Churches are considered one of the important structures responsible for providing care and support to vulnerable populations. One such population are children in need of care and support. This article presents the support provided by Pentecostal religious leaders to children needing care and protection. The study was conducted in Pentecostal churches in Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, which is found in Gauteng province, South Africa. This qualitative study used an interpretative phenomenological analysis design. Data were collected from nineteen purposively selected leaders in Pentecostal churches using face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was guided by the interpretative phenomenological analysis framework for data analysis. Findings indicate that religious leaders within Pentecostal churches are involved in providing care and support to children in need of care. The process they are engaged in include proper identification of those children, attending to physical, psychosocial and spiritual needs. However, each religious leaders use their approach depending on the relationship they have with members of government institutions such as police services and social workers. In order to enhance the support provided the children in need of care and protection, by religious leaders within Pentecostal churches, it is recommended that religious leaders are well informed about the role of different members of multidisciplinary teams such as social workers, psychologists, police officers, parents and other community structures. Moreover, there should be formalised collaboration and referral processes that will ensure that the child’s rights are not further violated in the process of provision of support.
The study contributes to the body of knowledge regarding the role Pentecostal church religious leaders are playing in child protection. Furthermore, it sheds light on the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to ensure that children in need of care and protection are holistically supported.
This article presents support provided by Pentecostal churches’ religious leaders to children needing care and protection. Children in need of care and protection are those at risk of abuse or neglect whose basic interests, for safety, nurturing and love, are not being met, warranting intervention (Federle
Violence against children is a significant public health, human rights and social issue with severe consequences for individuals and society (Liel et al.
The duty of care and protection for children in need should involve initiative-taking, preventive and reactive protective services and assistance (Petty & Mabetoa
Religion plays a vital role in the community by fostering support, hospitality and advocacy, which are crucial elements in supporting children in need of care and protection (McLeigh & Taylor
However, religion is not static but continuously evolves, or people continuously come up with their own views of religion, which may also have different roles in care and support to children in need of care. One such evolution led to the birth of Pentecostalism. Pentecostalism in Africa has risen significantly due to its responsiveness to local socio-economic challenges, filling gaps left by mission Christianity and drawing from indigenous prophetic traditions (Ng’etich
Pentecostal church leaders or religious leaders (the term will be used interchangeably with religious leaders) have significantly shaped community values and social structures by establishing institutions such as orphanages, which emphasise love and care for children in need of care and protection. Diaconu et al. (
In their capacities as leaders of their congregations, religious leaders as respected members of the community are better placed to mobilise community resources and support for children by fostering critical awareness, providing meaningful roles, and facilitating access to spiritual, economic, and human resources (Mobalen, Samaran & Situmorang
Religious institutions such as the Pentecostal Church are recognised for their promotion of virtues that shape the moral reasoning and behaviour of their members, a crucial aspect of supporting children in need of care and protection (Dermawan
Religious leaders play a crucial role in supporting children in need of care and protection by providing resources, support and opportunities (McLeigh & Taylor
Religious leaders, who hold significant authority within their congregations, play a crucial role in child protection efforts (Diaconu et al.
Religious leaders working with children in need of care and protection must undergo comprehensive training to provide spiritual and emotional support (Mathwasa
Religious leaders can collaborate with other organisations working on child protection to address challenges like child marriages, school attendance, child labour and sexual abuse (Eyber et al.
The study was guided by the social ecological model. The model was considered more relevant to the study as it underscores the interaction of individual, family and broader contextual elements influencing child well-being, emphasising the necessity for focused interventions within the child welfare system (Hindt & Leon
This qualitative study used an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) design to understand the care and support provided by religious leaders in Pentecostal churches. The IPA design was considered more relevant as the interpretation of the findings is not only from the researchers, but also how the participants, who in this case are religious leaders, interpret their roles in supporting children in need, using a constructivist paradigm to explore the support provided by participants and their experiences.
The study was conducted in Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, which is situated in Gauteng province, one of South Africa’s nine provinces.
