hose who believe that a leader must be older or grayer than
those he leads will probably never fully understand why the Netherlands Union
selected Jeroen Tuinstra, then 26, as its youth director.
The energetic young pastor with the blond hair was just two
years out of Newbold College and in the middle of an internship when he was
elected to head one of Dutch Adventism's most important ministries. Pathfinders,
youth, university students--the more than 1,000 children, youth, and young adults
served by Tuinstra's work--are the groups most prized by the constituents who
chose him, and the ones on which they are placing their hopes for the future
of their faith.
Youth congresses, rallies, and Pathfinder events around the
Netherlands draw large numbers of non-Adventist youth and hundreds of those
raised Adventist who haven't yet made a decision for baptism. (Baptismal age
for Dutch youth is trending older than in the Americas and Africa, with the
average being about age 17.) A survey at a recent youth congress even indicated
that nearly 10 percent of those attending were experiencing their first contact
with an Adventist-organized program.
While pleased with the responsiveness and investment of youth
in witnessing and church planting, Tuinstra is concerned that they need to become
more important stakeholders in the structure of local congregations. "You
don't find many youth on the local church board, or in roles or functions that
are considered important or influential," he says. "That needs to
change if existing local congregations are going to be the places that Adventist
youth want to express their faith." He has responded to the imbalance by
creating planning groups in which, at age 28, he is frequently the oldest person
and only church employee in the room.
"All of the differences and tensions that exist within
Dutch Adventism can be seen in any representative group of our youth, as well,"
he adds with a smile. "We have conservative and liberal participants, those
with very definite views about preaching and music. It's my job to help them
understand how we can work together for a greater good than any of us can achieve
on our own."
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