Pastoral care is a biblical mandate to the Church to be involved in the lives of God’s people. A key metaphor used by Jesus to describe his pastoral role was that of a shepherd. Thus, to be God’s shepherds and instruments of healing and transformation in God’s world is an imperative to all people, clergy and laity alike. The brokenness in South African society is strikingly apparent, exacerbated by the effects of exceptionally high criminal behaviour as statistics show. The demand for pastoral care and assistance with various personal problems is on the increase, with many non-church goers turning to churches for help. Also apparent in South Africa is the acute shortage of trained individuals to offer care and counselling. The task of offering care is not the sole responsibility of clergy, as all are called to be shepherds and caregivers. The importance and urgency in training church-based counselling teams cannot be overstated. More so in that we are becoming increasingly aware that not only are individuals in need of care, but whole communities are struggling with trauma and life’s challenges, and often do not know whom to turn to. In pursuance of the realisation that pastoral care is the function and duty of all Christians, this article will delineate in particular an explanation of lay counselling, reasons for its importance including biblical foundations, where and how ordinary South Africans can get involved, and will propose certain models and approaches for getting started. These models will not be discussed in depth, but present an opportunity for the next. Teams for these models consist of professional counsellors, but ought not to be restricted to a select few, as all are called to this special ministry and can be trained for the task, which will include on-going supervision and mentoring. The overall purpose of this article is to highlight the urgency of training lay counsellors and some recommendations will be made how to apply it, in an attempt to be faithful to the biblical mandate and examples set by Jesus Christ.

Die fokus van hierdie artikel is om aan te toon dat pedoseksualiteit en pedofilie ’n uitdaging aan die pastoraat en die kerk stel. Nie net in Suid-Afrika nie, maar ook internasionaal is pedoseksuele gedrag ’n wydverspreide probleem. Navorsing op hierdie gebied is ’n pastorale uitdaging. Volgens baie mense is seksueel-afwykende gedrag nie iets wat in die Christengemeenskap voorkom nie. Dit is egter ver van die waarheid af. Pedoseksualiteit en pedofilie kom voor in alle beroepe, op alle sosio-ekonomiese vlakke, in alle ouderdomme, kulture en seksuele oriëntasies en in alle gelowe. Pedofilie word in twee hoofgroepe verdeel, naamlik die situasionele kindermolesteerder en die voorkeur-kindermolesteerder. Die wortels van pedofilie lê normaalweg in die kinderjare terwyl die seksuele wanorde gedurende adolessensie ontwikkel. Drie tipes lewenservaring op ’n vroeë ouderdom word aangedui as aanleidend tot pedoseksualiteit, naamlik seksuele kontak vóór die ouderdom van 16 jaar met ’n aansienlik ouer persoon; seksuele kontak voor die ouderdom van 13 jaar met lede van die eie portuurgroep; en nie-seksuele geweld wat hoofsaaklik deur ouers teenoor kinders gepleeg is. Aangesien daar geen rehabiliteringsprogramme in Suid-Afrika bestaan vir persone met seksueel-afwykende gedrag nie en seksuele waardes vinnig in die breë samelewing afgeneem het, behoort die kerk op die voorgrond te tree op hierdie gebied.The focus of this article is to show that paedosexuality and paedophilia poses a challenge to both the pastorate and the church. Not only in South Africa, but also internationally, has paedosexual behaviour become a widespread problem. Research in this field poses a pastoral challenge. According to the opinion of most people sexually deviant behaviour is not something that occurs in the Christian community. This assumption, however, is not the truth. Paedosexuality and paedophilia are present in all occupations, on every socio-economic level, in all age groups, all cultures, in all sexual orientations and religions. Paedophilia can be divided into two main groupings, namely the situational and the preference child molester. The roots of paedophilia can usually be traced back to childhood and the dishevelment developed during adolescence. Three types of life experiences are indicated as causal factors in paedosexuality, namely sexual contact before the age of 16 with someone much older; sexual contact before the age of 13 with members of their peer group; and non-sexual violence committed against them – usually by a parent. The church must take the lead on this matter, as there are no existing rehabilitation programs in South Africa for persons with sexual deviant behaviour while sexual values are waning among the general population.

Voordat ’n pastorale terapeut ’n persoon met seksueel afwykende gedrag in die vorm van pedofilie, pastoraal bedien, is daar merkers wat in gedagte gehou moet word ten opsigte van die posisionering van die pastorale terapeut. Daar word aangeneem dat pedofilie nie genees kan word nie, maar slegs beheer en bestuur kan word. Pedofilie is nie net ’n saak vir ander wetenskappe nie, maar beslis ook ’n geestelike saak. Die persoon wat kinders molesteer, beleef dikwels ’n geestelike vakuum. As gevolg hiervan is sy geestelike dimensie remmend en destruktief. ’n Pastorale hermeneutiek is hier uiters belangrik. Dit beteken dat die pastorale terapeut die taak het om God se teenwoordigheid en verhaal vir die persoon met afwykende seksualiteit te vertolk, sodat sy behoeftes, lewenservaringe en nood in die lig van God se liefde en genade in sy lewe sal sin maak. Die pastorale terapeut kan die deelnemer help om te ko-konstrueer sonder om deskundige kennis op hom af te dwing. ’n Pastoraal-terapeutiese vertrouensverhouding en onvoorwaardelike aanvaarding moet sigbaar wees om die belangrikste medium van verandering en genesing te bewerkstellig. Wanneer die pastorale terapeut in verbondenheid met Christus self tot nederige diensbaarheid en medemenslikheid gesuiwer word, kom ’n ware pastoraal-terapeutiese verhouding van vertroue en onvoorwaardelike aanvaarding tot stand. Die pastorale terapeut behoort eers sy of haar eie vertrekpunte rakende pedofilie uit te klaar. Hy of sy sal met sy of haar eie seksualiteit, asook die van ander, gemaklik moet wees. Hierdie navorsing kan pastorale terapeute aanmoedig om ’n bydrae te lewer in die bemagtiging van die pedoseksuele persoon op geestelike gebied en sodoende ’n bydrae tot ’n veiliger gemeenskap lewer.The pastoral therapist as companion of a person displaying sexually deviant behaviour: A hermeneutic angle. Before a pastoral therapist can counsel a person who displays sexually deviant behaviour in the form of paedophilia, there are certain markers pertaining to the therapist’s own positioning that must be observed. It is generally accepted that paedophilia cannot be cured, only controlled and managed. However, paedophilia is not only an issue to be studied by other sciences, it is also a spiritual matter. The person who molests children often harbours a spiritual vacuum within him- or herself. The spiritual vacuum, of which the paedophile may be cognisant or unaware, is the determining factor to which a spiritual dimension that is both restraining and destructive can be attributed. A pastoral hermeneutics is imperative in counselling the paedophile. The pastoral therapist must explain God’s presence and story to the person displaying deviant sexuality to enable him or her to make sense of his or her needs, life experiences and destitution in the light of God’s love and grace. Without imposing specialist knowledge upon the participant, the pastoral therapist can assist him or her to co-construct. A therapeutic relationship based on trust and unconditional acceptance is crucial. The process of change and healing can only be brought about within the parameters and liberty of such a relationship. The pastoral therapist should firstly consider his or her own views regarding paedophilia. He or she must be comfortable with his or her own sexuality, as well as the sexuality of others.  The following article aims to encourage pastoral therapists to contribute to the empowerment of the pedosexual person on a spiritual level, and in doing so, contribute to a safer community.