent on the present well-being of its youth ministry. The current situation of the BUSA youth ministry threatens the future identity of the BUSA, due to an inadequate theological articulation of the youth ministry and youth pastor. This article attempts to address the current situation in the BUSA through both a literature review and an empirical research of churches. The article argues that by developing a theology for both the youth ministry and the youth pastor, the youth ministry can have a significant impact on the future Baptist identity, and simultaneously, also address the current crisis as experienced in the BUSA youth ministry.
Socioeconomic rights are very important in the South African context due to the history of aparth... more Socioeconomic rights are very important in the South African context due to the history of apartheid and the high levels of poverty in South Africa. During apartheid, a large majority of South Africa’s population has not had access to basic socioeconomic rights. This changed in 1994 with the first democratic elections, the adoption of the new South African constitution in 1996 and the inclusion of a Bill of Rights. In this paper we discuss the development of and some of the objections to the inclusion of the Bill of Rights in the constitution of South Africa. Furthermore, we discuss the role of religion as an extra-judicial entity regarding the socioeconomic rights of South African citizens. Against this background, we report on the results of an empirical study among Grade 10 and Grade 11 learners in secondary schools in three provinces in South Africa. We explore the understanding of socioeconomic rights that is present among this sample of learners in South Africa and investigate the relationship between the socioeconomic attitudes and certain background and religious variables. Regarding the understanding of socioeconomic rights, we found that these learners agree or strongly agree with all the items on socioeconomic rights. Gender plays a role though, with females scoring significantly higher on some of the socioeconomic scales. Agreement with the critical function of religion in society and an intellectual critical interest in religion are positively related to all four socioeconomic scales. Other religious factors, such as belief in God and an openness towards interreligious pluralism, showed mixed relations with socioeconomic rights. In the last section we briefly discuss the significance of the empirical results for the situation in South Africa.
There has been an increase of discussion and focus on matters of theological significance in the ... more There has been an increase of discussion and focus on matters of theological significance in the area of youth ministry. An area that remains neglected concerns the professional youth worker in Southern Africa. This focus on professional youth work has gained a great amount of urgency from the office of the presidency of Southern Africa, who in collaboration with the Commonwealth desk have prioritised the focus on youth work in South Africa. Unfortunately, the focus on the professional youth worker, the career youth pastor, within the church in Southern Africa fails to receive a similar amount of attention. The article will highlight the need to pursue a theological articulation around the office of the career youth pastor by building a practical theological argument for the office of career youth pastor. The article will address a case study of a mainline evangelical denomination regarding its theological articulation of the career youth pastor.
Youth ministry within an evangelical protestant epistemology has predominantly been evangelistic,... more Youth ministry within an evangelical protestant epistemology has predominantly been evangelistic, with the aim of reaching and proselytising unchurched youth and youth who do not have a personal and confessed relationship with Jesus Christ. Youth ministry, however, since its inception until the contemporary context of the 21st century, has gone through many challenges and transformations. The historical challenges of the youth ministry have birthed many developments to address the ever-increasing need of the adolescent world both globally and within South Africa. Youth ministry can no longer only be interested in the spiritual condition of the youth; instead, youth ministry should be an agency in the lived realities and experiences of the youth. The aim of the article is to argue that the efficacy of youth ministry in a contemporary society depends on its function as a descriptive agency that is informed by its mission, which is primarily ministry.
Religiosity has a profound role and influence on youth development within a community. Religiosit... more Religiosity has a profound role and influence on youth development within a community. Religiosity promotes risk reduction and positive moral characteristics and thus remains an avenue of opportunity for transformation in considering the lived experiences of vulnerable young people living on the Cape Flats in the Western Cape, South Africa. The Cape Flats is an area that is overwhelmed with unemployment, poverty, gang violence, chemical substance abuse and a general societal abandonment of young people. It is out of dire hopelessness that a meaningful relationship with God can be experienced by youth. The Cape Flats is, therefore, a fertile space for an intervention of religiosity. This article will research how the agency of youth ministry as a positive youth development can assist in youth development within a community in tension like that of the Cape Flats. While youth development is a broad category for consideration and research, this article will primarily focus on identity f...
