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WOMEN LIVING WITH THE BIBLE

OUR V ICESems women’s network

2007

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2 OUR VOICES 2007/08

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Editorial Gabriele Mayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

✼ WOMEN LIVING WITH THE BIBLEThe Holy Scriptures in everyday life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Women's Voices from Nine Countries Gertrud Hahn and Gabriele Mayer

The Bible as a daily companion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11No stories of the past Elisabeth Aduama, Ghana

The Word of God from Surabaya to Tema . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Questions on women's Bible reading practice in nine countriesGabriele Mayer

✼ READING THE BIBLE THROUGH THE EYES OF ANOTHER Unexpected new horizons open up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14The international EMS project "READING THE BIBLE..." has yielded fruit Cornelia Hole

Does the Bible need a just language? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Reading the Bible with eyes for others Ulrike Schmidt-Hesse

✼ FOSTERING BIBLE SPIRITUALITYBible Sharing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19A method for joint Bible reading from South Africa

In the midst of our anxiety light shines because Jesus is risen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Teachers celebrate an Easter service with their pupils Gabi Bürkle and Bärbel Tesche

What has a patchwork quilt to do with the Bible? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Women in Brazil link their lives to the Bible Heloisa Dalferth, Brasilien

✼ NEWS FROM THE EMS WOMEN'S NETWORK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Reports from EMS partner churches in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Ghana, India, Japan, Korea, Indonesia

Reports from German member churches and from the EMS Secretariat . . . . . . . . . . 25

✼ IMPRRINT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Map of the international EMS-women's network

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OUR V ICESems women’s networkEDITORIAL

Dear women, dear sisters in the EMS network,

"WomenLiving with the Bible" – under thisslogan you find various contributions in thenew issue of OUR VOICES 2007/2008. Themain emphasis is placed on feedback fromwomen from nine countries to the questionwhy and how exactly they read the Bible.They cannot imagine their everyday lifewithout reading the Bible. The spectrum ofexperiences and approaches is broad – nowonder when you regard the wide range ofbackgrounds.

What are the connecting themes and whatare the differences? And where can we learnfrom each other? These questions are followed up in the contribution "The Wordof God from Surabaya to Tema".

Elizabeth Aduama from Ghana tells bio-graphically how she has been living with theBible; the Bible has become her companion.

More than 80 groups worldwide participated in the EMS project "Reading the Biblethrough the eyes of another". Cornelia Hole resumes the unexpected new horizonsthat opened up for many participants.

Ulrike Schmidt-Hesse, head of the department for mission and partnership, pres-ents the project "Bibel in gerechter Sprache" (The Bible translated into a just lan-guage) – a new Bible translation into German which is drawing a lot of attention andcausing a new surge of interest to read the Bible.

Many women repeatedly voice their concern as to how access to the Bible can beopened up to children and adolescents. Five elementary school teachers celebrate anEaster Service with their pupils – examples and prayers were formulated by the chil-dren themselves. "In the midst of our anxiety the light is bright because Jesus isrisen."

Heloisa Dalferth from Brazil describes how poor women were inspired to take upaction on their own – because they link the Bible to their own lives.

In the News from the women's network you will find information on activities andevents in Ghana, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea and Germany.

With kind regards from Stuttgart

Gabriele Mayer, Ph.D.EMS Women and Gender DeskJune 2007



The Holy Scriptures in everyday life

Women's Voices from Nine CountriesWe asked women in which way they live with the Bible and what the Bible means to them and received responses from China, Japan, India, Ghana, Indonesia, Korea, Lebanon, Germanyand Sudan. Gertrud Hahn and Gabriele Mayer, belonging to the editorial board of OUR VOICES, present the following personal portraits.

The Bible shows me the right path.When I was around 8 or 9 years oldI first hold a Bible in my hand. I readit in Sunday School and later on infamily and school. I usually read theBible in the morning, but there is alsopossibility in the evening. NormallyI read the Bible alone in my personaldevotion, but sometimes also withmy parents and with my Bible studygroup once a week. I own my own Bible. And I usually take it alongwith me when I travel. I use Bibles in two languages, Indonesianand English. I sometimes find the English text clearer. Not only the-

ologians can interpret the Bible. Theyare also humans who can make a

mistake. The Holy Spirit willguide all believers because

it is the promise of Godand God never lies. It

is very important topass on Bible sto-ries to youngerpeople. I learn toknow my God byreading theBible and theHoly Spirit helpsme to translate itinto my life. The

Bible gives me away out of all my

problems.

