On Saturday, February 22, 2025, the Diocese of Johannesburg officially launched its Diocesan 2025 opening service for youth organizations at the Church of Manche Masemola in Protea Glen, Johannesburg. The day began with an opening Eucharist led by the Diocesan Youth Chaplain, Revd. Theo, followed by an inspiring message from Revd. Themba Msipha, who urged young people to be mindful of the events unfolding in both their local communities and the world at large.
The theme for the service, “Give Us Faith,” was further emphasized by Bino Makhalanyane from the Green Anglicans movement. Bino challenged the youth with the question, “What do we do with the faith we receive from our Creator?” He cautioned against the pitfall of having faith without action (James 2:17-22) and reminded the congregation that one of the five marks of mission in the Anglican Communion is safeguarding the integrity of creation. This, he stressed, is a call for all of us to care for God’s creation as part of living out our faith.
With climate change causing increasing destruction in communities — from long dry seasons leading to droughts to sudden heavy rains resulting in floods, as seen in Johannesburg just days before this service with all these young people, they continue to face unprecedented challenges. This generation is the first to experience the full impact of climate change, including loss, displacement, and natural disasters. It is now our responsibility to respond and act.
In addition, the City of Johannesburg hosts numerous national and international climate change consultations and conferences. Yet, the voice of young people from faith communities seems to often be missing from these discussions, such as the Presidential Climate Commission and the upcoming G20 conference. The Diocese of Johannesburg has a unique opportunity to represent young people in these vital forums, which requires us to be involved with the Ministry of Green Anglicans Provincial and the Johannesburg Anglican Eco-Spiritual Initiative (JAEI) in the diocese. Revd. Theo challenged all youth ministries in the diocese to integrate at least one environmental initiative into their 2025 programs as a concrete response to the ongoing climate crisis.
The service concluded with a powerful revival session where leaders from the present organizations unpacked the theme and shared their reflections, further reinforcing the call to action.