Mapuranga, ... The Politics of Pentecostalism and Women’s Ministries in Zimbabwebedroom, and in the home with children. The same sentiments are
echoed by F.H. Chimhanda when she says,
The patriarchal church distinguishes between men’s vocation patterned on
the Petrine symbol of priesthood and woman’s vocation patterned on the
Marine symbol of motherhood. This relegates women to the biological role
of reproduction and thus negates her from other important roles regarding
decision making (Chimhanda 2010: 5).
In response to a debate of this nature, Denver Cheddie says,
Is it possible for a woman to teach without usurping authority? If it is, then
there is no problem. It is clear that from scriptures like Hebrews 13:17 and I
Peter 5: 1-5 that pastors carry a huge amount of spiritual authority. It is im-
possible to be a pastor without being in spiritual authority over the members
of your congregation. Of course, that authority is not to lord the people, but
to serve them... (bibleissues.org).
This study’s interpretation of the above sentiment is that, since it is
difficult to separate being a pastor with having authority, that is, it is
impossible to be a preacher without amassing authority from the con-
gregants, then; Cheddie feels that women should not be preachers in the
church. For him, it would only be permissible for women to teach in the
church, without carrying any authority over them. Since this is not the
case with most of the women preachers in Zimbabwe, particularly in the
Pentecostal ministry, it then follows, according to Cheddie, that they are
practicing a forbidden vocation.
Using other Biblical references, this patriarchal mentality was also ex-
pressed by Bernard Mlambo (a pastor in a Pentecostal church and a
lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe). He clearly expressed how he
doubts the ongoing sprouting of women church leaders, and who gives
them the authority to stand and preach the word of God. He says,
Unfortunately for the women, I quote the Bible which for me is the only au-
thentic source of what God tells me to follow. It instructs women to be silent
in church and never speak in front of a congregation. In addition, Jesus
Christ himself never chose women amongst his disciples (Matthew 10:1-4,
Mark 1:16-20 and Luke 5:1-11). Furthermore, after his resurrection, Jesus
commanded the eleven disciples who were left, to ‘go and make disciples of
the nations’ (Matthew 28:17 -20). There was no woman amongst the sent. So
where are these women church leaders getting their authority from?
(Mlambo, 2011 June Interview).
Like Mlambo, some have strongly argued against the idea of women
being preachers in the church because, being a preacher or pastor in-
volves leadership in official functions such as baptism, marriages, bury-
ing the dead, and unveiling of tombstones, which all fall under the realm