Reconciliation in its most basic definition means coming together especially in the light of misu... more Reconciliation in its most basic definition means coming together especially in the light of misunderstanding and prejudices. When one thinks of reconciliation from a South African perspective, apartheid, racial segregation and injustices spring to mind with various results and negative consequences. One such consequence is the breakdown of the family and while there are many contemporary factors that continually threaten the family; it is not hard to acknowledge and understand the effects that apartheid and social injustices has had on the family. This paper will therefore highlight some of the effects that the apartheid system has had on the family structure with particular reference to the Coloured Community of the Cape Flats, some of the consequences the breakdown of the family has on the youth i and how youth ministry can act as an agent for reconciliation in the family within this context.
The president of the Republic of South Africa has addressed the nation many times during the coro... more The president of the Republic of South Africa has addressed the nation many times during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) restrictions and lockdown of 2020, and has spoken very strongly about and against the violence toward the vulnerable in our society. Whilst the COVID-19 pandemic has affected many societies, it has mainly revealed the brokenness in our society and the violence against the vulnerable on multiple levels. Arguably, a place where we can discover God is in the midst of our challenges and struggles, a place where God reveals plans and hopes for our lives. It, therefore, is in a place of hopelessness that wholeness can be discovered. This process, whilst painful, can also be transformative and even healing. This pandemic has created a context that has revealed brokenness in lives, systems and economics.Contribution: This article will look at how the church through its youth ministry can offer hope, specifically for the youth, as a vulnerable group, so that they m...
In the last 30 years, there has been a growing interest in contextualization among theologians in... more In the last 30 years, there has been a growing interest in contextualization among theologians in Malawi. Theological platforms have been set up to guide and shape the discussion. However, despite this growing interest in contextualization, mainline evangelical churches have been very slow in responding to the need for theological relevance. Contextualization of youth ministry has similarly been neglected. Recent research has shown that much as youth and youth leaders are aware of contextual realities that shape the worldviews of the youth, they do not understand how these realities shape or inform youth ministry philosophy that speaks to the needs of the youth. As a result, youth ministry in many ways lacks relevance. The article, therefore, proposes steps that should be considered if evangelical churches in southern Malawi are to develop a youth ministry philosophy that effectively engages youth in their world.
The issue of gender, more particularly, women in church leadership and
society, is no new discuss... more The issue of gender, more particularly, women in church leadership and society, is no new discussion. The subject has raised many questions and heated debates in ministerial and academic contexts through the ages. Yet, the dilemma continues as is evidenced at the most recent Baptist Union Assembly in 2019 where the very discussion of gender raised the potential to be divisive to the Union. The article does not attempt to do an exegetical exercise of the few scriptures that seem to address the subject of women in the church. Instead, this article will discuss the hermeneutics that is employed from a practical theological perspective by suggesting that the worldview and hermeneutics of the contemporary interpreter are at the heart of the discussion. The matter of gender, therefore, is a mere deflection of already predetermined biases and worldviews. I will attempt to address this matter by discussing the nature of evangelicalism and then moving through a practical theological praxis that would place context and Scripture in dialogue with each other to arrive at a said conclusion.
Leadership and areas of influence are often reserved for the adult community. The youth are mostl... more Leadership and areas of influence are often reserved for the adult community. The youth are mostly regarded as developing beings, with insufficient knowledge and experience to take on leadership roles where influence can be exercised. It is often considered – especially in the context of the church – that the youth do not have the capacity to lead, while evidence from society and research studies points to the contrary. The author of this article argues that the ability to influence does not depend on age or in an accumulation of experience. Instead, the ability of the youth to make a difference is attributed to their desire to do so. The author draws attention to why we need to focus on the youth and their ability to make a difference. The article presents an argument based on scriptural evidence and a theology of childhood as to why it is indeed possible and beneficial for the youth to exert their influence across various sectors of society.
