SHARING ONE ANOTHER'S BURDENS: CONGREGATIONAL SUPPORT OF CAREGIVERS FOR PERSONS LIVING WITH DEMENTIA

This presentation will discuss the findings and implications from a mixed-methods study examining the impact of support services for caregivers of persons living with Dementia in their faith community. Caregivers and persons living with dementia participating in religious activities report numerous psychosocial benefits. Faith communities are the primary social network for older adults, with 48% of older adults attending religious services at least once weekly. Results will highlight specific opportunities for local congregations to foster spiritual connection and meaningful engagement with caregivers of persons living with Dementia. Findings will also describe key considerations and pathways for social work practitioners, researchers, and religious leaders to better serve older adults in their communities by providing education and strengths-based interventions in the context of local congregations. These findings have the potential to increase the reach of such programs to diverse, underserved populations.

Financially resourcing the ministry in the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa in the 21st century

From 1994 the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa has increasingly encountered tremendous challenges in financing its ministry on a just and equitable basis across all communities. This issue peaked when the Presbyterian Church of South Africa and the Reformed Presbyterian Church united to form the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa (UPCSA) in 1999. The union produced tensions concerning the financial support of the ministry. These centred on as yet unresolved proposals for the centralisation and equalisation of ministerial stipends, which have been discussed at every biennial General Assembly of the UPCSA from 2006. This article has briefly analysed the theological, ecclesiological, missional, economic, sociological and practical administrative issues that it believes should inform the final decision and may help to establish a new ministerial, missional and congregational support paradigm for many other churches in the new South Africa.

Job demands and job resources in the ministry

The objective of this study was to investigate ministers’ job demands and job resources using a qualitative design (n = 9). Fifteen themes emerged from the interviews. A cross-sectional survey design was used to study ministers’ experiences of job demands and job resources (N = 115). A principal factor analysis with a varimax rotation resulted in eight reliable factors. These factors included as job demands: pace and amount of work and emotional demands; and as job resources: growth opportunities, instrumental support, congregational support, autonomy, social support and job significance.