Participant in theHIV/AIDS workshop,

teacher

InDutch India already in

1629 the Gospel according toMatthew was available in Malayan lan-

guage, in 1668 the complete New Testamentand Genesis, in 1701 the Bible in total.

This translation remained valid for a long time. TheIndonesian archipelago hosts many peoples with ownlanguages. In the 19th century the Dutch Bible Societysent linguists and thus prepared translations, e.g. inSumatra and Sulawesi. In 1954 the Indonesian BibleInstitute was founded. It published a new Indonesiantranslation in 1974 which was officially also accepted

by the Catholic Church. Bible and parts of theBible are available today in many regional

languages.

Klaus Zöller, former EMS staff

Protestant church in Bali, Indonesia

The Bible is a source of inspiration forme. It was the first book that my parentsgave me when I started reading. My fam-ily was Bible reading twice a day, today Iread it only late in the evening. Going ona journey I do not always take my Biblewith me, but I always have a daily "breadbook". Many contexts of the Bible need tobe learnt carefully, particularly the genderperspective. I believe that the Holy Spiritis with us as long as we are sensitive andwilling to experience guidance. Some bib-lical statements seem to be restricting,particularly the Old Testament. I have animpression that Jesus sometimes brokethe rule and life has become morehuman.

Participant in the HIV/AIDS workshop,physician, one child

During a HIV/AIDS workshop in Surabaya Andrea Pfeiffer, regional coordinator of the national "Action Campaignagainst AIDS" received the following answers:

INDONESIA

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OUR V ICESems women’s networkWOMEN LIVING WITH THE BIBLE

INDIA

The Bible is daily spiritual bread for me.When I was five years old, I first hold a Bible in myhand, this was at home, in my family. Reading the Bibletoday belongs to my daily routine. I have access to different Bible translations. I think this is sometimeshelpful because some translations help to gain a bet-ter understanding. The Bible helps me to guide myfamily and the church.

We do not have sufficient learning opportunities andwomen do not have the same chances.

Greetha Jayapaul, 42, responsible for Sunday Schools

I need the Bible for encouragement. Whenever I need encourage-ment and guidance of God I read the Bible. Sunday School was theplace where I first hold a Bible in my hand. And today I read it in themorning and in the evening. It helps me to overcome problems ofour daily life. Quite near our place we have a Bible college with freeaccess for women and men.

Smt. Beena Murphy Soans, two children, supporting her husband's ministry in two churches

In1944 the Indian Bible

Society was founded in Bangalore.The translation of the Bible has always

been and still is the focal point of its work.Approximately half of the Indian women living in

the country can neither read nor write.Women fromthe church are trained as "Bible women" and form

groups meeting once a week.

One of the Bible women tells: "First, I just invited my neighbours to listen to cassettes together with me. Manyof the women were very moved – and they broughtalong new guests.We are looking for a shadowy place

under a tree, sing together and listen to the wordsof the Bible!"

www.weltbibelhilfe.de/India

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Prime Sarojini, EMS liaison woman, sent the following answers:

Mountains in India


KOREAKim, Su-Ji, a young Koreanwoman of the PresbyterianChurch of Korea (PCK), shares:

I am searching for another Bibleinterpretation. After my return to Korea I would liketo study theology. The reason for thiswish was a sermon and Bible inter-pretation in a Korean church which"surprised" me very much. The ser-mon told of the story of David andMichal from Old Testament. The bib-lical teller described how Daviddanced and Michal "laughed at him".During the sermon all women weretaught never to laugh at men or elsethey would be punished. I was notonly "surprised" about this kind of in-

terpretation, but above all about thefact how many women applaudedand supported this devaluation. NowI am convinced: I want to work moreintensively with Bible texts in orderto help not to burden the gender re-lationship by one-sided Bible inter-pretation.


For me the Bible is light on my path. I will never leave it lone fromme. The first Bible that I was able to read was in 1980 a New Testamentwith Psalms, when the Bible was reprinted in China by China Christian

Council after the Cultural Revolution. But I heard verses of the Biblefor the first time from my friend during the Cultural Revolution, whenthere was no Bible available in China. Regularly I read the Bible togetherwith other Christians in my church. Presently, I am doing my D. Minstudy in a theological seminary of the United States and prefer to readdifferent translations of the Bible.

Through baptism we are all members of the "priesthood of all believ-ers". In China now more and more lay people areplaying very important roles in the churches.They preach the gospel and convert peo-ple to become Christians. It is veryimportant to share Bible stories withthe young generation. In mychurch we always teach Biblestories to our children with acolourful pictorial Bible pub-lished by China ChristianCouncil. I believe that men andwomen are gifted differently.As a woman I always encouragewomen to read the Bible withour own eyes. It will be wonder-ful to share our own views withmen from different perspectives.

Kim Su-Ji is working as an ecumenical volunteer in theEvangelicalChurch of thePalatinate,Germany

CHINAMeilin Chin, the Executive Associate GeneralSecretary of China Christian Council and laypreacher in Community Church in Shanghai wrote:

During the CulturalRevolution the Bible was for-

bidden in China for a long time.People knowing Bible verses by heart

helped that the Bible was not com-pletely buried in oblivion.

Since approx. 1979 the Bible has beenadmitted once again and the China

Christian Council puts a main em-phasis on printing Bibles.

Young women after morning service

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The Bible is my treasure. I first held a Biblein my hand when I was 10 years old. InSunday school I learned to read it. Today Iread the Bible for myself every evening andin a group every Wednesday. I take my Biblealong with me when I attend worships andwhen I travel. Sometimes I use different trans-lations for better understanding. I think allbelievers can be evangelists of Christ, notonly theologians. Without the Holy Spirit, Icannot understand the Bible. Some passagesin the Bible ask a lot, e.g. Luke 6:27: "Loveyour enemies." But this is the key statementof Christians. It is difficult passing on Biblestories to younger people, but the earlier,the better. Reading the Bible, I have time toponder on what God wants me to do. TheBible has helped me as a woman to bring upmy children.

SHIZUYO Hashimzue, 62, pastor's wife, 4 children, 2 grandchildren

The Bible is my guiding principle in life.My family members were not Christians. Ipicked the Bible in order to study English atan English Bible study group at the Lutheran Church inTokyo. Now I read the Bible daily, in the morning or inthe evening, just for myself. I have several differentBibles, in English as well as in Japanese. Some areeasier for me to understand.

Mostly women are eager to learn the Bible.When my children were young, I enjoyed look-ing with them at the illustrated Bible and en-joyed it myself. Women are more concernedabout passing on the message to our off-springs.

The Bible helps us not only as women but aspeople.

HONDA Noriko, 69, works voluntarily for people from abroad, 2 children, 5 grandchildren

Japanhas always set a high

value on language and scriptures.The Bible played an outstanding role

among intellectuals. 1873 the ban onChristianity was lifted. 1880 the Scottish Bible

Society published a translation of the NewTestament – translated by a team of protestant mis-

sionaries and Japanese interpreters.

During World War II Christianity became "the enemies'religion". Since 1950 the Japanese Bible Association hasworked for a modern translation. In the seventies/eight-ies 70 translators, men and women, were partici-pating in a comprehensive revision: Since 1987

the Japanese Interdenominational Bible has beenavailable, a symbol for the ecumenical

movement in Japan.

www.bible.or.jp

JAPAN

Japanese garden and teahouse – a haven of silence and reflection

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SUGIMORI Yoko, EMS liaison woman, trans-ferred answers from women, who partici-pated in the project "Reading the Biblethrough the eyes of another":



The Bible gives me inner strength. I have good knowledgeof the New Testament, but do not read it regularly. But I trynot to miss Sunday service or Bible studies. In school I learnedto read the Bible. I own two Bibles and I use only one trans-lation. Each and every person who has God within is able toglow, give and shine upon others. Not only theologians havethe right answer. I believe Holy Spirit is guiding all believers,even if we do not always see it. If some statements in the Bibleare confining or restricting? Depends how you take them. Thewider the scope, the less restricting. We need an excellent solidstructure for passing on Bible stories to younger people. In ourcountry men and women have the same access to theological learn-ing opportunities.

Zeenalee Ayub, 44, graphic and interior designer

The Bible is my closest friend. Myrelationship with the Bible is very im-portant. I learnt to read the Bible inschool. Today I read the Bible daily,in the morning and in the evening,alone and in a group. I have my ownBible and I take it with me whereverI go. I learn many verses by heart andmark every thing I like. I have no othertranslation, I stick to my own Bibleonly. The Holy Spirit guides every sin-cere believer in his or her life. It isvery important to teach the youngerpeople specially the Sunday Schoolchildren. The Bible gives strength tomy life.

Leila Nseir, 75, five daughters, collaborating in Sunday School

Wadia Badr, EMS liaison woman and responsible for thewomen's fellowship "Helping Hand" of the NationalEvangelical Church in Beirut, NECB, interviewed two women:

LEBANONDuring

the last decades the lib-eral and multi-religious me-

tropolis of Beirut offered the neces-sary freedom for various projects in the

Middle East. General Secretary Mike Bassousand his team "Running for Bibles" take part inthe annual International Beirut Marathon.

The Bible Society participates in the programmeof Christian TV and radio stations in the MiddleEast and organizes events for adolescents

and interested people from the neigh-bourhood of Christian churches.

www.weltbibelhilfe.de

Beach near Beirut

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I read the Bible to experience guidance in my life. Itstrengthens my faith as a woman. I am a Bible believingChristian who takes every word of the Bible seriously. Ilearnt to read it in school and church. I am a lay womanreading Scripture during worship. I own a Bible and takenotes and mark my Bible as I study. All believers belongto the "priesthood" and can give the right answers. It isa must that the Holy Spirit should guide all believers. Thestatements of the Bible are restricting if you are not do-ing the right thing.

Cecilia Ashiokai Dowuona, 52, school secretary, five children


Rebecca Dowuona, EMS liaisonwoman in Accra, sent the following responses:

GHANA

I read the Bible to know moreabout God. I am a Bible believingChristian. I know the Bible from mychildhood and learnt Bible readingin school. I read the Bible every day,but also in church, in the women'sfellowship group and in theChildren's Service. I have an ownBible and take it along, even when Iam travelling. I have another Bible inEnglish, it helps me to understandand explain it to others.

The statements in the Bible are notconfining, but they withhold me fromdoing evil. It is good to pass the Biblestories on to the younger people todraw them to God. Women and menhave the same opportunities in learn-ing. As a woman the Bible helps meto obey and humble myself.

Dora Ogboo Mensah, 52, seamstress, three children,

church elder, children's service teacher

Women during a service in GhanaMost of the Christiansin Ghana, women and men, can-

not think of the beginning of their daywithout the Bible. In local languages the

Bible is hold dear because it played a majorrole for the development of literary language.

Bible translators such as Johann GottliebChristaller and Johannes Zimmermann fromearly missionary times in Ghana are still wellremembered (please refer to page 11).

Bernhard Dinkelaker, EMS

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The Bible is God's "conversation" with me. I learnedreading the Bible in the girls' group, the staff meeting atchurch and in our house fellowship. I do not read accord-ing to a special plan or at a special time but when my"heart" tells me. My Bible is very "coloured" because I markpassages. I have already read several translations but I al-ways get back to my "old" Lutheran translation. At firstsight some statements of the Bible seem to be restrictingbut when I engage in it God gives more than God takes.For me the Bible is God's conversation with me, his guid-ance for my life and also part of his love and affection forme.

Renate Lenz, 53, secretary at the rectory, married, two daughters

SUDANThe following answer was sent by the women's fellowship of PCOS Sudan:

I cannot imagine living without the Bible. The Bibleis my regular companion. I received the Bible when Iwas baptized. I could go to school for two years. WhenI married, going to church was over – for 25 years. Onlythen I broke with my husband. I shared the fate ofbeaten women between home and jail. Every morningaround 5 o'clock I read the Bible – I am proud to pos-sess one of my own. In the family we read the Bible to-gether on Sundays and in times of anxiety, distress anddifficulties. It is a comfort to me.

Member in the women's fellowship of PCOS, four children.


Women in Sudan reading jointly the Bible.

GERMANYBärbel Wuthe, staff at EMS Women andGender Desk, spoke with women from hercongregation:

Thefirst translation into a

Germanic language representsthe Gothic Bible from the fourth cen-

tury, some parts are still available. In 1522Martin Luther translated the New Testament,

1534 followed the Old Testament.The specialityabout this translation: in addition to linguistic ac-curacy it should be understandable for everybody.Luther's motto was "looking at the crowd's mouth".

Due to the simultaneously developing art of print-ing Bibles could be manufactured in larger quan-

tities. The influence on German high levellanguage cannot be overvalued.

