BiAS 7 – The Bible and Politics in Africa
The Bible and women preachers:
The larger society’s application of 1Tim 2:11-14, and 1Cor 14:34-35
As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silence in the
churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be subordinate, as
even the law says. If there is anything they desire to know, let them ask their
husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church (1Cor
14:34-35 RSV).
I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over men; she is to keep
silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived,
but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor (1Tim 2:11-15RSV).
The issue of women’s participation in the church can be rightly catego-
rised as political. It has stirred so stiff a debate both in and outside the
church’s circles. In the preceding section, this study has highlighted
some of the prominent names of women preaching in the church in
Zimbabwe. The upcoming section lays bare some of the responses by
the larger society through their interpretation of the given scriptures. As
will be unfolded, the society is not homogenous in this regard, as part of
it feels that the bible forbids women from preaching, and yet, on the
other hand, others feel that to have women preachers in the church is a
sign of upholding women’s capacity and abilities.
The Bible says so: 1Tim 2:11-14, and 1Cor 14:34-35
This section highlights the views by the larger society about women
preachers in the Pentecostal movement, and not necessarily the views in
the movement itself. the Some members of the larger society, especially
those stereotyped by patriarchy, feel that it is not any responsibility of
women to preach in the church, as is being practiced in Pentecostalism,
because the bible declares so. This is evidenced by responses such as
that of an elderly man who belongs to a mainline church identified as
Tongai who argues, ‘I would never allow my wife to stand in front of a
congregation, as it is the responsibility for men’ (Tongai, Interview: 2011
June). This notion had enormous support from members of the larger
society. For them, a women’s responsibility is solely to manage the
kitchen only and have no say in public areas like the church. This has led
to some female stereotypes who also find it odd to have women preach-
ers in the church as one lady identified as Tambudzayi says, ‘I do not
support a fellow woman to speak in church because Jesus did not have
female disciples’ (Tambudzayi: Interview, June 2011). For such people,
the female body belongs to a gendered sphere/space in the kitchen,