Mapuranga, ... The Politics of Pentecostalism and Women’s Ministries in ZimbabweRoles accepted by the society at large for women in the Church:
but strictly no preaching!
Many people who endorse what is written in 1Tim 2:11-14, and 1Cor
14:34-35, would rather accept any other positions that can be accorded to
women in the church, but not preaching! As such, one would find quite
a number of roles for women in the church, and preaching remains a
preserve acceptable only for men. The church in general, and Pentecos-
talism in particular, as will be highlighted later, has exposed women’s
initiatives and assertiveness as healers and leaders of the churches they
have founded, in addition to their increased involvement and participa-
tion in gender discourses and social change (Sackey 2006).
As briefly illustrated in this section, the ‘acceptable’ women’s roles in
church included singing and dancing, cleaning the church and its sur-
roundings, and becoming prophetesses.
Beginning from the Bible, there are records of female prophetesses who
were called to do God’s mission, and this is a yardstick that is used by
those conservationists who strictly adhere to what is written in the ‘good
book’. These prophetesses include the daughters of Philip (Acts 21:9),
Anna (Luke 2:36-38), Huldah (2Kings 22:14), (Isa 8: 3), Elizabeth (Luke
1:41-45), Noadiah, (Neh 6:14), and the greatest prophetesses; Deborah
(Judges 4:4) and Miriam (Exo 15:20). Thus, the bible, in as much as it
becomes a trendsetter for not allowing women to preach in the church,
others would not mind having female prophetesses, for they also existed
in the bible.
Most mainline churches, particularly the Roman Catholic Church, have
not given space to women in the church up to the highest levels. Women
ordination remains a highly political issue in the church. Women can
become nuns, and perform some roles which are not as significant to
that of the bishop, and at a larger level, the pope. Because of the status
accorded to them, women in the Catholic Church eventually cannot
preach. The larger chunk of mainline churches as well such as the
United Church of Christ (UCCZ), Anglican, Reformed Church in Zim-
babwe (RCZ), amongst many others, have not heard of women getting to
the highest level in charge, though of cause, in some cases, women have
been allowed to preach, but not as the preacher in charge. In other
words, in as much as mainline churches have allowed women to be
ordained, this has not been to the highest positions in these churches.
Male leaders remain at the helm.