Factors affecting youth retention in Seventh-day Adventist churches in Nyaburi District, Kenya Lake Conference, Kenya

Abstract

According to a report given at the 2016 year-end church board meeting that was conducted in the Nyaburi District of the Kenya Lake Conference, it was noted that more than 40 percent of the youths baptized each year drop out from the church. This drop was also noted in all the 14 churches in the Nyaburi District. This study, therefore, investigated the factors that affected youth retention in churches in Nyaburi District, Kenya Lake Conference, Kenya. The study was guided by three objectives; how secularism affected youth retention in churches, how leadership affected youth retention in churches, and how nurturing affected youth retention in churches in Nyaburi District, Kenya lake Conference, Kenya. The study adopted the descriptive and research survey design and inferential statistics and obtained its data from primary and secondary sources. The primary data were derived from the questionnaires. The target population comprised all the 14 churches in the Nyaburi District. The researcher used census sampling to select 32 youth leaders and 50 adult leaders from the 14 churches. The sample size was 82 respondents. Data were analyzed by the use of descriptive statistics and were presented in the form of pie charts. Findings revealed that 72.7% of the respondents agreed that factors such as secular worship, secular music, and social media affected youth retention in the churches in the Nyaburi District. The findings also revealed that 70.9% of the respondents agreed that that leadership factors such as conservativeness, lack of involvement, gossip, and parents affected youth retention in churches in the Nyaburi District. Again, 75% of the respondents agreed that nurturing factors such as fellowship, teaching, and sharing affected youth retention in churches in the Nyaburi District. Based on the findings of the study, it was concluded that secularism, leadership, and nurturing affected youth retention in SDA Churches in Nyaburi District, Kenya Lake Conference, Kenya. To enhance youth retention, the study recommended that the youths be sensitized on the effects of the dangers in secularism. The church leaders should be trained on how to handle youths by not being too conservative, involving the youths in church programs and decision making, discouraging gossip, and encouraging parents to allow their children to attend church. Nurturing committees should also make sure that youths are involved in fellowship, they are taught on church doctrines and allowed to share their views with other church members.