BiAS 7 – The Bible and Politics in Africa
With particular reference to AICs, women have been allowed to speak in
the church through the role of prophecy. Mabhunu (2010) describes this
role of women in AICs in Harare. Prophecy has allowed women to be
heard in the church. However, with particular reference to the selected
biblical texts in question, Mabhunu says,
Despite the inroads that women have had in AICs in Harare, consideration
of personal testimonies and observations have indicated that they still have
limited roles in leadership positions. Women are recognized as healers,
midwives and prophetesses. But all women in AICs, even prophetesses, are
excluded from the church hierarchy. The expression of equality in leader-
ship is denied for women...AICs forbid women from preaching in line with
the Pauline Instruction...1Timothy 2: 11-14. Prophetesses are also excluded
from positions of authority and influence such as occupying positions of
secretary general or treasurer (Mabhunu 2010:82).
As such, the idea of women preaching in both AICs and mainline
churches is still minimal, as they argue that the bible tells them that
women are not allowed to preach. In AICs, as Mabhunu argues, women
are not in leadership positions, though they can have other roles. In
Zimbabwe, however, women in one strand of Christianity: Pentecostal-
ism, are defying the odds. AICs and Pentecostal churches have accorded
greater space to women’s leadership than the Catholic Church and Prot-
estant churches. With AICs, women are more of prophetesses and less
of preachers, but with Pentecostalism, more women are emerging as
both preachers and prophetesses. Consequently, this article focuses on
women Pentecostalism. This is because it is largely with Pentecostalism
that one can notice a clear paradigm shift in many dimensions of the
church; and it appears Pentecostalism has gone the furthest in pro-
moting women’s leadership in the church. Furthermore, Pentecostalism
in Zimbabwe has tended to attract the young and even the upwardly
mobile social class (Togarasei 2010). As such, it represents the fastest
growing brand of Christianity in sub-Saharan Africa (Kalu 2008). The
next section discusses how women in Zimbabwean Pentecostalism have
defied the historical and colonial trends to set some new standards for
themselves as leaders, preachers and prophetesses in the church.
Women called to be fishers of men? The Zimbabwean Pentecostal
scenario
It has been exceedingly difficult for women to access public space in
Zimbabwe (Lynette Jackson 1999). Zimbabwean women have gathered