Pastors from Big Cities

From 8^th to 14^th February 2018, UEM Africa Region conducted its Joint Program entitled “Pastors from big cities” workshop in Cape Town, hosted by the Rhenish Church of South Africa. Twelve (12) pastors from UEM member churches including: EEC, CDCC, ELCT/ ECD, ELCT/ MOROGORO, ELCB, ELCRN, RCSA and URCSA.  In Addition to African participants, Rev. Dr Claudia Währisch-Oblau head of Evangelism department in UEM Wuppertal/German was present.

The main purpose of this workshop was to bring pastors together so that they may learn from each other, share their experiences of their programs and challenges faced in their everyday pastoral ministry and propose the way forward. In addition to the sharing, participants got opportunity to different exposures where they visited street work ministry, men’s mission and ministry to gangsters. Furthermore, the following topics came out from the sharing of challenges that are faced by pastors who serve in big cities and were discussed:

1.  The difficulty to reach and accommodate young people in our churches.
2. The depletion of the pastors overall wellbeing and heavy work due to big size of church.
3. The difficulty to properly address the spiritual and material needs of the members forcing them into spiritual migration.
4.  Addressing the gap between social categories (poor and rich).

After a deep analysis and discussion, participants realized that the above mentioned topic will be difficult to be addressed because some Christians and some church leaders are not ready to accommodate new changes that emerge with modern time. For this reason, the UEM member churches should be reminded that since their tradition are rooted in the premise of reformation, therefore, churches should be constantly reformed, and hence, accommodating new changes of some tradition is part of being reformed.

In conclusion, participants recommended the following:

1.      Children and Youth Ministry:

• Churches, congregations, to create space at quarterly intervals for youth to plan, coordinate and execute (with the assistance of the pastor) worship services.
• More assistance with teaching, training and development of youth in terms church culture, church history and church protocol.
• Emphasis on Christian education and chaplaincy to help children and youth who are in universities and schools.
• Social media should to be utilised as a form of communication with youth.

2.      Self-care for pastors:

After discussing the issues that pastors in the big cities face and deal with we have come to the conclusion that self-care is a necessity in order to cope with the ministerial demands

• On the Sabbath day the Lord rested and He has also commanded us to rest. Therefore, every Pastor should take one day per week off for rest and delegate work to others.
• Pastors are advised to become actively responsible for their personal time, personal health and over all well-being.
• Pastors are encouraged to find a mentor to advise them in spiritual and ministerial issues.

3.      How to keep members in the churches

The difficulty to properly address the spiritual and material needs of the members lead them into spiritual migration. For this reason, the shift of some members from our churches to new churches is increasing. The question is how to keep them in their respective churches.

• Finding adequate balance between innovation and old tradition.
• Contextualise and address current/relevant issues without losing our reformation identity.
• Competition with others are unnecessary – Church leaders to focus on their mission and make the message to be meaningful and relevant to respond to the needs of people.
• Liturgy should be meaningful and relevant in order a way to respond to the needs of the people such as healing, blessing and protection.
• Relationship building through long term pastoral care between members and cell groups or grass roots churches are encouraged.

 4.      Rich versus poor:

• Bridge members according to their social categories.
• A mind shift is needed by congregants to avoid the thinking that they are cursed by being poor. Furthermore, all Christians should be though and reminded that all poor and rich people are meant to a blessing for each other in the body of Christ.
• Churches should address the root cause of poverty and injustice and advocate for the marginalized in the communities.

Presented by Rev. Dr Nagaju Muke, Deputy Executive of UEM Africa Region