Young people celebrate global connection, hear challenges

By Kathy L. Gilbert*

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (UMNS) - At the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, more than 250 United Methodist youth and young adults from around the world rocked a ballroom in South Africa in a testimony to global unity.

"It was an amazing thing to see - the cultures and different backgrounds coming together," said Monalisa Siofele, a member of Aiea (Hawaii) United Methodist Church. "We were all communicating through music and dance. It allowed me to see we are a globally connected church."

The first ever United Methodist global meeting for young people was held Dec. 28-Jan. 1 in Johannesburg. It was sponsored by the Division on Ministries with Young People, which was created by action of the church's 2004 General Conference and placed under the United Methodist Board of Discipleship.

Participants worshipped together, drafted legislation to send to the 2008 General Conference, visited programs that care for people infected with HIV/AIDS, learned about South Africa's struggle with apartheid and celebrated the beginning of 2007.

Seeing a miracle
One afternoon was spent touring Nelson Mandela's home, the Apartheid Museum and the Hector Peterson House, which enshrines the memory of a schoolboy whose death galvanized the anti-apartheid movement.

Sarah Crawford-Browne, a clinical social worker with the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation in Cape Town, South Africa, was the keynote speaker for the opening worship.

"I learned two lessons from growing up in South Africa," she said. "The first is that God loves us all equally and I am called to love everyone equally also. And second, of all the ingredients needed to reflect God's world, the greatest is love."

She added, "Love isn't a soft, Hallmark emotion; it is a decision to respect one another."

Today's South Africa is a miracle, she said. A dark cloud loomed over the country for many years, and three groups were responsible for moving the cloud: young people, religious leaders and individuals in the international community.

She asked the participants to find space to love and listen to each other and "create the world we all want."

Followers of Jesus
Other keynote speakers urged participants to share and learn from one another.

Beauty Rosebery Maenzanise, dean for the Faculty of Theology at United Methodist-related Africa University in Mutare, Zimbabwe, led two Bible studies. Speaking on Acts 2, she told the young people the Holy Spirit would fill them with "a new talkativeness, liveliness and fearlessness."

"God will make it possible for you to understand each other if you allow the Holy Spirit to lead," she said.

Bishop Rosemarie Wenner, leader of the denomination's Germany Area, told participants "this is a time to make friends."

"Take part in shaping God's world," she said. "Share God's love with everybody."

The Rev. Liberato Bautista, staff executive for United Nations and International Affairs at the United Methodist Board of Church and Society, spoke to the young people about advocacy for social justice. "Social justice advocacy is advocacy in the public square," he said.

"This is a specially blessed day!" he continued. "It is blessed by your presence - coming as it were from many places around the world. Even more blessed is our presence in a place whose people have shown that allegiance to God makes possible the dawning of justice and peace even in a time of political oppression, economic exploitation and cultural marginalization."

Bishop Eben Nhiwatiwa, leader of the church's Zimbabwe Area, echoed the words that Jesus used when referring to John the Baptist.

"What have you come here to see?" he asked the young people. He challenged them to not share Jesus with "second-hand information."

"Young people, you are important leaders of today and tomorrow, but you must be followers of Jesus," he said.

Getting fired up
The co-chair people of the Division for Ministries with Young People, Violet Mango and Theon Johnson III, closed the event with the final worship service.

"You make us proud of our continent," said Mango, a member of Murewa Howard Memorial United Methodist Church in Zimbabwe. "My vision is for young people all over the world to stand up and take leadership. The world needs us."

"This assembly was ordained," Johnson said. "It is my prayer that we go out fired up for Jesus. I am confident in every leader I see here today."

The Africa University Choir provided inspiration through song each day, and members of the United Methodist Youth Fellowship in South Africa were gracious hosts for the gathering.

"I can't even believe this myself - I have been surrounded by people whom I didn't know and have learned to love," said Piwe Dangazele, a young adult from Pretoria United Methodist Church in Cape Town. "I am glad they came to my country. We are making history. God is great!"

Luthando Kwananzi, part of the South African youth fellowship, said he learned a lot about The United Methodist Church from the youth at the event.

"We are new in The United Methodist Church, and now we have been exposed to the global nature of the church. I have learned new ideas and will take them back to my church."

*Gilbert is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn.