Peran Gereja dalam Pencegahan Pernikahan Usia Dini di Desa Bavuaya

Abstract

Early marriage remains a social issue in Bavuaya Village, Donggala Regency, Central Sulawesi, where some girls marry at the age of 12–15 years due to customary practices, family approval, and socio-economic conditions. This community service program aimed to identify factors influencing early marriage and analyze the role of the church in preventing it within a community with strong customary and kinship values. A descriptive qualitative approach was applied through field observations, interviews with village leaders, community representatives, local residents, and supported by documentation and literature studies. The findings reveal that early marriage is influenced by limited educational access, inherited family practices, agriculture-based economic conditions, and social perceptions of adulthood that prioritize physical maturity over psychological and spiritual readiness. The church plays a strategic role through youth development programs, Christian family education, and pastoral counseling. Prevention efforts should adopt a dialogical approach by integrating customary values with Christian teachings to develop a broader understanding of marital readiness and protect the future of younger generations.