Let no man Despise Your Youth

Paulo Macena serves as the director of the Communication and Youth Ministries departments for the New Jersey Conference.

Every year around the country, hundreds of nominating committees get around a table to choose their church leaders and, in most cases, our young people are not elected. I have talked to many church leaders to find out the reason, and the most common answer is, “They have no experience.”

Story by Paulo Macena

When I first heard this, I had to ask: Can you show me a Bible text where God chooses someone based on experience? Did King David have any experience leading a kingdom? Were the disciples experienced in leading others? How old was John, James or Thomas? Wasn’t Jesus 33 when He died for humanity?

There is a problem when you have 20 leaders in a church but no youth on the church board. When this happens, we show that we despise the youth, even though we say otherwise.

Let’s not limit God’s power. If we are choosing based on experience or age, it is very much possible that we are not listening to God’s direction in the matter. Would God bless a church that despises the youth? It is a question that deserves our attention.

Let’s be the church that invites the youth to be part of the leadership, and let them be involved in the great commission, making decisions and using their energy to reach the lost. “Let no man despise your youth. ...” (Eph. 4:12, KJV).