The researchers used purposive sampling for religious leaders within Pentecostal churches. For Biographical data for participants please see Online Appendix 1. Participants were 21 years of age and older and had served within the Pentecostal church for more than 6 months. Nineteen religious leaders within Pentecostal churches were composed of sixteen male and three female. Among the participants, two had Grade 12 as their highest level of education, three had diplomas, nine bachelor’s degrees, four master’s degrees, and one a PhD. At the time of the interview, the research participants were leading their churches and living in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality.
The study involved in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted in secure, confidential locations. Moreover, informed consent was obtained from the following explanation of the purpose of the study, risks entailed, and how they can be mitigated, benefits and issues of confidentiality. Participants agreed to audio-recording and jotting of field notes and were given the freedom to withdraw at any time. The interviews with general communication to collect biographical data and to make participants feel at ease. This was followed by the following core question: Kindly share with us the support you provide for children needing care and protection. Probing questions were utilised, accompanied with minimal encouragers and paraphrased narratives to avoid misunderstanding. Data collection was done iteratively with data analysis.
The study involved transcribing audio-recorded interview material into text, and two researchers and an external researcher independently examined the nineteen transcripts using the IPA data analysis methodology (Allan & Eatough
Rigour of the study was established using criteria for ensuring trustworthiness proposed by Lincoln and Guba. The criteria include credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability. Some of the measures followed to meet those criteria were verbatim transcription, independent coding, direct quotations from participants, audio recording of interviews and use of open-ended questions.
The study proposal was analysed and accepted by the Department Research and Ethics Committee of the University of South Africa, under the reference number 37360450_CREC_CHS_2022, thereby obtaining ethical clearance. The researcher ensured compliance with the following ethical principles: Getting participants’ informed written consent, ensuring their voluntary participation, protecting their anonymity, privacy, and confidentiality, and upholding scientific integrity. The study had the potential danger of subjecting participants to emotional distress by eliciting past sensitive experiences during interviews. We averted this by implementing certain therapeutic techniques, such as empathic listening. Participants who required counselling were provided with the service of a counsellor following the interview.
The study centred on the question:
This section provides the results according to themes and subthemes that emerged from data analysis. Each theme is comprised of various sub-themes as indicated in
Table of themes.
| Superordinate theme | Sub-themes |
|---|---|
| Identification of children in need of care | Visiting child residence |
| Observing conditions of the child | |
| Approached by children | |
| Church programmes | |
| Categories of children in need of care | Sexually abused |
| Physically abused by parents | |
| Orphans | |
| Children living with physical disabilities | |
| Children without food or from poor families. | |
| Children from dysfunctional families | |
| Type of support to children in need of care and protection | Provision of the physical needs |
| Providing counselling | |
| Church social welfare services | |
| Collaborative approach |
Each sub-theme is supported with a quotation from participants. To ensure anonymity and confidentiality pseudonyms are used in identifying the sources of quotations. The themes are: (1) Identification of children in need of care, (2) Classification Categories of children in need of care, and (3) Types of support provided in need of care and protection.
The discussion of study findings will focus on the approaches that religious leaders within Pentecostal churches use to provide support to children needing care and protection, as described in the next section.
This theme provides ways in which religious leaders within Pentecostal churches identify children in need of care and protection. The superordinate theme encompasses two themes: direct and indirect methods for identifying children in need of care and protection. Below, we discuss the two themes along with their respective subthemes. Pentecostal churches religious leaders use direct method to identify children who need care and protection. This involves personally visiting the children’s homes and carefully evaluating their living conditions, which will be further elaborated upon in the next section.
