Mission in Progress

Barden Chirwa

Description

Since the establishment of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Malawi in 1902, there is now available much information on the cases, narratives and experiences of women that shows the contribution of women to the progress of the SDA mission in Malawi. That record reveals a notable increase in the developing role of women in the SDA Church in Malawi, blended with both successful and challenging experiences. This has prompted the writing of this book. My aim is to present a historical record of the developing role of women in the SDA Church in Malawi. The purpose is to provide a first critical analysis, in a Malawian context, of a wider range of biblical and socio-cultural issues affecting the role of women in the SDA Church in Malawi.

Informations

• Publié par: Mzuni Press
• Date de parution: 17 novembre 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9789996060434
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 4 Mo

Extrait

Mission in Progress

Copyright 2020 Frank Chirwa

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior permission from the publishers.

Published by Mzuni Press P/Bag 201 Luwinga Mzuzu 2 Malawi

ISBN eISBN

978-99960-60-44-1 978-99960-60-43-4

Mzuni Press is represented outside Africa by: African Books Collective Oxford ([e-mail])

www.mzunipress.blogspot.com www.africanbookscollective.com

Editorial assistance: Hope Kaombe Cover: Josephine Kawejere and Daniel Neumann

Mission in Progress

The Developing Role of Women in the Church An SDA Perspective from Malawi Frank Barden Chirwa

Mzuni Books no. 45

Mzuzu

2020

Acronyms and Abbreviations AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome ATR African Traditional Religion AICs African Initiated Churches BACOMA Baptist Convention of Malawi CCAP Church of Central African Presbyterian BTSM Baptist Theological Seminary of Malawi CIM China Inland Mission CWBM Christian Woman's Board of Missions EAM Evangelical Association of Malawi EATWOT Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians ECC Ecumenical Counselling Centre ECM Episcopal Conference of Malawi GC General Conference GCE General Certificate of Education HIV Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus HA Health Assistant JMB Joint Matriculation Board KJV King James Version MA Medical Assistant MV Missionary Volunteer NIM Nyasaland Industrial Mission NIV New International Version NASV New American Standard Version SDA Seventh-day Adventist Church SEAIA Sabbath Evangelizing International Association SID Southern Africa Indian Ocean Division SvAM Svenska Alliansmissionen TEV Tyndale English Version 4

TTC UEAB WCTU WEC WUMS ZIM

Teacher Training College University of Eastern Africa, Baraton Woman Christian Temperance Union Worldwide Evangelism Crusade Woman Union Missionary Society Zambezi Industrial Mission

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Table of Contents Introduction 7 Chapter 1 10 Women in the Early SDA Church in Malawi, 1902 – 1950 10 Chapter 2 60 The Role of Women in the Current SDA Church in Malawi 60 Chapter 3 104 The Impetus of the Great Advent Awakening: Women in the Early History of the SDA Church in America 104 Chapter 4 139 The Biblical Perspective of the Role of Women as the Background to the Role of Women in the SDA Church 139 Chapter 5 212 Women Serving the Lord Effectively Despite Violence and Cultural Challenges 212 Chapter 6 287 Towards a Changing Role of Women in the SDA Church in Malawi 287 Chapter 7 304 The Current Changing Theological Debate on Women's Ordination in the SDA Church 304 Chapter 8 342 A Plea for a Gender Inclusive Ministry 342 Appendix 347 Bibliography 351 Index 368

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Introduction

Since the establishment of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Malawi in 1902, there is now available much information on the cases, narra- tives and experiences of women that shows the contribution of women to the progress of the SDA mission in Malawi. That record reveals a notable increase in the developing role of women in the SDA Church in Malawi, blended with both successful and challenging experiences. This has prompted the writing of this book. My aim is to present a historical record of the developing role of women in the SDA Church in Malawi. The purpose is to provide a first critical analysis, in a Malawian context, of a wider range of biblical and socio-cultural issues affecting the role of women in the SDA Church in Malawi. The major concern of this book is that, even though women contribute to the progress of the SDA mission in Malawi, they are often relegated to inferior roles in the church. In some congregations, they are even denied ascending to the pulpit to preach. Selected biblical texts are interpreted out of context to discourage them from taking part in gospel ministry; hence, there are conflicts. In writing this book, I share the evangelical background that is a trans- lation of personal faith and theology in praxis by every faithful biblical scholar regardless of gender and ethnicity. I believe in the 28 Funda- mental Beliefs taught by the SDA Church couched from the three angels' message of Revelation 14:6-12, the core of the Adventist mission. In the context of this conviction, this book is influenced by the historical and contemporary theological framework. It reveals that, at first, women were denied participation in gospel ministry. But through the revival th th movements of the 18 and 19 centuries, the Holy Spirit emancipated 1 women to fully participate in ministry. There were many examples of

