Pastoral Silence and LGBTQ+ Engagement in Coastal West African Christianity: A Theological Framework for Family Ministry

Abstract

The main purpose of this article is to investigate the prevalent silence among Christian parents in Coastal West Africa regarding LGBTQ+ issues and propose a pastoral framework for church leadership. It makes use of a conceptual methodology, and data from the 2025 OneHope Faith Foundations Research, which covered 737 participants across Benin, Cameroon, Liberia, and Nigeria. The research highlights a widespread lack of interest in LGBTQ+ training among both parents and clergy. While digital exposure has created a slight increase of awareness in Anglophone regions (20%) compared to Francophone areas (11%), institutional barriers persist. In response, this article proposes the Theological Silence Continuum as a diagnostic tool to guide tailored pastoral interventions. This diagnostic tool categorises silence into four forms: Enforced, Structural, Protective, and Engaged. Ultimately, this article argues that proactive and context-specific church resources are essential to prevent youth from seeking guidance from unreliable external sources.