Single Parenting and Worship Participation in Local Churches: An Empirical Assessment

Abstract

In today's society, roles have changed for many parents. They are working long hours and having to balance family at the same time. Consequently, single parents tend to have more role strain in raising children alone than those who are not single, and single parenting demands often turn into stress and conflict between family and survival. After a divorce or separation, single parents' perceptions of raising children alone and survival often go unnoticed. This study therefore empirically assessed the issue of single parenting and worship participation in Monrovia Central Seventh Day Adventist Church, Liberia.

This study used a survey design. One hundred and fifteen (115) respondents participated in the study. Data were collected structured interview. Four research questions were raised to guide this study, while Analysis of data was done using descriptive statistics.

A total of 115 participants were included in the study, 66 (57.4%) females and 49 (42.6%) males participated in the study, the age range from 21 to 71years with majority (75; 65.2%) aged 21-35years, 49.6% were married, 21 (18.3%) were single and 37 were single parents. Also, majority (45.2%) were first degree holder, and 44 (38.3%) have spent between 6 and 10 years in the current church. Eighty-three (72.2%) participants among the one hundred and fifteen affirmed the existence of single parenthood or family, 59 (51.3%) of the participants of this study agreed that single parents are saddled with responsibilities in the church. All the respondents interviewed agreed that they do encourage their wards and children to participate in all activities required of them; and that social support for single parents from other church members is a must.

The study concluded that the problems and challenges faced by single parents were personal while others were coming from the community due to lack of support from society. Based on the outcome of this study, it was recommended that pastors need to consider the relational communication pattern, couples' mutual vulnerability, and emotional atonement in order to improve the couples' marital quality, satisfaction and interaction towards each other.