Dr Olly Mesach, Indonesia
Tell us something about the Women’s Commission in Indonesia. How is it serving the women?
By leadership training - in the setting up of crisis centres for abused women and girls and launching vocational training. We provide pastoral counselling and other practical lessons for ministry: homiletics, Bible studies, etc. Other services include day-care for children and providing of scholarships for schoolchildren.
What is the level of women’s participation in the churches?
Generally, at all levels, till membership at the Central Board of the Synod. Women have been ordained as pastors.
What are the challenges facing Christian women in Indonesia?
Issues like abuse against women, especially violence, the uplifting of poverty. The discipling of women converts is another important area. There is a great harvest at this moment and the unity of Christian women is essential. In some churches, there is still a reluctance to accept women in leadership.
What are some ways we could network and work together to build and encourage women?
In three ways:
I) exchange information
II) conduct comparative studies
Dr Olly Mesach was the chairperson of Bethel Women (a Women’s Commission of Gereja Bethel), Indonesia from 1985 to 1999. She is now the Advisor of Bethel Women. Her ministries include prayer and counseling of abused women and girls.
Grace Nedelchev, Bulgaria
Tell us something about the Women’s Commission in Bulgaria.
The Women’s Commission consists of representatives from each of the five denominations - five women and one coordinator. They organize the women’s work - special training for women, seminars and conferences. They also plan social activities for the women in the five denominations.
What is the level of women’s participation in leadership in the churches?
In many of the churches, there are women in the church committees, but they are usually responsible for women matters. Most of the members in the churches are women so women mostly do the work but they do not have much access to leadership positions.
What are the challenges facing Christian women in Bulgaria?
There is a lot of poverty and unemployment, so there are many challenges and opportunities to take care of the people. Activities include soup kitchens, orphanages, homes for elderly people, street kids. The issue of abuse is also a challenge - sex trafficking is a great problem for the country.
What are some ways we could network and work together to encourage and build up women?
- Encourage exchange of information and pray for each other.
- Organize women’s conferences.
- Share our experiences in women’s work.
Grace is a member of the Task Force against abuse and is involved in women’s
work in Bulgaria.
Mary Bassali, Egypt
Tell us something about the Women’s Com-mission in Egypt. How is it serving the women?
We are trying to help women fulfil their role at home, in church and society. At home, we would like to teach mothers to teach their daughters that husbands should help in the home as well. This will give the women the time to serve in the church. We area patriarchal society and Egyptian men do not help with housework at all. It is
seen as the belittling of their manhood.
Most Egyptian women in the villages are illiterate. We go to the villages and take literacy classes. In church, we run kindergartens for children of working mothers. There is also a geriatric centre –many old people are left alone because the children have migrated.
What is the level of women’s participation in leadership in the churches?
We organize conferences for women in leadership and women from all over Egypt attend these. The churches encourage women to lead in women’s meetings but not in the main services. We also organize conferences for pastors’ wives and for the handicapped. We help the poorer girls who live in the slum areas. They do not get to go on picnics and so we plan outings for them. Instead of carrying on a life of begging, we encourage them to learn a skill. We teach them to sew and help them to buy sewing machines.
What are the challenges facing Christian women in Egypt?
- Our women need to take up their responsibilities in society. Generally, the women do not go out to vote during elections.
- The patriarchal system does not allow women to be pastors.
What are some ways we could work together?
- Meet together and share our experiences.
- Adapt what we learn from each other for use in our own context.
- Organize leadership conferences.
Mary Bassali is the chair of WEF Women’s Commission in the Middle East. She has two married daughters and four grandchildren. |
