Leaders will always be needed to guide the church and to facilitate growth. The important role that leaders play in church governance necessitates the training of the next generation of leaders for effective transition and sustainability. This is true for all levels of church leadership, starting with the local church. In fact, the founders of Adventism were mostly youth. The most recent global research study commissioned by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, known as the 2022–2023 Global Church Member Survey¹ provides a glimpse of what is happening in local churches around the world regarding young people in leadership and their involvement in decision-making. A total of 150,182 Adventists from the church’s 13 divisions and two affiliated fields participated in this study. Seventeen percent of the respondents were under the age of 25; 34 percent were between 26 and 40 years old; 29 percent were between the ages of 41 and 55; and 19 percent were older than 55 years of age.

This article will explore reasons why young people ought to be involved in church leadership and decision-making. Also, it will reveal the many ways young people participate in local church leadership and how involved they are in carrying out the mission of the church. Additionally, it will explore how young Adventists are being prepared for future leadership roles. Finally, I make recommendations for practical ways to promote leadership development among young people and to increase their involvement in the life of their local church.

The discussion about whether leaders are born or made has been around for a long time. We have seen good leaders whose behavior is admirable, and bad leaders who do exactly the opposite of what we expect from a Christian leader. Whether you believe that some people are born to be leaders or think that all leaders have to be trained; the important thing to recognize is that we need leaders in society, and in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, who lead like Jesus. Jesus led with compassion (Matthew 9:36), had a clear focus on His mission of saving souls (Mark 1:38), was humble (Philippians 2:6–8), received power from above (Matthew 9:6, 7), and devoted Himself selflessly to humanity (John 13:1–17).

THE IMPORTANCE OF INVOLVING YOUNG PEOPLE IN CHURCH LEADERSHIP

The local church structure provides many opportunities for leadership. We need pastors, elders, deacons, department heads, and members of the church board. The list in the church manual is not comprehensive, and some may take on leadership roles in areas of church life that are not formally defined, such as in the beautification of the physical building and its surroundings. Though some of these leaders may never be recognized, God does equip them and acknowledges their service.

People don’t need to wait until they are old to assume leadership roles. In fact, learning how to lead when one is still young bodes well for the future of the church. There are several reasons why it is important to involve young people in church leadership:

• Developing future leaders. Involving young people in leadership roles and in the process of making decisions for the church gives them valuable experience and helps develop their skills. It is not difficult to identify young people in the church who show natural potential as leaders. There should be an effective way to find others whose natural leadership talent may not be obvious. Both groups need to be trained for service by involving them in church leadership roles.
• Guidance in leadership. Young people who are selected for church leadership should receive guidance and training from more experienced leaders in the church before and during the time they perform their duties. This provides them with a safe environment in which to learn and grow as leaders.
• Innovative contributions to the church. Young people frequently contribute innovative ideas, solutions, and strategies that are relevant to their world, which older church members might miss.
• Sharing and enhancing young people’s spirituality. There is a connection between leadership and spirituality. 1 Timothy 4:12 calls young people to set an example “by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity” (The Message).² These are qualities the Bible requires of young people (and older ones, as well) as they use their energy in serving the Lord. Such qualities can help young leaders influence not only other young people but also the church family at large.

CHALLENGES OF INVOLVING YOUNG PEOPLE IN LEADERSHIP

It is not always easy to get young people involved in church leadership and decision-making. Rosales³ highlights many reasons why adults are afraid of allowing young people to lead. Some of them are discussed below.

• Limited experience. Adults see young people’s lack of life experience as a major obstacle to including them in leadership and decision-making. However, it is important to realize that young people can obtain that experience only if they are given the opportunity.
• Lack of trust in young people. For a variety of reasons, many adults have a hard time trusting young people enough to involve them in leadership or decision-making. They fear young people “may not be able to handle it” and may “make risky decisions.” However, excluding young people doesn’t help dispel such perceptions. Instead, including them can help increase this trust as young people grow and develop as leaders.
• Resistance to change. When, over a long period of time, young people are rarely involved in church leadership, it becomes difficult for adult leaders to change the tradition. Change will happen only when we have courageous adult leaders who get young people involved.
• Lack of interest. Young people may be seen as lacking interest in leadership and unwilling to step up to accept responsibility. This could be because they have been intentionally disregarded or because their ideas have never been seriously considered. In such a situation, adult leaders need to find out the reason for this lack of interest.
• Fear of being replaced or being made irrelevant. Some adults may feel a sense of power and security when in a position of leadership. The thought of losing authority can be scary. However, if adults take it upon themselves to mentor young leaders, they might find fulfillment in influencing a new generation of leaders.

