Youth Drift And Its Implications On The Youth Ministries Directorate Of The Methodist Church Ghana, Accra Diocese

ABSTRACT The phenomenon of young people drift from churches is a complex problem since it involves multiple dimensions that are sometimes difficult to unravel. This study explored the experiences of the laity and clergy of the Methodist Church on youth drift within the Church. The target population were ministers, young people and youth who have drifted from the Methodist Church, Accra Diocese to either Pentecostal or Charismatic Churches. A mixed research design was adopted and a purposive sampling technique used to select the desired sample. A semi-structured interview guide was used to collect data from 10 participants. Survey was used to collect data from 80 young people affiliated with the Methodist Youth Fellowship. The study found that young people are leaving the Methodist Church, Accra Diocese due to poor leadership, liturgical challenges, peer influence, unmet spiritual and social needs and liberal form of parenting. The implications of the youth drift on the Methodist Church include financial constraint, leadership challenges and decline in membership of the Church. The study established that most of the participants were not aware of the structures and policies of the church to curb the youth drift. Nevertheless, the response of the church towards the drift include spiritual renewal programmes, scholarships, Youth Support Fund and Campus Ministry of the Methodist Church. There are considerable number of young people who drift from the Methodist Church to either Pentecostal or Charismatic Churches. Most of the young people who drift to other churches feel that their needs are unmet. For the Methodist Church to remain relevant in contemporary society there is the need for the church to be adaptable to change. Programmes and policies that will whip up the interest of the young people in the church should be introduced to sustain their interest in the church.