The South African Baptist Journal of Theology, 2022
is an African evangelical church?" What does the African evangelical church look like? What is th... more is an African evangelical church?" What does the African evangelical church look like? What is the mission of the African evangelical church? These questions must be framed in response to a Western conceptualisation of the church within the African context. To deconstruct the Western hegemony, the African evangelical church must look honestly at what it means to be evangelical in Africa. Furthermore, this must also be contrasted against the call for personal salvation and piety at the expense of the common life of the individual and community. This article engaged with relevant sources on matters pertaining to African evangelical ecclesiology; and suggested that the African evangelical church could only be a true African evangelical church if it engages with the public and risks venturing away from a physical understanding of the church and personal piety and salvation as the sole purpose of its mission.
In the last 30 years, there has been a growing interest in contextualization among theologians in... more In the last 30 years, there has been a growing interest in contextualization among theologians in Malawi. Theological platforms have been set up to guide and shape the discussion. However, despite this growing interest in contextualization, mainline evangelical churches have been very slow in responding to the need for theological relevance. Contextualization of youth ministry has similarly been neglected. Recent research has shown that much as youth and youth leaders are aware of contextual realities that shape the worldviews of the youth, they do not understand how these realities shape or inform youth ministry philosophy that speaks to the needs of the youth. As a result, youth ministry in many ways lacks relevance. The article, therefore, proposes steps that should be considered if evangelical churches in southern Malawi are to develop a youth ministry philosophy that effectively engages youth in their world.
Any discussion on youth identity would have its focus on identity formation during the adolescent... more Any discussion on youth identity would have its focus on identity formation during the adolescent years. Adolescence is universally considered a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that commonly occurs during the period of one’s puberty from to lawful adulthood. Adolescence is thus usually associated with the teenage years, however its physical, psychological, spiritual or cultural expressions very often begin earlier and could end later. This identity formation has always been closely linked to the developmental theories used in the various disciplines of the social sciences. While it remains important to collaborate with the social sciences as dialogue partners as part of the interdisciplinary nature of practical theology, practical theology has unfortunately become subservient to the social sciences in this regard. The social sciences argue that identity is about formation through various tasks and phases resulting in the individuation of the person. The ...
Reconciliation in its most basic definition means coming together especially in the light of misu... more Reconciliation in its most basic definition means coming together especially in the light of misunderstanding and prejudices. When one thinks of reconciliation from a South African perspective, apartheid, racial segregation and injustices spring to mind with various results and negative consequences. One such consequence is the breakdown of the family and while there are many contemporary factors that continually threaten the family; it is not hard to acknowledge and understand the effects that apartheid and social injustices has had on the family. This paper will therefore highlight some of the effects that the apartheid system has had on the family structure with particular reference to the Coloured Community of the Cape Flats, some of the consequences the breakdown of the family has on the youth i and how youth ministry can act as an agent for reconciliation in the family within this context.
Human dignity is a fundamental right of every citizen, according to the South African constitutio... more Human dignity is a fundamental right of every citizen, according to the South African constitution. Not having access to these fundamental rights, such as education, housing and employment, to name a few, have resulted in Communities in Tension (CiT’s)2, which is a product of systemic societal abandonment of young people and have eroded and undermined the human dignity of young people. It is one of many tasks of youth ministry to address the systemic abandonment of society as manifested in CiT’s which ultimately will address the human dignity of young people. It is further argued that addressing this matter can only be achieved through “belovedness”.
