by Xana Recently I have been invited to participate in several discussions on the subject of Gender-Based Violence (GBV). Various forums highlighted the importance of language as well as the lack of vocabulary for women and children to be able to express their silenced experiences. For example, I was seven years old when I first …
I have been wanting to post this for a while now but have needed time to grieve. On Tuesday 9 June I received a call: Ms Esther Kostina (Mama Esther, as she was known at HOC) had passed away. Who was Mama Esther? She was one of the strong foundations that helped make HOC what …
One of the clearest teachings about Christian service is found in the book of James 2:14-20 (NLT): 14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? 15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food …
This reflection is based on the Men Engage article (13 April 2020): “Let us not be blind to the gendered impact of COVID-19, written by Mpiwa Mangwiro. Maria Holtsberg, humanitarian and disaster risk advisor at UN Women Asia and Pacific has been quoted as saying: “Crisis always exacerbates gender inequality. ” During the COVID-19 pandemic, …
The Evangelical myths of “male headship” teach that men have some sort of authority over women in the Church, community, and home, but the Bible itself does not give men an over arching authority over women.Written by: Kate Wallace I sat down across the table from her. We hadn’t seen each other in a while …
What we do with our bodies is more relevant and impactful for God’s kingdom than what our bodies look like. Written by: Tega Swann Until I was thirty-three and conceived my child, my body was slender and straight—no curves (a relative once jokingly called me “figure eleven,” which was her way of saying that I …
Written by: Stacey Moyo The Young Adults iConnect camp held last year was a huge success! The Young Adults Ministry is led by Ps Wayne Chafunya at Rhema Bible Church. In the course of the weekend, the campers were split into four huge teams, to scramble for victory in a series of games. It was, …
What makes you an egalitarian, and when do you become one? Written by: Carrie Fernandez I’m a southern girl, the middle child, one of three daughters in my family of five. My daddy gloried in raising up three, strong-willed women. He taught us early on to assert ourselves, with frequent reminders to never let anyone …
Written by: Wilma Luimes “No. You can’t play. I am the boss of this game.” Johnny shouts. Sarah turns away dejected. It’s standard ‘modus operandi’ on playgrounds around the world. The struggle for power, status and prestige. Johnny declares a new game. “Follow the leader,” he announces. Those who are ‘not allowed’ to play watch …
Written by: Wilma Luimes In the name of fighting injustice we often forget to fight the issue and start fighting a perceived enemy. The battle is not against a person, it is a fight against the perception of superiority and the subsequent imbalance of power it creates; an internalised ‘perception of truth and entitlement’ that …
