Willie E. Hucks II, associate editor of Ministry, and Paul Mwansa, summer intern with Ministry, interviewed the directors of youth ministries for the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. The youth ministries department was formed in 1907; and in an effort to recognize one hundred years of service, Ministry representatives have interviewed Baraka Muganda (BM), Hiskia Missah (HM), and Jonatan Tejel (JT). The following are excerpts from the interview.
Willie E. Hucks II: Please share with our readers your primary roles.
Baraka Muganda: I am the director of the department.
Hiskia Missah: I am the associate director for the department of the General Conference, responsible for working with the young adults.
Jonatan Tejel: I am the associate director for Pathfinders and Adventurers and also the editor of the quarterly magazine for the department, Accent. My office is responsible for developing materials for Pathfinders and Adventurers with one curriculum used throughout the world.
WH: What primary responsibilities does each of you have in your particular ministry?
JT:Being responsible for the Pathfinder work, you have to be with them in their fields. You have to go to visit them in their activities, including the camporees, because when you serve the world, you need to know the particulars of each field. It doesn’t work in the same way in Africa as in South America as in Europe as in North America.
BM: In my responsibilities as head of the department, I develop strategies for the world youth program, coordinating all these strategies for the units of the church, so that we work together. Additionally I develop and coordinate youth ministries leadership programs for the youth directors, holding seminars and attending planning sessions with various youth leaders. We ensure that the youth department is focused on its goals and ensure that we have the right marching orders.
HM: I’m working with the Ambassador Club, a new program that started in 2006. That’s a level above Pathfinders. These young people are about 16 to 21 years of age. They tried to join the adult group, but they’re not ready for that. They may feel too old for Pathfinders. So they’re in limbo. That’s why the youth department just opened up a new level of youth organization. They are not going to wear all those uniforms like the Pathfinders. They have their own uniforms—simple ones. These young people are very active in working with their fellow young people, whether they are church members or not. At this age they really love youth congresses, festivals of faith, and service projects.
BM:We teach them about careers and dating. This is the age when they can be misguided by their peers, so that’s why, as Missah says, it’s a very important group. The young adults are from 16 to 30 years old. We have divided it now into two groups: 16 to 21, then 22 to 30. We strive to nurture and involve each young person in the mission of the church.
HM: I’m also dealing with the Elijah Projects, how to involve our young people in ministries for Christ and winning other young people. It’s nice to know that in 2006 we planned to have 10,000 evangelistic meetings, but we actually had 17,879 youth evangelistic events involving 224,872 young people; and, as a result, 87,829 young people were baptized. Also, we are now in the process of making an Adventist youth songbook, written and composed by Seventh-day Adventist young people. These songs will be sung all over the world. We plan to have the songbook ready by the end of 2007. And we are also in the process of developing our Youth for Christ Bible Study tailored for the needs of our young people.
BM:We want to come up with songs with our message. When this youth ministry was founded, the songs reflected our theology. We are not just here to sing, “Jesus shines, Jesus shines.” The songs should reflect our beliefs and our hopes.
WH: Jonatan, you said earlier that you spend a lot of time going to camporees and various meetings. When the young people speak with you, what are some of the things they tell you? Is there a common theme, a certain message, that they want you to hear, something that they want you to do something about?
JT: The questions are varied and really different in one country from another country. In some countries they talk about doctrines. The kids ask about Sabbath and activities: “What can we do?” I am asked about music, about what’s the best music we can sing. It’s a must to meet with them because each one of them has a different need. But at the end of all the programs, you meet them in the same place, in Jesus Christ.
BM: That’s very true. All of our young people face the same problems. I always tell them, There’s no devil for Africa, no devil for Europe, no devil for South America. They all have the same problems, the only difference is the environment because the world today has become a small global village. They watch the same movies in Nairobi as in Paris as in Chicago. They sing the songs, too. I was in one little island in Samoa, so I asked them “Do you know Jennifer Lopez?” They all shouted, “Yeah!” So, what I’m saying is that young people have the same problems everywhere. It is the same with fashions. Our young people want attention. The reason why young people dress up the way they dress up is not that they are rebels or they don’t like church. They want to show off. There are the issues of drugs, alcohol, and premarital sex. And we as youth leaders have to address these issues. We have to show our young people that we have answers to those problems. That’s why youth ministries is here, because we have answers. We challenge our young people to realize that they have answers for their society, too.
I have also found out that around the world young people want to serve; they want to do evangelism. In Africa, South America, Central America, the Philippines, and the South Pacific islands, they are powerful preachers. Then you have these other countries in the Western world: in North America, Europe, and Australia.