The relationship between Baptist identity and youth ministry are inseparable. The future identity... more The relationship between Baptist identity and youth ministry are inseparable. The future identity of the Baptist Union of Southern Africa (hereafter BUSA) is directly dependent on the present well-being of its youth ministry. The current situation of the BUSA youth ministry threatens the future identity of the BUSA, due to an inadequate theological articulation of the youth ministry and youth pastor. This article attempts to address the current situation in the BUSA through both a literature review and an empirical research of churches. The article argues that by developing a theology for both the youth ministry and the youth pastor, the youth ministry can have a significant impact on the future Baptist identity, and simultaneously, also address the current crisis as experienced in the BUSA youth ministry.
Socioeconomic rights are very important in the South African context due to the history of aparth... more Socioeconomic rights are very important in the South African context due to the history of apartheid and the high levels of poverty in South Africa. During apartheid, a large majority of South Africa’s population has not had access to basic socioeconomic rights. This changed in 1994 with the first democratic elections, the adoption of the new South African constitution in 1996 and the inclusion of a Bill of Rights. In this paper we discuss the development of and some of the objections to the inclusion of the Bill of Rights in the constitution of South Africa. Furthermore, we discuss the role of religion as an extra-judicial entity regarding the socioeconomic rights of South African citizens. Against this background, we report on the results of an empirical study among Grade 10 and Grade 11 learners in secondary schools in three provinces in South Africa. We explore the understanding of socioeconomic rights that is present among this sample of learners in South Africa and investigate the relationship between the socioeconomic attitudes and certain background and religious variables. Regarding the understanding of socioeconomic rights, we found that these learners agree or strongly agree with all the items on socioeconomic rights. Gender plays a role though, with females scoring significantly higher on some of the socioeconomic scales. Agreement with the critical function of religion in society and an intellectual critical interest in religion are positively related to all four socioeconomic scales. Other religious factors, such as belief in God and an openness towards interreligious pluralism, showed mixed relations with socioeconomic rights. In the last section we briefly discuss the significance of the empirical results for the situation in South Africa.
There has been an increase of discussion and focus on matters of theological significance in the ... more There has been an increase of discussion and focus on matters of theological significance in the area of youth ministry. An area that remains neglected concerns the professional youth worker in Southern Africa. This focus on professional youth work has gained a great amount of urgency from the office of the presidency of Southern Africa, who in collaboration with the Commonwealth desk have prioritised the focus on youth work in South Africa. Unfortunately, the focus on the professional youth worker, the career youth pastor, within the church in Southern Africa fails to receive a similar amount of attention. The article will highlight the need to pursue a theological articulation around the office of the career youth pastor by building a practical theological argument for the office of career youth pastor. The article will address a case study of a mainline evangelical denomination regarding its theological articulation of the career youth pastor.
Youth ministry within an evangelical protestant epistemology has predominantly been evangelistic,... more Youth ministry within an evangelical protestant epistemology has predominantly been evangelistic, with the aim of reaching and proselytising unchurched youth and youth who do not have a personal and confessed relationship with Jesus Christ. Youth ministry, however, since its inception until the contemporary context of the 21st century, has gone through many challenges and transformations. The historical challenges of the youth ministry have birthed many developments to address the ever-increasing need of the adolescent world both globally and within South Africa. Youth ministry can no longer only be interested in the spiritual condition of the youth; instead, youth ministry should be an agency in the lived realities and experiences of the youth. The aim of the article is to argue that the efficacy of youth ministry in a contemporary society depends on its function as a descriptive agency that is informed by its mission, which is primarily ministry.
Religiosity has a profound role and influence on youth development within a community. Religiosit... more Religiosity has a profound role and influence on youth development within a community. Religiosity promotes risk reduction and positive moral characteristics and thus remains an avenue of opportunity for transformation in considering the lived experiences of vulnerable young people living on the Cape Flats in the Western Cape, South Africa. The Cape Flats is an area that is overwhelmed with unemployment, poverty, gang violence, chemical substance abuse and a general societal abandonment of young people. It is out of dire hopelessness that a meaningful relationship with God can be experienced by youth. The Cape Flats is, therefore, a fertile space for an intervention of religiosity. This article will research how the agency of youth ministry as a positive youth development can assist in youth development within a community in tension like that of the Cape Flats. While youth development is a broad category for consideration and research, this article will primarily focus on identity f...
