Where are the children? An investigation of the presence of space for children in the worship life of the Nazarite Baptist Church and the Zion Christian Church

Abstract

As nativistic movements both the NBC and the ZCC do not have programs designed for the spiritual needs of children. This paper argues that the reason for this is to be found in the history of the founding of the two churches. Since they were founded to respond to the prevailing political and ecclesiological oppression of the time, the two AICs left the spiritual nurturing of children to their families, in the hope that their needs in adulthood would cause them to become full church members.