Home visits are crucial for child protection initiatives as they allow professionals to assess the safety and well-being of children in their homes. Results indicate that pastors identify children in need of care and protection through visiting their homes as indicated by the following quote:
‘One of the things that we are doing now is to make sure that on a weekly basis, we will at least visit one family, whether they are in church or not and that is where we end up identifying children in need of care and protection.’ (Ps Joseph)
The study’s findings show that religious leaders within Pentecostal churches use visits to the children’s homes to determine both the child’s and the family’s needs, helping them to provide proper intervention for children identified as being in need of care and protection. The results are in line with the findings of Gubbels et al. (
During the church services and while pastors are interacting with children, they observe children in need of care and protection as stated below:
‘I will take that child to their parents to request permission to help the child, as we have observed that they repeat the same clothes each time they come to church….’ (Ps Willem)
The findings of this study show that through observing the children attending church services or church programmes religious leaders within Pentecostal churches are able to identify children in need of care and protection. The findings of this study are in line with Murray (2018), who indicated that religious traditions have a long and extensive history of actively engaging with children in terms of their care and education, making them able to observe the conditions of children in their care and in the community who might be in need of care and protection. This is further supported by Palm and Eyber (
Pentecostal religious leaders have established connections with parents and children who participate in their church and related programmes. This allows them to identify children in need of care and protection. The research participants expressed this concept through the following statements:
‘Within our children’s church program, which is where my wife comes in because she works with the children. She is able identify behavioural patterns, abnormal behaviour, and the aggressiveness that comes up within the child. In certain instances, children’s isolation is extreme. That is how she can identify that there is a need here; there is a special need there.’ (Ps Gabriel)
The study reveals that Pentecostal church religious leaders have formed strong relationships with children and parents involved in their programmes, enabling them to identify children in need of care and protection. This enhances the effectiveness of their programmes, as they provide secure and welcoming spaces for children who have experienced abuse, often having extra common spaces for afterschool or homework programmes (McLeigh & Taylor
Pentecostal churches’ religious leaders indirectly identify children in need of care and protection, as children frequently turn to them for assistance and rely on the church’s programmes. The details of these methods are well addressed.
When children need care and protection, they frequently approach religious leaders, leveraging their influential position in the community to cultivate social connections and enhance self-worth. The following statement confirms that children approach religious leaders when in need of care and protection:
‘I remember we had two kids that were raised by the uncle, and when he decided to kick them out of the house…they approached me after Sunday church service without a place to sleep.’ (Ps Jones)
The study reveals that children in need of care and protection can approach religious leaders for guidance and comfort. Religious leaders hold authority in spiritual matters and can provide inner peace and understanding. Religious institutions significantly influence the trust of the community they guide (Holmes
Religious leaders in Pentecostal churches are tasked with addressing the needs of children categorised based on their social environment. These children include those directly affected by sexual abuse, physical abuse, orphans, and those living with physical needs. They are also categorised based on factors like lack of food, poverty or dysfunctional families. The focus is on providing care and protection for these children within the community where the church is situated. Pentecostal religious leaders have reported instances of sexual and physical abuse of children by parents, orphans and children with physical disabilities. These children are identified as those in need of care and protection, highlighting the need for effective protection measures. We discuss each of these categories in the following order:
Religious leaders within Pentecostal churches encounter sexually abused children during their religious duties in the church and communities, deeming these children in need of care and protection. The subsequent statements recount the experiences of religious leaders:
‘We had a case of a young girl who was sexually abused by her father. The girl said I have a problem with my father; he is not treating me well. Then I started suspecting what it was about though she was not clear. I called one of the mothers in church to be with the young girl and to dig further. That is when we realised that she was sexually abused.’ (Ps Jones)
Pentecostal churches’ religious leaders have documented instances of parental child abuse, highlighting the alarming possibility of such abuse towards their own children, despite their role as protectors, and believe that children in need of care have also experienced such mistreatment. According to the research participants below, parents have been known to physically abuse their children:
‘For instance, I had a thirteen-year-old approaching one of our leaders and indicating that he was been physically abused by his dad; his dad is going crazy; he is hitting him; what must he do?’ (Ps Moraka)
The study reveals that religious leaders are concerned about children being abused by their parents, despite the church’s history of advocating for corporal punishment. The research participants revealed concerns about cases of parents physically abusing their children, which can have long-term effects on their physical health, emotional stability and overall development. A correlation has been found between physical punishment and child behaviour disorder, and the potential for physical punishment to enhance susceptibility (Kobulsky et al.
