PUC REGISTRAR ON STEWARDS AND THE YOUTH AT THE NOVEMBER HEADS MEETING

THE CHURCH MUST RESPOND POSITIVELY TO MODERN TECHNOLOGICAL TRENDS � ELDER ANNOR ANTWI

The church has been advised to pay special attention to how technology is steadily influencing the attitudes of the contemporary generation in the content it offers.

The Registrar of the Pentecost University College (PUC), Elder Gibson Annor-Antwi, made this proposition on the 11th of November, 2014, when he addressed the on-going Heads Meeting at the Pentecost Convention Centre on the need for the church to bridge the increasing gap between the older generation and the current technologically-driven generation.

Speaking on the topic "Stewards of the Contemporary Generation", Elder Annor-Antwi, described the demography of people who  have grown up with technology as Digital natives while referring to the older generation as "Digital immigrants", since they have had to migrate from the pre-digital ages to the technological age .

According to him, the digital native group of people, who mainly constitute the youth, are those who have integrated technology into their daily lives and spend their time mostly surrounded by and using computers, video games, digital music players, video cams, cell phones, IPADs, tablets, etc.

He, however, noted that the need for the church to be reconciled to the younger generation is not just because the youth are one of the fastest-growing groups within society, but also because they are the most vulnerable and sought-after group in this dispensation.

Elder Annor-Antwi asserted that, in order to make a meaningful impact on them, there was the need for the church to relate with the youth by “speaking their language”.

One of the immediate steps in ensuring this, according to him, is for the church to warm up to the idea of invading the orbit of the youth. This, he said, would involve "digital immigrants" accepting the challenge to leave their comfort zones and embracing the new technological trends which the digital natives are hooked on.

He identified social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp applications as some of the various avenues through which church leaders must seek to explore, if they are to reach out and make an impact on today's youth.

"To better communicate with the contemporary generation, stewards also need to understand the meaning of the social media abbreviations as well" he added.

He also took the opportunity to congratulate the Chairman, Dr. Opoku Onyinah, on the opening of his new official Facebook account.

Elder Annor-Antwi also admonished church leaders to desist from the habit of discouraging the youth who are now subscribing more to bible applications on technology devices as  compared to traditional bibles booklet, saying that "neither should be seen as more spiritual than the other".

"We should rather encourage the optimum use of such technology devices among the youth at home and also at church" he said.

Admitting some of the dangers of the social media, he noted that, for the youth, it served as an avenue for free expression, sharing ideas and information, and also a place for building real relationships with friends, family members and others in the society.

He, therefore, urged the church to take advantage of such platforms to offer counselling to the youth who risk being targeted of negative influences such as pornography, cyber-bullying, addiction, and others. 

"Technology is steadily redefining the manner in which church is done worldwide. The stewards must, therefore, be responsive to this changing trend and adjust appropriately, in order to offer the legacy we have today to the contemporary generation, who would be stewards of tomorrow's church" he concluded.

Source: CoP Publications