Gabriele Mayer, EMS

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The Bible is a reference book for me which I flip opento look for God's response to concrete questions. Onlysince September 2004 the Bible has consciously becomepart of my daily life. In the morning I read the Biblealone, once a week in a house fellowship. In the be-ginning I marked important passages, since January2007 I have been keeping a Bible-reading diary. Somestatements of the Bible are confining or restricting forus, but the time has to be taken into consideration inwhich these texts were written down. The Bible helpsme as a person, as a sister – "as a woman"? That is ir-relevant for me.

Cornelia Heinze, 51, physician assistant, married, one daughter

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The Bible as a daily companionNo stories of the past

In Ghana I grew up with the Bible as part of a normal life of the family. I enjoyed the simple Biblestories been told by my parents, and also the memorising of Bible verses.

Attending Sunday School, was for me a great pleas-ure. Hearing the stories a second time enabled meto ask more questions for a better understanding.

My parents encouraged us to read the Bible and so it wasnot surprising that I became a Sunday School teacherfrom a very tender age, a duty I cherish till today.

I spent a greater part of my education lifein Mission schools where Bible reading,morning and evening devotions, and Sundaychurch services formed the normal schoolroutine.

In my youthful days I enjoyed attendingscripture unions, also called Christian fel-lowship, organised in schools and also dur-ing the holidays by the youth and studentsin towns and villages. Those experienceswith the Bible form a greater part of my lifetoday. I read my Bible in the morning be-fore getting out of bed and before going tobed. I read it in all situations for encour-agement, comfort, guidance and also to en-able me to understand God's promises in mylife. I try to get the Bible to speak to me di-rectly and personally by not taking the stories as stories of the past.

I have and also read Bibles in different languages andin different versions. This gives me a better understand-ing. I also enjoy reading commentaries on the Bible, notbecause I am a minister but because I wish to understandthe background stories.

I believe in the words of the Bible as the truth becauseof my personal experiences. I therefore do not waste timearguing and looking for authenticity of the stories, butrather try to find out how I can live my life by the Bible.I feel the Holy Spirit's presence in my life since most thetime my morning devotions reflect a current situation inwhich I find myself and I am being encouraged that Godcares and so I keep trusting.

References of women in the Bible, the Bible saying weare all priests (I Peter 2: 9) and also my positive experi-ences with the Bible make me convinced that women are

a part of God's resurrection plan and we do not have towait only for men or theologians.

I cherish the Bible as a part of my wealth and a partnerwho never fails and therefore when very good humanfriends fail me, I always find consolation in the words ofmy Bible.

Elisabeth Aduama is a pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Ghana. For three years she

has been working as ecumenical co-worker in the Palatinate, Germany.

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The Word of God from Surabaya in Indonesia to Tema in Ghana?Observations and questions on women's Bible reading practice in nine countries

The spectrum of experience andattitudes is quite broad – no wonder coming from so many differing backgrounds such asIndonesia and Ghana, or Ger-many and Lebanon. Are similarreading methods visible and howdo we differ in our approach tothe Bible? Where can we learn from each other?(please refer to page 4-10)

READING THE BIBLE WITH OTHERS

Numerous women report that theyregularly read the Bible with othersin groups. We can only speculate towhat extent these Bible texts are dis-cussed and argued about from con-trasting or even opposing points ofview. Church traditions seem to bediverging from each other.

EVERYBODY IS ASKED – STATUSPLAYS A SUBORDINATE ROLE

Almost all women specifically supportthe idea of the so called "priesthoodof all believers" according to Lutherwhich means that every Christian,women and men, can count on theHoly Spirit and is not reliant on themediation or authority of selectedpeople. Luther himself characterizedone of his translation criteria as "look-ing at the crowd's mouth". He triedto translate in a language which peo-ple could understand using their vo-cabulary and experiences.

WANTING TO UNDERSTANDBIBLE TEXTS

Many of the women's commentsshowed a search for comprehensibil-

ity, for education and the means tounderstand difficult texts in our time.At this point approaches divergewidely. One woman writes: "I am aBible-believing Christian who takesevery word of the Bible seriously."While another woman points out: "Wehave to consider the time in whichthe Bible texts were written". Thequestion behind all this, namely withwhich "glasses" the Bible is read andlinked with one's own life is discussedin the contribution on page 14/15.

