Pastoral Care Response to Involuntary Singleness among Christian Youth in Africa

Abstract: One of the challenges confronting the church in Africa at present is the issue of difficulty in getting settled maritally by the youth. This is a problem because marriage is a vital socio-cultural phenomenon that Africans rate highly. Inability to get married at the culturally expected time poses a great crisis to the youth concerned which the church cannot afford to ignore, particularly due to the communal nature of life in Africa. It is therefore, necessary for pastoral caregivers in Africa to utilize the functions of pastoral care to help the youth involved. These functions include healing, sustaining, guiding and reconciling. It is strongly believed that life will become more bearable for the Christian youth in Africa if this approach to crisis intervention is used.