In celebration of International Women's Day, we recognise and celebrate the women around the world who selflessly serve God's kingdom impacting their communities through OM's ministries. Through the hundreds of ministries that OM has in different countries and cultural contexts, women serve in a variety of ways, often taking up a combination of roles building up the Body of Christ.
In celebration of International Women's Day, we recognise and celebrate women impacting their communities around the world and selflessly serving God's Kingdom through OM's ministries. This article is but a small selection of the testimonies of women who the Lord has empowered to serve using the giftings He has given them.
Through the hundreds of OM ministries in different countries and cultural contexts, women of God serve in a variety of ways, often taking up a combination of roles. From serving as ministry leaders to teachers, housewives to engineers, these women are undeniably creative and persevering as they live out their faith.
WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP
Some women have taken on a leadership role in discipling in their ministries.
After participating in a training last year, Oumou*, from Mali, is now involved in discipling young women herself. "I have seen how I can demonstrate God's love through my generosity and teaching practical skills," she says. "We do Discovery Bible Studies (DBS) together while making necessary things like liquid soap. Through the training I also learnt how to make reusable sanitary pads. I was able to go to an all-Muslim school and teach the girls how to make sanitary pads. The teachers from the school were amazed at my generosity."
Rosie moved to Greece from England to serve women wanting to leave prostitution in Greece's red-light district. In 2020, she opened a second-hand bookshop that employs women who have left prostitution and the profits sponsor anti-trafficking projects.
Salma* is a leader for the women's ministry in Zambia, which provides sewing and microbusiness training along with running DBSs. Salma says, "In addition to reaching out in the community, I learnt the importance of identifying and developing other women as leaders...We started to mobilise other women to read through the Bible together with us and I have seen how I have helped to ignite one lady as a new leader."
BREAKING CULTURAL BARRIERS
In living out their faith, women also push past cultural barriers to spread the love of Christ to unreached communities.
Serving in Central Asia, Shona works as an occupational therapist for children with disabilities. There is a culture of shame in the country surrounding disabilities, but "we hope that when a child and their mother step into the room they feel a place of community and belonging and a new hope as they see God’s love through our actions," shares Shona.
In 2022, when Vina* was first asked to take on the training coordinating role for the church planting initiative in her country, she was hesitant. “In our culture, women should not teach men, especially men who are older and married. As a single lady, I didn't want to teach because sometimes [women] can't appear to have more knowledge than men...But I prayed and trusted God that God will use me to do this work. In the end, God turned this to good. Everyone has shown me respect and listened to me, connecting and asking for help. This is so encouraging to see because, despite our culture, God is using something for His good,” says Vina.
Eszter from Hungary served as Logos Hope's first engineer; she worked her way to this position by first fighting the policy of allowing women to work in the ship's engine room as watchkeepers, next by moving up from the position of apprentice to third engineer and eventually became first engineer in 2018. When talking about her role as first engineer, Eszter says, "People who come on board can have an amazing experience and get to know Jesus. If I do my job right, even though I don’t see it, what we are doing moves the Body of Christ in the right direction."
BUILDING UP THE BODY OF CHRIST
We also want to recognise the many women who have unofficial roles, perhaps as a wife and/or mother, which make it possible for others to serve with OM. The impact women have on ministry — whether as a leader or in a support role — is significant, even if their stories are not highlighted here today.
As 1 Corinthians 12:24-25 says, "But God has put the body together, giving greater honour to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other" (NIV). Through their different God-given backgrounds, talents and skills, women are working hard in bringing Christ to others, all united in their mission to build up the Body of Christ.
Give thanks for the women serving God across the world. Pray for their various ministries and for the women they will reach. Pray for financial support for the volunteers as well as the projects they are involved in.
*name changed