Religious leaders in Pentecostal churches believe that orphans are children who need support due to lack of parental care. These children’s unique challenges, characterised by the loss of their parents, are easily identifiable to these leaders, as they are referred to as children in need of care and protection as delineated in the following statements:
‘But over the course of your years in ministry, we come across children who are in need of care and protection because they have lost both their parents while others are staying with their grandparents.’ (Ps Matome)
These children often live in households led by single parents, elderly grandparents or impoverished relatives and face challenges such as societal stigmatisation, psychological trauma, health issues, insufficient food access, financial deprivation and schooling obstacles (Bryant & Beard
Pentecostal churches religious leaders have classified children living with disabilities as a specific category requiring care and protection. This was captured in the following:
‘There are cases where you find that children living with disability are neglected in the family and there are reported cases of abuse on those children.’ (Ps Moraka)
Children with disabilities often face neglect from peers during play and social interactions, leading to social isolation and increased vulnerability to negative childhood experiences like physical and sexual abuse. This is due to their restricted autonomy, early age, and dependence on adults or institutions for emotional and social assistance (Palusci
Research participants have reported that their identification of children without food or coming from poor families has necessitated their provision of help, as detailed in the following narrative:
‘With the engagement of the Sunday school teachers, they found out that they were the children that were from poor families and without meals. The only meals they had was the one they receive from church.’ (Ps Joseph)
‘I must say that in the area where we are, the children that we have mostly been dealing with, are children from poor families who goes days without meals because of poverty.’ (Ps Eric)
A study by Bywaters et al. (
The research participants reported that they have recognised children in need of care and protection due to their upbringing in dysfunctional families. Dysfunctional families are marked by substantial disagreements, neglect or abusive conduct, resulting in a setting that inadequately supplies the essential emotional, psychological and physical support required for a child’s growth (Clément et al.
‘Some of them were vulnerable children as you will find that they are coming from dysfunctional families. You will find that in some instances the father is absent, or he is unemployed. There are situations where we found that the parents take their frustration on the family members because of the stress associated with their parental responsibilities.’ (Ps Joseph)
The study reveals that children are vulnerable to abuse and neglect due to their social environments, particularly due to the challenges faced by parents. The family environment, including interactions, personal development and the overall functioning of the family unit, is crucial for a child’s welfare (Flores, Salum & Manfro
The theme discusses the support provided by Pentecostal church leaders to children in need, including physical needs meeting, counselling, referral to other organisations, church social welfare services and multisectoral collaboration.
Research participants said that they implemented feeding plans aimed at providing meals to both children and their families. According to the religious leaders, they collaborated with church members to gather food and clothing for children needing care and protection. The subsequent statements from leaders within the Pentecostal church substantiated this claim:
‘We have some feeding scheme that we were doing in the church. Every Sunday they know that they will receive a meal. This has led to those children inviting their friends to come to church.’ (Ps Joseph)
By collaborating with businesses and government departments, religious leaders can provide comprehensive care, including physical support, during humanitarian emergencies (Alexander & Letovaltseva
One of the support services Pentecostal church religious leaders offer to children in need of care and protection is counselling. The research participants have highlighted the value of professional counsellors which can supplement their biblical counselling. The study reveals that Pentecostal church religious leaders recognise the importance of spiritual and professional counselling in addressing children’s needs and their families. Pastoral counselling aims to improve the mental well-being of the person seeking help, promoting positive transformations in their physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual states (Snodgrass
‘I will bring them here, but I will be aware that they are going for counselling. Remember that we always do our counselling from a biblical perspective, but sometimes it needs professional counselling. We sent them to a counsellor where they will attend sessions. Not only in the cases of rape but also in cases of grief. If someone losses someone they love or relatives we always refer them to professionals.’ (Ps Thulani)
It is essential for offering emotional and spiritual support to children who have experienced abuse, trauma or legal conflict, and addressing their emotional and spiritual needs (Lee & Wang
Churches are reported to work with church members who are professionals in their careers to offer social welfare services to children needing care and protection. The research participants sentiments are expressed in the following statements:
‘There was a lady in our church who has just completed her Masters in Psychology. She was working at our church office full-time, to providing counselling service through our church social welfare services. It is unfortunate that she had to go do her practical work training.’ (Ps Jones)
Social welfare service programmes provide economic and social protection during unemployment, illness, disability and old age, ensuring adequate care for vulnerable members (Pillay
Collaboration between religious and secular agencies is crucial for optimising resources, knowledge and outreach in child support and protection. Religious organisations improve child support by referring cases to other organisations and fostering multisectoral cooperation. This comprehensive approach will be explored through the use of multi-sector and referencing other organisations.