In recent global research study that included about 150,000 Adventist church members worldwide, some of the questions pertained to the involvement of young people in church leadership. The 2022–2023 Global Church Member Survey shed some light on the involvement of young people in church leadership and decision making. Below are some of the major findings.⁴

• About 70 percent of people responding to the survey agreed or strongly agreed that youth and young adults play an important role in the decision-making process of their local church.
• 77 percent agreed or strongly agreed that youth were involved in carrying out the mission of their local church.
• 73 percent reported that there was a need to increase their own involvement of youth in carrying out the mission of their local church.

While this picture gives us hope, there is room for improvement. Ellen White reminds us that “God has honored young people by choosing them for His service, and they should be faithful, obedient, and willing to sacrifice. If they submit to God’s discipline, choosing His servants as their counselors, they will develop into high-principled, steadfast workers whom God can trust with responsibilities.”⁵ God does not call only adults for His mission. He also calls young people.

Regarding the preparation of young people for future leadership roles, the survey discovered the following:

• 67 percent of respondents stated that their local church had leadership-training programs for the youth/young adults.
• 69 percent agreed or strongly agreed that their conference had leadership training programs for the young people.⁶

What is currently being done in training young people for leadership may not be perfect, but it is something for which to praise God. Some good work is happening in this area in the majority of Adventist churches worldwide. From the recent Global Church Member Survey cited above, we can conclude that young people are being involved in local church leadership, decision-making, the mission of the church, and leadership development. Since this involvement was reported by roughly 70 percent of respondents, there were still about 30 percent of the survey respondents who disagreed; meaning that there is still much work to be done.

We must understand that “Ministry involves far more than preaching. It means training young people as Elijah trained Elisha, giving them responsibilities in God’s work—small at first, larger as they gain strength and experience. . . . Young, inexperienced workers should be trained in connection with experienced servants of God.”⁷ It is the role of church administrators and pastors to train the next generation of church leaders. Young people in churches where there is no leadership training need to request this kind of training from their local church leaders.

FOSTERING YOUTH INVOLVEMENT IN CHURCH LEADERSHIP AND IN THE CHURCH’S MISSION

Fostering young people’s involvement in church leadership and in the church’s mission requires that experienced leaders and young people cooperate. In a sense, it is a two-way street where both parties collaborate.

Role of the Experienced Church Leaders

For those who wish to involve young people in church leadership and in development of leadership among young people, Boyd Bailey⁸ proposes focusing on 11 qualities that must be demonstrated by mentors and fostered in the young people. In a Christian context, these qualities are relevant to all the different leadership styles and approaches. They include humility, love, accountability, healthy relationships, teachability, discipline, gratitude, generosity, forgiveness, encouragement, and faithfulness. These are not learned overnight but are the result of a long-term mentoring process. The church thus must invest in and make a long-term commitment to developing leadership among our young people.

Adult leaders must set a good example in modeling the qualities presented above. They need to illustrate in word, action, and attitude how Christian leadership is different from worldly leadership. A person trained in leadership who fails to put special focus on leading like Christ will not grow into a Christian leader. However, people trained well in Christian leadership can perform well in many leadership roles both inside and outside their local church. This is because Jesus is and will always be their Master Leader. Learning from Jesus is learning from the best Leader in the universe.

Church leaders must be intentional in involving young people in church leadership and decision-making. They must provide a variety of leadership training and mentoring programs, and opportunities. They must also understand that developing leaders takes time. Because of their love for God, His church, and His mission, they must invest time and effort in this important aspect of church life.

Well-planned, intentional, and regular youth leadership training must be established in each church. We cannot expect young people to learn solely by observing and doing, although these two activities are important. Programs such as senior youth leadership training must be carefully and effectively implemented in all our churches. They must be an integral part of the church operation. This is what will foster successful Adventist leadership continuity.

