The World Council of Churches' 332 member churches should declare that
violence against women is a sin, commit resources to "restore (women) to
their rightful place in God's household", and denounce economic injustice
and racism.
These are some of the points raised by participants in the Ecumenical
Decade Festival in a statement to be presented to assembly delegates during
a special decade plenary next Monday.
The six-page document came from a meeting of 1200 delegates to the
festival, held 27-30 November on the campus of Belvedere Teachers College
in Harare.
Delegates also asked for a strengthening of language on racism, environmental
justice, war and the arms trade, and attention to fundamental needs such
as literacy, clean water, sewerage systems, vocational training for income
generating work, and health care.
They spoke about the impact of religious fundamentalism and discriminatory
law, the need to recognise indigenous women's identity and culture, and
the evil of sex tourism.
Speakers rose to urge "development of a theology that denounces unbridled
consumerism in the West and the concept that private property is an unlimited
right", as well as compassion and immediate debt cancellation for Nicaragua,
Honduras and Guatemala — devastated by Hurricane Mitch.
The letter called for the recognition of church leaders and lay men
who have been in solidarity with women. It also had to be recognised
that many church leaders now are women.
Dr Kathleen Hurty, general director of Church Women United (USA), said
the statement was "not perfect but we did our best. Our comments
have been essential, probing, painful. I believe the document provides
a strong stimulus for action, thoughtful theology and a bold middle ground
where we don't agree."
The four-day festival marked the end of the WCC's Ecumenical Decade
of the Churches in Solidarity with Women 1988-98.
Carol Fouke of the USA's National Council of Churches reports that
festival participants acknowledged that many churches ignored or resisted
the decade program. It offered churches a framework within which
they could look at their structures, teachings and practices with a commitment
to the full participation of women.
As the decade ends, "women have expressed a real anxiety that the churches
will heave a sigh of relief that the women have stopped talking," commented
Dr Aruna Gnanadason, of the WCC Women's Desk, addressing the "Decade Festival:
Visions Beyond 1998."
"The challenge is to ensure that the solidarity we seek is sustained.
It is important that we ask the churches to recommit themselves to the
issues the decade has raised."
The delegates pressed for a clear framework for follow up, with a "checkpoint"
in four to five years' time.
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