IMPACT OF THE RADIO AND TELEVISION IN PENTECOSTAL MOVEMENTS ON THE CATHOLIC YOUTH: A Case study of Nsambya Youth Sharing Hall Kampala
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Date
2005
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Tangaza University College
Abstract
1. Background and Significance of the Study
The permanent bureau of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and
Madagascar meeting in Accra Ghana in 1993, issued a document New Christian
Movements in Africa and Madagascar' in which it observed that contemporary Africa is
witnessing an explosion of new religious movements. Mainline Churches such as the
Catholic Church have been greatly affected, losing substantial numbers of the youth to
these new groups. The new movements are promising quick happiness, contentment and
purpose in life to the hundreds of thousands of young people they are attracting into their
ranks. This constitutes an urgent pastoral challenge to the Catholic Church.
2. Statement of the Problem
The challenge is to understand what these movements are, what is making them
so successfiil in attracting the Catholic youth into their ranks, and what needs these
groups are meeting which the Catholic Church is failing to answer.
By far, the brand of these new Christian movements that is proving so attractive
to the Catholic youth, is Pentecostalism. It is the type that largely dominates the African
landscape, and it is the type that is spreading rapidly through crusades, revivals and
workshops that have become a feature in many African cities.
Pentecostalism is vigorously being spread through radio and television
because Pentecostal movements see the modern media as a prime source of recruitment
of youth and a means of spreading the word of God. Several radio and television stations
have been set up by different Pentecostal groups, and other groups that cannot afford to
'SECA M (Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar), Afew Christian Movements in :grow and Madagastar.Paulines Publications Africa, Nairobi 1993.
set up their own stations, have huge budgets for purchase of airtime. They put to shame
many Catholic groups in this regard. To examine the appeal of Pentecostalism to the
Catholic youth, this essay explores where many youth first get introduced to
Pentecostalism, the Pentecostal radio and television stations. Many young people find the
electronic media of Pentecostal movements more appealing than the Catholic electronic
media. The reasons that explain the attraction of young people to the radio and televisions
of Pentecostal groups, are the very reasons that explain the appeal of Pentecostalism to
the Catholic youth.
Since these new religious movements are largely an urban phenomenon and place
much importance on evangelization through extensive use of the electronic media as
priest-anthropologist Aylward Shorter observes, Uganda's capital Kampala was an ideal
place in which to situate our research. Uganda's current president, Yoweri Kaguta
Museveni on coming to power in 1986, stressed freedom of worship laying the ground
for the rapid growth of Pentecostal movements that had been outlawed by Idd Amin's
regime. Museveni has liberalized Uganda's airwaves leading to the setting up of many
privately owned FM radio and television stations. Several of these FM radio and
television stations belong to different Pentecostal groups.
3. Description of the study site
The research for this essay particularly sampled the urban youth of Nsambya
Youth Sharing Hall in Kampala city. 'Sharing' as the youth center is popularly known
among youth circles, is a large youth center that was begun by the Missionaries of Africa
(White Fathers) in 1986 to reach out to the urban youth. It is believed by many youth
chaplains across Uganda to be a model youth program.
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4. Hypotheses and Research Methods
This research was based on three main hypotheses; the First being that the
electronic media used by Pentecostal movements has a stronghold on the Catholic youth,
Secondary that there are some needs of the Catholic youth which the Catholic electronic
media is not adequately addressing, and Thirdly that there are some features of the
Kampala situation which have favored more the development of the electronic media of
Pentecostal churches than the Catholic media.
The research methods employed, included administering a questionnaire to
Catholic youth, interviews with the youth, youth chaplains and those engaged in the
running of the Catholic and Pentecostal electronic media, and lastly listening and
viewing both the Catholic and Pentecostal electronic media.
5. Organization of the Study
This work is divided into four chapters. Chapter One gives a presentation of the
origins of Pentecostalism in the world and in Uganda, its general characteristics and main
groupings in Kampala, Chapter Two examines the message spread by these movements,
analyzed against the socio-economic and psycho-religious needs of the Kampala youth.
Chapter Three restates the Church's call to a serious media ministry because that is where
most Catholic youth are being introduced and eventually recruited into Pentecostalism.
This work closes with proposals on how to do an effective youth ministry especially
through the mass media.
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IMPACT OF THE RADIO AND TELEVISION IN PENTECOSTAL MOVEMENTS ON THE CATHOLIC YOUTH: A Case study of Nsambya Youth Sharing Hall Kampala