Addressing the phenomenon of young South Africans leaving the church : a practical theological investigation of the role of parents in faith formation

Abstract

There is an international trend of young adults leaving the church and seemingly abandoning their faith once they finish school and go off to college or seek employment. Hypocrisy in the church, dissatisfaction with outdated church programmes, the judgement or irrelevance of the church, disillusionment with religious structures, outdated teachings and the church’s failure to cater for their needs are some of the main reasons young adults leave the church and often turn from the faith. Studies have shown that the problem begins long before young adulthood (18-29 years old), as many young people abandon their faith while still in their teenage years. While the church has a definite role to play, parents are the primary agents of faith formation in the lives of their children. Faith formation is equipping people to be disciples of Jesus Christ. This occurs through discipleship, which entails a mentor-learner relationship in which behaviour is formed through observation and practice, rather than merely communicating information. The parent-child relationship is the primary setting for discipleship and faith formation. How do parents understand and approach the faith formation of their teenaged children? Answering this question and thereby challenging the phenomenon of young adults leaving the church and often the Christian faith is the focus of this study.