They also want to do evangelism, but with their own style. They do a lot of service projects, such as going overseas to build, providing water, working with the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), teaching English, and cleaning and sweeping streets. Even if it’s dirty work, young people love it. We are going to Taiwan in December, and are taking 2,000 young people to do service projects. Many young people have been brought to Jesus Christ through these service projects. While they serve other people, their own lives are changed. All young people have an urge, a passion, to participate in the mission of the church; but as youth leaders, we need to come up with the right venue for these young people. This generation loves to participate. They don’t want to be spectators. They want to do something!
JT: One of the tools we have in our department is the Accentmagazine. And we are trying to use this tool, this way of communication with our leaders, to answer their needs, their problems. In our magazine we talk about abortion, gang banging, and suicide. We are trying to give answers to the needs of the young people in the twenty-first century.
Paul Mwansa: How can we find these resources? We’re not exactly familiar with some of these. How do you promote these resources?
JT: We have our youth departments in the various organizational units of the church that are responsible for promoting them. But you can find materials like Accent, week of prayer materials, and main ideas on how to help young people on our Web site at http://www.youth.gc.adventist.org.
BM:Yes, on that Web site you’ll fi nd a lot of materials. We are trying to skip the bureaucracy of the church so that young people can get to the information right away. In fact, we receive so much mail written by youth who appreciate the Web site. You can find all the materials we’re talking about. We have materials on lifestyle, as well as social issues that affect young people. We have materials to excite them with evangelism, leadership, discipleship, and service projects.
PM: As you mentioned, this is the 100–year celebration of youth ministries in the Adventist Church. How has the youth ministries department grown and developed over these past 100 years?
BM:Youth ministry has touched a lot of lives, not only young people, but even church leaders. Many of us are in the church today because of Pathfinders. We have produced leaders, we have developed strong Christians, because youth ministry is nurturing the young people and involving them in the ministry, the mission of the church. And for all these 100 years, story after story, from every corner of the world, shows how youth ministry has impacted the lives of the church members—spiritually, socially, and physically. Studies show that when young people are involved in youth ministry, they stay in the church. When young people are not involved in youth ministry, they don’t stay in the church. So, these 100 years is a celebration of what God has done for us, and also a celebration of our recommitment and rededication for the future. That’s why we are planting trees all over the world. We just planted a tree on May 15 at three o’clock in the afternoon when the action to start a youth ministries outreach was taken in Gland, Switzerland, in 1907. And, why are we planting trees? It’s very theological, because when I read the book of Joshua, it says the children of Israel were crossing the river Jordan. He asked the elders, the priests, to carry a stone and they built an altar of stones, and he said, “When the next generation asks you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ then tell them how God has led us.” We are planting these trees to remind our young people how God has led us, and also, to produce fruit for Jesus Christ.
PM: So, the trees are planted all around the world?
BM: Yes, we are encouraging churches to plant a tree as a memorial of the 100 years of youth ministry.
PM: Are there any other celebrations?
BM: Young people are doing service projects—evangelism, musical concerts, and other activities. Let the community know what youth ministry is all about.
WH: I would like for each of you to address what has been the greatest reward or satisfaction that you have gained from youth ministries.
HM: There is a saying that you can be young twice. If you want to be young all the time, all throughout your life, you have to work with youth ministries. Work with the young people and you will always feel young.
BM: One of my greatest joys is to see young people giving their lives to Jesus Christ. After twenty years, you meet them and they say, “I was at that congress where you preached.” They quote you in the sermon and say, “I gave my heart to Jesus Christ as a result of that sermon.” That’s the greatest joy. Another joy is when they join the ministry, and they give you the credit for their decision. I was in Egypt in 1988. There I met a young man at a youth congress. He was finishing high school. When he saw me he said, “When I grow up, I want to be like Baraka, I’m going to be a preacher.” Today he is a youth director in the Middle East. When I see that type of commitment, young people giving their lives to Jesus, young people deciding to work for the church because of what youth ministries is all about, I’m excited.
JT: When you work in the youth department and you still are young, you can understand your own children much better.
PM: What advice would you give, not only to young people who are struggling with their relationship to the church, but even to pastors who want to keep them in the church?
BM: Well, since Ministryis for pastors and church elders, I think our plea to the pastors is to get involved in youth ministry. Let young people see that you, as a pastor, love young people and that you care for them. Youth ministry is not just entertaining young people, but building young people for Jesus Christ. And sometimes I see pastors who don’t seem to care about young people, they don’t attend any meetings, they don’t attend camporees, they don’t attend youth congress. I think young people will be strengthened by the presence of their pastors. So, I would like to see every church giving space to young people to get involved in the mission of the church.
Pastors also need to preach sermons that challenge young people. Don’t preach sermons that make young people sleep. That’s my message to my dear pastors, including myself. I’m challenged every day when I stand behind the pulpit. Young people are coming with problems—drugs, alcohol, premarital sex, fighting with parents, failing in school, peer pressure. So, when they are sitting there, they are thinking, Baraka, what do you have for me? I’m struggling! They want to hear what you have to say about these problems they are dealing with. So the theology should be simple. When the sermons come out, it should be a simple message of salvation, of guiding these young people.