Reconciliation in its most basic definition means coming together especially in the light of misu... more Reconciliation in its most basic definition means coming together especially in the light of misunderstanding and prejudices. When one thinks of reconciliation from a South African perspective, apartheid, racial segregation and injustices spring to mind with various results and negative consequences. One such consequence is the breakdown of the family and while there are many contemporary factors that continually threaten the family; it is not hard to acknowledge and understand the effects that apartheid and social injustices has had on the family. This paper will therefore highlight some of the effects that the apartheid system has had on the family structure with particular reference to the Coloured Community of the Cape Flats, some of the consequences the breakdown of the family has on the youth i and how youth ministry can act as an agent for reconciliation in the family within this context.
The president of the Republic of South Africa has addressed the nation many times during the coro... more The president of the Republic of South Africa has addressed the nation many times during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) restrictions and lockdown of 2020, and has spoken very strongly about and against the violence toward the vulnerable in our society. Whilst the COVID-19 pandemic has affected many societies, it has mainly revealed the brokenness in our society and the violence against the vulnerable on multiple levels. Arguably, a place where we can discover God is in the midst of our challenges and struggles, a place where God reveals plans and hopes for our lives. It, therefore, is in a place of hopelessness that wholeness can be discovered. This process, whilst painful, can also be transformative and even healing. This pandemic has created a context that has revealed brokenness in lives, systems and economics.Contribution: This article will look at how the church through its youth ministry can offer hope, specifically for the youth, as a vulnerable group, so that they m...
In the last 30 years, there has been a growing interest in contextualization among theologians in... more In the last 30 years, there has been a growing interest in contextualization among theologians in Malawi. Theological platforms have been set up to guide and shape the discussion. However, despite this growing interest in contextualization, mainline evangelical churches have been very slow in responding to the need for theological relevance. Contextualization of youth ministry has similarly been neglected. Recent research has shown that much as youth and youth leaders are aware of contextual realities that shape the worldviews of the youth, they do not understand how these realities shape or inform youth ministry philosophy that speaks to the needs of the youth. As a result, youth ministry in many ways lacks relevance. The article, therefore, proposes steps that should be considered if evangelical churches in southern Malawi are to develop a youth ministry philosophy that effectively engages youth in their world.
The issue of gender, more particularly, women in church leadership and
society, is no new discuss... more The issue of gender, more particularly, women in church leadership and society, is no new discussion. The subject has raised many questions and heated debates in ministerial and academic contexts through the ages. Yet, the dilemma continues as is evidenced at the most recent Baptist Union Assembly in 2019 where the very discussion of gender raised the potential to be divisive to the Union. The article does not attempt to do an exegetical exercise of the few scriptures that seem to address the subject of women in the church. Instead, this article will discuss the hermeneutics that is employed from a practical theological perspective by suggesting that the worldview and hermeneutics of the contemporary interpreter are at the heart of the discussion. The matter of gender, therefore, is a mere deflection of already predetermined biases and worldviews. I will attempt to address this matter by discussing the nature of evangelicalism and then moving through a practical theological praxis that would place context and Scripture in dialogue with each other to arrive at a said conclusion.
Leadership and areas of influence are often reserved for the adult community. The youth are mostl... more Leadership and areas of influence are often reserved for the adult community. The youth are mostly regarded as developing beings, with insufficient knowledge and experience to take on leadership roles where influence can be exercised. It is often considered – especially in the context of the church – that the youth do not have the capacity to lead, while evidence from society and research studies points to the contrary. The author of this article argues that the ability to influence does not depend on age or in an accumulation of experience. Instead, the ability of the youth to make a difference is attributed to their desire to do so. The author draws attention to why we need to focus on the youth and their ability to make a difference. The article presents an argument based on scriptural evidence and a theology of childhood as to why it is indeed possible and beneficial for the youth to exert their influence across various sectors of society.