Role of the Church’s Young People

Young people must not just wait passively to be involved and trained by adult church leaders. In fact, the qualities of teachability, healthy relationships, and accountability demand that young people take an active role in their own development as leaders. However, young people who are called to serve as leaders or to participate in the decision-making process of their church must be humble and exhibit a teachable attitude. One of the things that causes adult leaders to hesitate to involve young people in church leadership is the unteachable spirit that some young people demonstrate. Whether consciously or subconsciously, every great teacher has learned from another teacher or mentor. It is important to be humble and teachable in order to grow as a leader.

The generation gap between adults and young people can be a cause of unintentional misunderstanding. Leadership development is based on cordial relationships between young and adult leaders. Healthy relationships generate the kind of trust that is necessary for a successful mentoring process. It is important that leaders model the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 2:22, 23), and that young people be teachable and humble, since a student is not greater than his or her master (Matthew 10:24). In fact, “we build mentoring on trust, respect, and mutuality.”⁹ Mentoring is not possible without healthy relationships, including in the leadership development of young people.

Lastly, young people must learn to take responsibility for their own leadership development. They must be accountable for their own decisions and choices. They must also feel accountable to their local church. The local church is theirs as much as it is for the adults. They need to take co-ownership of their local church’s health and growth. Therefore, young people will benefit from seeking out mentors who will help them fulfill their potential, and who are kind, nurturing, godly, and knowledgeable.

CONCLUSION

Young people involved in leadership must realize that “our calling is to lead like Jesus in every context, so people can see consistency as we follow Christ in our attitudes, actions, and conversations. Our faithful lives and humble wisdom brand us as leaders worth following.”¹⁰ Consistency in using Christ’s love, wisdom, and example must be the guide in growing as a young leader and, eventually, in leading God’s children in the right path. Thus, a Christ-centered and Spirit-filled learning approach is needed in young people and in the life of the church.

A final word of advice to young people: “If you want to reach your full potential and become the person you were created to be, you must do much more than just experience life and hope that you learn what you need along the way. You must go out of your way to seize growth opportunities as if your future depended on it. Why? Because it does. Growth just doesn’t happen—not for me, not for you, not for anybody. You have to go after it!”¹¹ Play an active role in your own development as a leader.

Safary Wa-Mbaleka (PhD in online education, Capella University, U.S.A.; EdD in curriculum and instruction, Northern Arizona University, Arizona, U.S.A.) is currently the Research and Evaluation Manager of the Archives, Statistics, and Research at the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.A. E-mail: [email protected].

Recommended Citation

Safary Wa-Mbaleka, "Promoting Youth Leadership Development and Involvement in the Church: Lessons from the Global Church Member Survey," Dialogue 37:2 (2025): 14-18

NOTES AND REFERENCES

1. Karl G. D. Bailey, Shannon M. Trecartin, Duane C. McBride, and Alina M. Baltazar, 2022–2023 Global Church Member Survey Concerning the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Reach the World 2020-2025 Strategic Focus; Meta-analysis Report (Silver Spring, Md.: General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, February 2024): https://www.adventistresearch.info/wp-content/uploads/GCMS-III-meta-analysis-report-FINAL-February-2024-Cover-PageAdjustment.pdf
2. Scripture reference quoted from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson.
3. Daisy Rosales, “Why We’re Afraid to Let Young People Lead and How to Overcome It” (Fuller Youth Institute: Young Adult Ministry, October 20, 2017): https://fulleryouthinstitute.org/blog/why-wereafraid.
4. Bailey et al.,2022–2023 Global Church Member Survey, 163, 165.
5. Ellen G. White, Royalty and Ruin (Patriarchs and Prophets: An Adaptation in Today’s Language) (Silver Spring, Md.: Ellen G. White Estate, Inc., 2018), 81: https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p1978.669&index=0.
6. Bailey et al., 2022–2023 Global Church Member Survey, 163.
7. White, Royalty and Ruin, 81
8. Boyd Bailey, Learning to Lead Like Jesus: 11 Principles to Help You Serve, Inspire, and Equip Others (Eugene, Ore.: Harvest House Publishers, 2018).
9. Ann Rolfe, Mentoring Mindset, Skills and Tools, 4th ed., Kindle, Loc. 116. A 10th anniversary edition (2022) of the book is advertised at http://mentoring-works.com/mentoring-mindset-skills-and-tools10th-anniversary-edition.
10. Bailey, Learning to Lead Like Jesus, Kindle, Loc. 325.
11. John C. Maxwell, The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth: Live Them and Reach Your Potential (New York: Center Street Publishing, 2014), Kindle, Loc. 313.