JT: When I finished my studies in theology, some of us thought we knew everything. I think the pastor today needs to be humble. Jesus Christ was humble. He came here to serve all people, both old and young. Our young people need to see in front of them humble pastors.
BM: Pastors also need to spend time with young people, just playing with them. Let young people see you as a human being. Some of us are too holy and the young people fear holy people. Some say that youth pastors waste time playing with young people. When you play with your children, it may seem like you are wasting time, not getting anything out of it. But the child says, “Daddy, that’s good! Daddy, play with me more!” Pastors, spend time with young people. Come down from the pulpit to spend time playing with them.
HM: Give the youth responsibilities in the church. I remember when I was young my father always took me along with him. My assignment was to operate the slide projector. And you know what? I was the center of attention. And I was so happy. So, we have to involve our young people in the ministries of the church so they feel and think, Oh, I’m somebody. Somebody recognized me. Train them and put your trust in them. Even if they don’t offer a public prayer as well as the pastor might, give them assignments so that they develop in the church.
WH: What are the strengths that young people bring to the church and to the society as a whole? And what can we learn from young people and their strengths?
HM: Young people are energetic. Old people easily get tired, but young people, you give them programs to do the whole day and at night they are still wide awake. Not like us, we need time for a nap; but not for young people. So, we can involve them and it is easy. Young people will win young people. Pastors don’t always win young people; but if young people make friends with the community, they will bring souls to the church.
BM: I watch news every day and I watch the soldiers dying in Iraq. And maybe the older you become you are more interested in reading the obituaries, seeing who died and why they died and at what age. I see all these soldiers dying in Iraq, at ages 18, 19, 20, 21, 22. And the leader of the group may be 43. That should say to us as church leaders that young people are not afraid to give their lives for God if they are used and given opportunities. So I think that’s the strength this church has. You know, we have over 10,000,000 Seventh-day Adventist young people below 30 years of age—baptized young people.
WH: Below 30? That’s your definition of young people?
BM: Yes, but some people want to pull it up to 35, and we say, “OK, do it,” but in general our cap is 30. But this church has strength. Involve them in the mission of the church. That’s the strength.
JT: Young people have passion. And it depends on if they will do good things or bad things. What we have to do as leaders is to motivate them and get from them that passion for Jesus Christ. Teenagers have passion for everything. If you can use this passion they can work in the church.
HM: In 1907, when this youth department was born, there were 461 youth societies with 8,933 youth. In 2006, we had 171,850 youth societies with 4,494,846 young people. So imagine, about 5,000,000 young people all over the world. If we can mobilize them for Jesus Christ, we can turn the world upside down! BM: That’s why we are told, “Train our young.” I think Ellen White knew what she was talking about.
WH: I’m wondering, how does this ministry contribute to your own spiritual growth?
JT: I think youth ministries challenges me. Young people always tell you the truth. You finish your message and the older people say, “Oh pastor, it was wonderful, amen.” But if you preach to young people and they don’t like your sermon, they will come to you and say, “Pastor, I don’t agree with you.” Working with young people challenges me to grow in my spiritual life.
BM: I’ve also found out, as a youth pastor, you have to read your Bible. When I leave this place and go on a trip, I may preach ten to twenty sermons, and you can’t do it without the power, your connection with God. And preaching to young people is so tough because you have to preach sermons that excite them. Young people are struggling with issues. As Jonatan says, they challenge you. Imagine you finish preaching and instead of shaking your hand, they say, “Pastor, I don’t agree with what you’re saying.” When you go to your room, you’re messed up, lunch is messed up, and you go to God. And you say, “God, I have another sermon at fi ve o’clock.” But some young person says, “Pastor, you’re just wasting our time, there’s nothing I like from your sermon.” That keeps me closer to the Word, to God, in prayer, because young people are struggling with problems. They come to me and so I have to take them together to the Cross in prayer, reading the Bible.
HM: In working with our young people, you will become a better preacher, a more vibrant Christian, because you can fool yourself, but you cannot fool our young people. They know. So, that is why we have to pray always. We have to read our Bible. We should know our Bible better than our young people so that they will say, “Oh yeah, that is a person of prayer.”
JT: You learn how to ask forgiveness. If you’re wrong and they come to tell you that you’re wrong and you recognize that you were wrong, and you say, “I’m sorry,” I promise you, the people who heard you apologize will follow you.
HM: You should be a person of prayer. I received so many emails saying, “Pastor, thank you. Do you remember when you prayed for me?” So wherever you go, people will come and say, “Pastor, pray for me.” Don’t say, “OK, when I go home I will pray for you.” No, right there, pray with them. They will really appreciate that, and they will be strengthened.
WH: Pastors, thank you so much for your inspiring testimonies and for affirming the beauty that our young people possess.