In recent years the state of youth work, and more specifically the professional youth worker, has... more In recent years the state of youth work, and more specifically the professional youth worker, has been on the forefront of discussion and concern in South Africa and has been the focus of the Presidency, the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), the Commonwealth, and select South African universities. Statistics (Stats SA 2011) discloses that more than 58.5% of the South African population are youth that is aged 1 through 35 (National Youth Policy of South Africa 2008:11) and is, therefore, an important area of interest. In a similar manner, there is increasing discussion and concern in the area of youth ministry in the church. In utilising a case study of the Baptist Union of Southern Africa (BUSA), it is reflected at the annual assembly of churches and its publications that indeed there is an ever increasing concern regarding its youth. The concern for the youth ministry centres on the efficacy of this area of ministry as we observe the exodus of youth from the local church. This particular study has its focus on the youth ministry and specifically the topic of the office of the career youth pastor in an attempt to address the concern of effective ministry to youth as well as addressing the concern of the professional youth worker. This research posits that there is no clear and intentional theological articulation for the office of the career youth pastor. Furthermore, the study will inquire how the office of the career youth pastor will address the problem regarding the professional youth worker as well as an effective ministry to and with youth in the church. This research, therefore, will endeavour to address the theological basis for the call and vocation of the career youth pastor, the cultural as well as the developmental needs of youth in supporting the notion for the career youth pastor, and the purpose of the career youth pastor, by reflecting on the practices and normative texts of the BUSA as a case study through the empirical research of qualitative interviewing.
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research has shown that much as youth and youth leaders are aware of contextual realities that shape the worldviews of the youth, they do not understand how these realities shape or inform youth ministry philosophy that speaks to the needs of the youth. As a result, youth ministry in many ways lacks relevance. The article, therefore, proposes steps that should be considered if evangelical churches in southern Malawi are to develop a youth ministry philosophy that effectively engages youth in their world.
society, is no new discussion. The subject has raised many questions and heated debates in ministerial and academic contexts through the ages. Yet, the dilemma continues as is evidenced at the most recent Baptist Union Assembly in 2019 where the very discussion of gender raised the potential to be divisive to the Union. The article does not attempt to do an exegetical exercise of the few scriptures that seem to address the subject of women in the church. Instead, this article will discuss the hermeneutics that is employed from a practical theological perspective by suggesting that the worldview and hermeneutics of the contemporary interpreter are at the heart of the discussion. The matter of gender, therefore, is a mere deflection of already predetermined biases and worldviews. I will attempt to address this matter by discussing the nature of evangelicalism and then moving through a practical theological praxis that would place context and Scripture in dialogue with each other to arrive at a said conclusion.
research has shown that much as youth and youth leaders are aware of contextual realities that shape the worldviews of the youth, they do not understand how these realities shape or inform youth ministry philosophy that speaks to the needs of the youth. As a result, youth ministry in many ways lacks relevance. The article, therefore, proposes steps that should be considered if evangelical churches in southern Malawi are to develop a youth ministry philosophy that effectively engages youth in their world.
society, is no new discussion. The subject has raised many questions and heated debates in ministerial and academic contexts through the ages. Yet, the dilemma continues as is evidenced at the most recent Baptist Union Assembly in 2019 where the very discussion of gender raised the potential to be divisive to the Union. The article does not attempt to do an exegetical exercise of the few scriptures that seem to address the subject of women in the church. Instead, this article will discuss the hermeneutics that is employed from a practical theological perspective by suggesting that the worldview and hermeneutics of the contemporary interpreter are at the heart of the discussion. The matter of gender, therefore, is a mere deflection of already predetermined biases and worldviews. I will attempt to address this matter by discussing the nature of evangelicalism and then moving through a practical theological praxis that would place context and Scripture in dialogue with each other to arrive at a said conclusion.