wfn.org | WCC FEATURE: Women challenge churches to redefine mission

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World Council of Churches - Feature
Contact: + 41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org
For immediate release - 13/05/2005

WOMEN CHALLENGE CHURCHES TO REDEFINE MISSION

By Heather Chappell (*)

      Free photos available at
      www.mission2005.org

The mission of women is often very ordinary. It happens every day,
sometimes in very quiet ways.

It happens in Canada when a woman encourages the spiritual gifts of her
three daughters. It happens in Nigeria when Christian and Muslim women
join in solidarity to protest religious violence in their town. It happens
in India when a woman with a theological degree offers to volunteer at her
church because, as a woman, she will never be ordained there.

"Women in the church are doing many things, but often hesitate to call it
mission," says German missiologist Katja Heidemanns, who led the only
workshop dealing specifically with women's issues at the 13th Conference
on World Mission and Evangelism near Athens, Greece. "Often their work is
not recognized because it doesn't fall under the official, narrow
understanding of what mission is." The workshop, which focused on women in
mission, included presentations by women working in various areas of
healing and reconciling ministry.

Women often flourish in the areas of education, health care and pastoral
care. Jacinta Maingi, from Kenya, has worked for 22 years counselling
those living with HIV/AIDS. She views the church as a healing space, a
hospital for those who are physically, mentally and spiritually sick and
wounded. "Christ came to those in need," she says. "And we must do the
same."

Nilda Castro of the Philippines ministers to migrant people through The
Mission and Ministry of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of
Migrants and Itinerant People. She believes that the only way to bring
about healing and reconciliation is through love. "Not just any kind of
love," she explains. "Rather, the love that is a reflection of God. This
is a love that makes us ready to die on the cross for one another." Castro
feels that women are particularly predisposed to this type of sacrificial
love through their connection to childbearing and motherhood.

Women need opportunities

Of course, mission belongs to and should involve everyone, regardless of
gender. "All of us, male and female, young and old, are called to proclaim
the good news to all people," says Rev. Dr Hyacinth Ione Boothe, a
professor at United Theological College of the West Indies in Jamaica. She
feels that women must be themselves, and not try to become men. "The
compassionate and nurturing side of women should be reflected in their
ministry," she says. "However, they need to explore ways in which their
witness will enrich the fellowship of the church without automatically
subscribing to the traditional hierarchy of ministry in the church." She
stresses that women need to be involved in all areas of ministry. This can
be difficult in churches where the ministry of women is still not
recognized or encouraged.

There is so much that women can do. "Women don't need empowerment. They
are already empowered," says Maingi. What they do need is support and
opportunities that will allow them to use their gifts in ways that serve
the church and the world.

When questioned about the lack of topics specifically related to women,
conference organizers stated that women's voices will be heard inclusively
throughout the conference during worship, plenaries and workshops.
However, the lack of official focus on women at the conference has
disappointed some delegates. Janet Plenart, Executive Director of
International Ministries for the Mennonite Church Canada, feels that much
could be gained by allowing for more specific dialogue and sharing on
women's issues.

As women work together to redefine the understanding of mission, they have
a great opportunity to bring a new dimension to the church's concept of
itself. "Women have the particular role of challenging the church to be
true to the liberating message of the gospel," says Boothe.

(*) Heather Chappell is a writer from Toronto, Ontario. She works as
programme assistant for The Presbyterian Church in Canada in the areas of
stewardship and mission education.

Free high resolution photos to accompany this story are available at:
http://cwme.wcc-coe.org/High_resolution.884.0.html

Conference website: www.mission2005.org

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more than 120 countries in all continents from virtually all Christian
traditions. The Roman Catholic Church is not a member church but works
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