1th  Bolam Moses,Pietism, Puritanism and Evangelical Awakening between 16 th to 18 Century,August 20, 2007, www.utcbd/pietism, puritanism [21.1.2013]. 7

such type of women who are models for women in the church of God 2 today. th Thus, due to the impetus of the Great Advent revival in the 19 century, even in the SDA Church in America there were a good number of women who worked as licensed ministers. But women gospel ministers greatly declined soon after the death of Ellen G. White. That decline is now being reversed, even in the SDA Church in Malawi, though amidst cultural challenges. While this book focuses on the experiences of women in the SDA Church in Malawi, I am aware that the Adventist Church is an international church; therefore, the SDA women in Malawi do not only have to refer to their local history and culture alone, but also to the reality of the worldwide church which comes to them through history, traditions, conflicts and challenges. The influence from the worldwide church has recently intensified in all issues concerning the position and role of women in the Adventist Church. To do justice to this worldwide frame in this book, I present socio-cultural, historical, and theological infor- mation and all that is important for the current debates in the Adventist Church relating to the changing role of women with a special focus on the progress of the Adventist mission in Malawi. Adventists love the Bible. They study and ardently live their life accord- ing to it. But, being aware that all Bible reading is to some extent coloured by the culture of the reader, I approach relevant texts not without culture, since such would not be possible. Hence, I take recourse to some general biblical scholarship. I give special emphasis to various Adventist readings of the texts within the context of the grammatical-historical hermeneutical method espoused by Adventists. In order to critically analyze the study fairly and scholarly, I resort to the disciplines of missiology and sociology of religion. I also approach this study through the African Traditional Religious context in Malawi which 2  See: Klaus Fiedler,The Story of Faith Missions: From Hudson Taylor to Present Day Africa, Oxford: Regnum, 1994, esp pp. 292-318. See also: Klaus Fiedler, Missions as the Theology of the Church, Mzuzu: Mzuni Press, 2015, pp. 15-39 (on revival sequence, pp. 48-51, especially on women and revival). 8

discloses that there were more women priests than men in the African 3 Traditional Religion. The importance of this inclusion is to refute the allegation that it is because of the African culture that women are not accepted in gospel ministry, full-time employed pastoral work, and ordination to the gospel ministry. Finally, I cherish the belief that, just as Jesus said there will be joy in heaven over one sinner who repents; even so, there will be joy in heaven over one sinner who is converted and baptized whether by a male or female Pastor. Most importantly, I believe that conversion and discipleship is the most imperative response for all members of the Body of Christ, the church, regardless of gender and ethnicity. In this predisposition, I present the mission in progress as it is related to the developing role of women in the SDA Church in Malawi. Frank Barden Chirwa October 2020

3  See: Matthew Schoffeleers,Religion and the Dramatization of Life: Spirit Beliefs and Rituals in Southern Central Malawi, Blantyre: CLAIM-Kachere, 1997, pp. 92f; Ian Linden, "Chisumphi Theology in the Religion of Central Malawi," in J.M. Schoffeleers (ed),Guardians of the Land, Gweru: Mambo-Kachere, 1999, p. 195; John Mbiti, "Flowers in the Garden-The Role of Women in African Religion," inThe Place of African Traditional Religion in Contemporary Africa, Nairobi: Council of World Religions, 1987, p. 7; I.M. Lewis, "Spirit Possession and Deprivation Cult," Malinowski Memorial Lecture,Man, 1/3, 1996, p. 310. 9