THE BIBLE AS DAILY BREAD

The main point made in the feedbackreports is to be found in the testi-mony of how important the Bible isfor these women. Vital statements

such as: "has changed my life; theolder the more valuable, a friend forlife, God's conversation with me,against the background of problemsmy treasure, my light and strengthfor my life, daily bread…." – these arestrong pictures: these women's livesand their daily routine cannot becomprehended without the Bible.

FREEDOM FOR PERSONAL BIBLEREADING

The common factor for many womenis the personal devotion practised byreading the Bible. Against the back-ground of a very busy daily routinewith manifold duties and responsi-bilities these Christian women taketime for themselves and thus enjoy a

Studying the Bible within the Bible group of Shitaya Church in Japan

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privilege. Here they find an interruption in their com-mitment for others; here they set limits and do not allowthemselves to be at the non-stop call of others.

Was this not an early demand of the feminist move-ment that women need and claim space for themselves?This is put into practice here in daily life. Simultaneously,in this free space it is possible for women to gatherstrength and encouragement for their daily lives.

THE BIBLE SETS IN MOTION

What does reading the Bible move and inspire women todo? One woman writes: "The Bible helps me as a womanto be obedient and humble." Another woman on the otherhand feels: "I am proud of the priesthood of all believersand that I too can contribute to shaping and changingthe church." This comes from an HIV/AIDS activist in achurch community where this subject is generally taboo!

Many women have the common wish to open the wayto faith and the Bible for the next generation. One womanspecifically mentions: "The Bible has helped me to bringup my children."

THE BIBLE AND GENDER RELATIONS

It is astonishing how the subject of gender relations wasdealt with by the women in their responses. Some womenobserve that there are clear differences in the behaviourof women and men (e.g. their willingness to learn or thewish to forward faith on to the next generation). Otherswarn cautiousness as "some statements in the Bible mustbe carefully examined, especially statements on men andwomen." Some find encouragement to obedience whileothers to working actively to change the church.

These answers reflect the different assessments of gen-der relations. Questionable, however, seem to be state-ments on equal chances in churches where it is still notnatural for women to hold leading positions in their con-gregations.

Possibly this inequality in gender relations is not noticed during personal Bible reading.

How and when will the relationship be discernible be-tween certain ways of reading and interpreting the Bibleand the maintaining of unjust structures especially inchurches?

How can the connection between the history of certainbible texts and excluding church practice become clearand – inspire to protestant action?

Gabriele Mayer, PhD, EMS Women and Gender Desk


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After this, each group was asked toprepare a role play for all participants.The role of Jesus was variably occu-pied and interpreted: by men andwomen, first being simply tired, ap-athetic and worn out, then arrogantor repelling. The same with theSyrophoenician woman: first she wasprovoking, then kindly asking or cry-ing desperately. Remarkably, her rolewas never occupied by a male par-ticipant. Each version made the cor-responding context of the players vis-ible. Thus the Korean version showedJesus as a kind of elder counsellor, inthe Indian version Jesus rejected thewoman as "untouchable", as a Dalitwoman. The international composi-tion of the workshop and the mani-fold perspectives became obvious.

STEPS FOR REFLECTING THE ROLE PLAY:

presenting the role plays in plenary

audience is describing, not interpreting what they have noticed

ROLE PLAY AS A POSSIBILITY OFINTERCULTURAL LEARNING

During the Bible Sharing (described onpage 17) we had read about the en-counter of Jesus and the Syrophoenicianwoman (Mark 7: 24-30).

From there he set out and went awayto the region of Tyre. He entered ahouse and did not want anyone toknow he was there. Yet he could notescape notice, but a woman whose lit-tle daughter had an unclean spirit im-mediately heard about him, and shecame and bowed down at his feet. Nowthe woman was a Gentile of Syro-phoenician origin. She begged him tocast the demon out of her daughter.He said to her, "Let the children be fedfirst, for it is not fair to take the chil-dren's food and throw it to the dogs."But she answered him, "Sir, even thedogs under the table eat the children'scrumbs." Then he said to her, "For say-ing that, you may go – the demon hasleft your daughter." So she went home,found the child lying on the bed, andthe demon gone.

Within the frame of the project "Reading the Biblethrough the eyes of Another" Bible study groups wereinvited worldwide to relate their life experience to thebiblical word and share their authentic reflectionswith each other. More than 80 groups from variouscountries participated in this process. From the veryoutset this meant: embarking into an exciting journey.It was a journey of learning with surprising placeswhere learning might take place and discovering ofastounding treasures. The following observationswere made during the International Workshop inTauberbischofsheim in October 2006.