Religious leaders within Pentecostal churches refer cases of children in need of care and protection to organisations within their communities designated for child-related work. The research participants’ sentiments are captured in the following statement:
‘We refer children in need of care and protection to government social workers. Unfortunately, their high case load prevents them from attending to some of the cases we refer them to. There is a shortage of social workers to attend to cases of children in need of care and protection with the urgency it deserves.’ (Ps Ndivhuwo)
It is crucial for religious leaders to refer cases of abuse and neglect to organisations with expertise in therapy approaches (Vieth
‘It is important for the organisations involved in child protection to collaborate work together. As the church we observe the important dates in the year, and on those dates, we invite different organisations to come make presentations on matters related to child protection.’ (Ps Sewela)
Multisectoral collaboration in child protection provides comprehensive solutions for families, including prevention services, mental health support and legal aid (Pittz & Intindola
The study reveals that religious leaders within Pentecostal churches use various approaches to support children in need of care and protection. Although child protection is not their main business, they can identify children in need through their interactions with children and community involvement. They can visit families, provide support through church programmes and collaborate with other organisations to meet the needs of these children. They can also identify children from dysfunctional families, those living in poverty, children abused by parents, sexually abused children, and those with physical disabilities.
Religious leaders in Pentecostal churches are responsible for identifying children who have experienced sexual abuse and providing necessary care and protection, as per Section 150(1)(i) of the
Religious leaders work with church members to address the physical needs of those in need, including those who are physically or mentally neglected. They also collaborate with businesses and government departments to provide for these needs. Church members are encouraged to donate to the food counter, where collected food is distributed to those in need. Pentecostal churches can identify children needing care and protection while also providing for their physical needs, implementing childcare and protection measures, supporting food programmes and ensuring their physical and emotional needs are met.
The study suggests that a partnership between social child welfare practitioners and religious leaders in Pentecostal churches can effectively protect children’s welfare and safety. Religious leaders are responsible for reporting instances of child neglect to child welfare organisations, police and social workers, fulfilling their obligation by actively cooperating with these organisations.
Pentecostal church leaders offer support through church initiatives and collaborative approaches, such as providing physical needs, working with other organisations, and having church social welfare services. They also work through multisectoral collaborations to provide support to children in need. The study highlights the importance of religious leaders in child protection and their role in addressing the needs of children in need. By fostering collaboration among religious leaders within Pentecostal churches, social workers can serve as advocates for child protection through various methods, including:
Provide religious leaders in Pentecostal churches with child protection training, including how to report cases of children requiring care and protection to the authorities.
Conduct more awareness campaigns and programmes to educate the church communities about child protection and the value of reporting children needing care to the authorities.
Child protection professionals should facilitate collaboration and partnership with local church leaders and members to improve cooperation and support for children in need of care and protection.
This article is partially based on the first author’s thesis entitled ‘A model to enhance social work support for Pentecostal churches religious leaders supporting children in need of care and protection’ towards a PhD in the Department of Social Work, University of South Africa, South Africa, 18 September 2024, with supervisors Prof. R.P. Mbedzi and Prof. A.H. Mavhandu-Mudzusi.
The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationships that may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article.
A.S. conceived the presented idea and conducted data collection. A.H.M.-M. verified methods and results. A.S. and A.H.M.-M. discussed the results and contributed to the final manuscript.
Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analysed in this study.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and are the product of professional research. It does not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any affiliated institution, funder, agency or that of the publisher. The authors are responsible for this article’s results, findings and content.