Developing a Strategy for Ministry to the Unemployed in Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa

Abstract

The research study focused on developing, implementing, and evaluating a strategy to minister to the unemployed in Sandton, Johannesburg. The researcher observed that unemployment is the major challenge in South Africa as a whole, and Sandton, Johannesburg, remains part of the problem. The case for developing a strategy for ministry to the unemployed in Sandton is driven by the reality of the negative impact of unemployment in Sandton. The negative impact of unemployment in Sandton propelled the researcher to examine the biblical-theological understanding, of the origin of work, and how it is linked to human dignity, value, and well-being. The researcher’s arguments for the necessity of providing work or employment for every human being are drawn from the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament), from the New Testament, from Ellen G. White Writings and from other commentators on Bible. Revelation concerning work as God’s design and provision for human dignity, value, and well-being. Furthermore, the researcher strengthened his case for ministry to the unemployed in Sandton by conducting field research to gather appropriate data that respond to the topic on developing a strategy for the unemployed in Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa. In this study, the findings from the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, Ellen G. White, pertinent literature and the field research reveal that work is an integral aspect of human life. Therefore, the overwhelming conclusion is that to deny human beings the opportunity to work to make life meaningful is to relegate human beings to a state of being under human, which is a devoid sense of dignity, value, and self-worth. This situation negates God’s creation of human beings in the image of God and compels redress and restoration. As the researcher builds the case for redressing the life-negating situation of unemployment in Sandton, he also highlights some aberrant consequences that emanate from the situation at Sandton. The situation is linked to enormous costs that are economic, emotional, political, relational, and spiritual. Thus, individuals, families, communities, churches, nations, and society are impacted. The researcher established that the indignity and devaluation of human beings, as is the case in Sandton, warrants the urgency of developing an intervention strategy that he has developed. The study focuses on those who are unemployed and are a more vulnerable group of people who have high demands from their families. As a starting point, the researcher argued from the biblical point of view since unemployment poses a threat to human dignity as underlined in God’s design for human life and the purpose thereof. It was successfully established, as described in the study, that unemployment has shaped the decline of society’s behavior, lack of decency and disrespect. Furthermore, the challenge of unemployment has affected the community socially, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Adding to the argument, I would like to point out that semi-structured questions were distributed to the unemployed to gather data. Finally, the analysed information gathered from the unemployed in Sandton, and the preliminary results of the intervention programme reveal that unemployment poses a serious challenge in Sandton, Johannesburg that needs to be addressed urgently.