READING THE BIBLE THROUGH THE EYES OF ANOTHER

UNEXPECTED NEW HORIZONS OPEN UP The international EMS project has yielded fruit

distinguishing inside and outside perspective in its variety,hearing and perceiving audience and players

grasping one's own context -understanding the other'scontext better

discerning the other perspective to one's own context

taking over positive results,modifying the own attitude

In their different interpretations ofthis story exchanged in writing be-fore the workshop, Germans mostlyemphasised the braveness of thewoman, Ghanaians e.g. appraised herhumbleness instead:

"The woman does not give in at once

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OUR V ICESems women’s networkREADING THE BIBLE THROUGH THE EYES OF ANOTHER

when Jesus offends her but remains persistent, is quickat repartee and argues with Jesus."

"... she humbled herself in the face of total rejection andhumiliation."

During the international workshop the following processtook place in one of the role plays:

Jesus is played by a German man, the woman by a Ghanaian woman

Jesus loafs about on a chair. Apparently he is asleep. The woman approaches him on her knees.He turns around slowly but finally agrees to heal herdaughter.

Some of the beholders feel, the woman actedtoo humble by falling on her knees. The actorherself says it was just an instrument for her to achieve her goal, a way of being polite.

The Germans' context is characterised by a longing for woman empowerment and gender justice, whereas for the Ghanaian context it is important to respect the traditional rules and act according to them in order to achieve her goal.

For both, the goal of getting the daughter healed,was most important but the means were different.

WHAT COULD THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE BE HERE?

For the Ghanaian actor the new challenge could be tobalance respect for society rules and the own self-esteem.For other beholders it was new that humbleness must notnecessarily go along with low self-esteem or sense of in-feriority but that it might just be polite. The challengefor German ears could be to rethink the connotation ofhumbleness with submissiveness. Finally man or womancan only be humble, when he or she is simultaneouslycourageous.

Cornelia Hole, student of theology and member of EMS youth network

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below: Multi-perspective communication becomes easier with interactive games.

right: The encounter of Jesus and the Syrophoenician woman,played by Juliana Odjoh-Darko from Tema, Ghana and ReenaChristable from South India.


Since then many men andwomen have read the newtranslation and compared thetexts with other translations. Theyhave made new discoveries in old textsand have entered into discussions on what thesetexts tell them – us – today.


The Bible has again become atopic of conversation. The dis-cussions are lively and criticism

is sometimes very severe.

What is meant by "a just language"?More than 50 male and female the-ologians who have translated thetexts list the following criteria:

Just with regard to the textJust with regard to genderrelationshipsJust with regard to today's dialogue with JewsJust with regard to social context

Just with regard to the text meansthat translations were made from theoriginal biblical languages, Hebrewand Greek, into German. The propername of God was not translated as itis written in the Old Testament withthe four consonants j-h-w-h- (thetetragram), but it is not voiced. To

sanctify the name of God, it is readas "Adonaj", for example. In manyGerman Bible translations "Adonaj" istranslated by the German "Herr" (Siror Lord). Adonaj, however, onlymeans God and is not simultaneouslya polite form of address for men asin German. In the Bible in just lan-guage other ways of reading God'sname are proposed besides "Adonaj":"the Eternal", "the Name", "GOD","the Living One", "YOU", "the HolyOne" (male and female form). In thisway authors also want to express thatGod is beyond gender polarisation(refer to Genesis 1:26-28,Deuteronomy 4: 16, Hosea 11,9).

Just with regard to gender rela-tionships means that women in theBible and their roles are clearlynamed. Romans 16:1 in the Bible ina just language is translated with: "Iwant to introduce to you our sister

Phoebe, deacon in the congregationof Kenchreae…. She is an authorityand has offered protection for many,including myself." The Greek text says"diakonos". In previous translationsit was mostly translated by "servant",in other verses, however, – wheremen were concerned – the same wordwas translated with deacon.

In the following verses Paul con-veys greetings to two persons namedAndronikus and Junias according toLuther's translation, "….famousamong apostles". Investigations haveshown that the name of Junias didnot exist in the ancient world, thename of Junia however was frequent.By writing the male form of the namethe existence of a female apostle wasgenerally lost. The list of greetingsmentions several more women in thecongregation of Rome who have per-formed special duties and services.

