The Sunday Mail
Fatima Bulla
DESPITE most governments’ efforts in advancing women empowerment, women continue to be seen as inferior in most religious set-ups.In the Anglican Church, among others, women can have any other leadership roles but they cannot be deacons, priests or bishops.
Women in the Apostolic Faith Mission cannot occupy seats on the local board if they are not pastors.
Most local prophetesses are wives to clergymen. Various interpretations of the Bible which are based on fundamental beliefs have shaped most churches’ constitutions, confining women to ceremonial roles within the church.
The fact that Jesus only had male disciples (Matthew 10 v 2-4) or the fact that Paul said women ought to remain silent in church (1 Corinthians 14 v 34) has been used to justify the segregation of women in church.
While singing in the church choir, cleaning the church or collecting offerings have traditionally been identified with women, the more important decision making and administrative duties are often executed by men.
Religions that stem from the Abrahamic faith, Christianity, Islam and Judaism are strict on women’s roles at home, at the synagogue, their dressing and even where they could seat in a room. Anglican Church of the Province of Central Africa, Harare Diocese secretary, Reverend Clifford Dzavo said at the national level, it is very noble to have women occupying top positions within the church.
However, he said Anglican CPCA is conservative on having top female leadership.
“Women can have any other leadership roles but they cannot be deacons, priests or bishops. However, this differs with provinces. In Southern Africa, they have a female bishop from Swaziland,” said Rev Dzavo.
He said change would come with future generations as the Anglican Church almost split over the ordaination of women.
In 2014, the Church of England broke from tradition and approved that women could be ordained into bishops.
This was celebrated by top Anglican leaders and in January 2015, Reverend Libby Lane was ordained as the Bishop of Stockport, becoming the first-ever female to hold such a high position within that church.
But according to Christian Post: “A group of conservative Anglican leaders would meet in London to discuss forming a ‘parallel’ church that they felt would be more true to Anglican principles on positions like women bishops.”
Nevertheless, Anglican Church is not alone in this predicament.
The century-old Apostolic Faith Mission also finds itself confronted with the same issue. AFM in Zimbabwe’s national administrator, Elder Maxwell Shumba, said women in his church can be top leaders but cannot occupy seats on the local board if they are not pastors.
“Women can be pastors, deacons and top leaders in the church. However, they cannot seat on the local board if they are not ordained pastors.
“The church constitution is clear, men are the ones who make up the local board and if they are not enough, the pastor can appoint the most senior woman — his wife — to seat on the board. Elder Shumba said this arrangement was a request from the Ladies Union Department.
“They said we can’t elect women into the local board and then have a separate ladies’ board. This would have caused confusion,” he said.
AFM in Zimbabwe has local boards at assembly, provincial and national levels. Bishop Oliver Chipunza of Apostolic Flame Ministries of Zimbabwe said religion must not look at gender.
“According to the constitution of the Apostolic Flame Ministries of Zimbabwe and Inter-Denominational School of Deliverance, we believe that when a person comes to Christ, we should not look at gender.
“We acknowledge what the scriptures say; there is no Jew, Greek, Hebrew or Gentile; and we are all equal upon God. As a result, we elevate women. In our church, half of our pastors are women.
“When God calls a person, he does not look at gender. Even in the Bible, women played a very important role. For example we have Esther, who rescued the Jews from a death decree; Deborah led the children of Israel and Mary Magdalene heralded the resurrection of Christ.
“Our Borrowdale, Budiriro and Greencroft churches are led by women. Outside our church, Apostle (Florence) Kanyati, Dr (Eunor) Guti from Zaoga and Pastor Olga Maraura from AFM are doing quite well,” Bishop Chipunza said.
Salvation Army public relations officer Captain Victor Mafukidze said women continue to scale leadership heights without being barred by the church’s constitution.
“Women and men in our church get equal chances with some women being church generals because they can perform the duties like their male counterparts. At our Bible colleges, both men and women are taught the same skills. In our church, Linda Bond and Eva Burrows assumed top positions as General of the Salvation Army and Commanding Officer respectively,” he said.
Apostle Florence Kanyati, the co-founder of Zoe Life Changing Ministries, said she became a pastor before getting married.
She said people need to remember that Christian leadership has nothing to do with gender, but rather appointment. “Christian leadership is all about anointing and appointment by God. Paul in Galatians 1 v1 says, ‘Paul an apostle not from me nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead’.
“This means this leadership is from God. In the Bible there are women like Deborah; a prophetess, a judge, a wife (Judges 4 and 5); men said they would not go to battle if she did not go with them.
“Jesus appointed women to evangelise and tell men about his resurrection. God chose the womb of a woman to carry a Saviour. And in Genesis, God says let us make man in our image. This is not in reference to gender but mankind, before a male and female were separated. So God is the best equaliser. Leadership is through spiritual ranking, it cannot be physical or considered by gender,” Apostle Kanyati said.
Leader of Revival United Church of Christ International, Bishop Marvellous Mhloyi, said her church’s constitution empowers people to be in leadership roles despite of their gender.
“Gender is not important when it comes to leadership positions in our church. The Bible says there is therefore no Jew, Gentile nor Greek. It is the Holy Spirit that uses and anoint people for leadership,” she said.
Some movements in the world are now pushing for a matriarchal church.
The World Mission Society Church of God, also known as the Church of God, is a new religious movement which believes in God the Father and God the Mother.
The church originated in South Korea in 1964 and Joo-Cheol Kim is the General Pastor of the church.
According to online sources, the church expanded its activities to Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, North America and South America after its founder, Ahn Sahng-hong, had died in 1985.
Its name — Church of God — is a verbatim designation of 1 Corinthians 1 verses 1–2.
“Since the beginning of Christianity, we have been familiar with God our Father. We even call ourselves children of God. But why does the Bible say we are children of God? And why did Jesus Christ teach us to pray to God our Father?
“The existence of a father naturally indicates there are children. Children can only have life if there is also a mother because it is the mother who gives birth. Christ showed us to pray to our Father in heaven because, as children of God, we also have God our Mother. And She is testified in the Bible from the beginning to the end,” the church states on its website.
“By promising eternal life ‘at the last day,’ Jesus was letting us know God the Mother, the giver of spiritual life, would appear in our time,” the church states, premising its beliefs on John 6 v39, 40, 44 and 54, among others.
“But the Jerusalem that is above is free and she is our mother, (Galatians 4:26). The bride of Christ is our Mother. Just as God created Eve on the last day of the creation, Heavenly Mother appears today to grant our spirit eternal life.”