In October 2006 a new Bibletranslation was presentedin Frankfurt am Main,Germany: "Bibel ingerechter Sprache"(Bible in a just lan-guage). This publica-tion provoked livelydiscussions.

ULRIKE SCHMIDT-HESSE PONDERS

Reactionsfrom some women

from the Evangelical Church inthe Palatinate:

"Who comes to church services? Mainlywomen. And many have waited for thistranslation."

"I would really love to pray using oneor other of the psalms in the newtranslation during the service. It's apity that we only have the Lutheran

translation in our song book.""You, Lord, are our father andmother in heaven' – I have no

problem saying that."

Reactionfrom a women's group

in Wuerttemberg:

I introduced the Bible in a just languageto our women's group.We must

read and learn more about it before we canjudge. I think it's a pity that the translation isso heavily criticised. In our adults' group we willcompare the new translation with three oth-ers. Thanks to our deacon we are alreadyused to the formulation "the fatherly and

motherly God may bless you and pro-tect you" and we find the feminin-

ity in God very beautiful.

Does the Bible need a just language?Reading the Bible with eyes for others

17


Their work is named as "very hard work". Paul uses the sameGreek verb reporting about his own missionarywork. This shows that women were activelyparticipating in congregational and mis-sionary work.

Just with regard to today's dialogue be-tween male and female Jews means mak-ing fruitful use of new findings from theChristian-Jewish dialogue in the transla-tion. One example is the translation ofthe so-called antitheses in the Sermon onthe Mount. In previous translations it says:"Ich aber sage euch" ("but verily, verily Isay unto you"). This German "but" wasoften understood as if Jesus was turningagainst the Jewish tradition. It is howevera formula used by rabbis. This is why the Biblein just language translates: "Today I say it thisway."

Just language also means clearly describingthe very often harsh social reality describedin biblical stories. This is why the parableof the workers in the vineyard in Matthew20 speaks of unemployed people whoare hired for one day or for several hoursand not of persons standing idly on themarket.

The translation wants to express thatbiblical texts relate about people whoare strengthened by God in their strug-gle for justice and freedom.

"The blind recover their sight,the lame walk, the lepers aremade clean, the deaf hear, thedead are raised to life, the poorbring the good news." This is thenew translation in Matthew11:5. In previous texts the trans-lation was: "the poor arepreached the good news". Thegrammar and the literary contextfavour this new version of the text. It be-comes clear that poor people in the NewTestament are not only people who received thegood news and labour of love, but are also subjectsof the good news.

In groups and services I experience that this new transla-tion makes the character of the Bible clearer for many peo-ple and that biblical texts speak to us with new meaning. Itis true that texts are becoming "understandable in theirstrangeness and challenging in their closeness, new as closeacquaintances and challenging in their strangeness" as is saidin the introduction to the Bible in a just language.


More than 70 different transla-tions of the Bible are available inGermany today.

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There are passages in the newtranslation which do not convinceme. There are texts that mean a lotto me in the Lutheran translationand which I shall always prefer toread in the familiar translation. Itis very interesting to compare thenew version with the old one inbiblical groups and also during thepreparation of a sermon. The glos-sary in the Bible in a just languagegives explanations for many im-portant biblical expressions and isvery helpful. It convinces me thatthe translation does not intend tobe the one and only, but invites thereader to provide a personal criti-cal reading.

Whoever translates a text must continuously decide infavour of greater closeness to the original text or better un-derstanding in a different context. This is why there is noneutral translation. The important thing is to make one'spremises and criteria transparent. This is exactly what theBible in a just language does.

I wish that the new translation and the discussion aroundit will help the Bible to proclaim the good news of salvationand life, of justice and peace for many people and that they– or more precisely we – will be strengthened to become witnesses.

Ulrike Schmidt-Hesse, head of department for "Mission and Partnership" and EMS vice-general secretary


Different Bible translations can be comparedwithin the group.

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The Bible in a justlanguage was published in

October 2006.

More than 50 theologians, menand women, newly translated theBible into German.

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Bible sharingA group method from South Africa

FOSTERING BIBLE SPIRITUALITY

A possible procedure during the Bible Sharing:

1.Step: PrayerOne member of the group speaks an openingprayer, free or using a standard prayer. A reli-gious or spiritual song can also be chosen.

2.Step: Reading the Bible textAll participants receive the same Bible text. Oneperson is reading the text aloud once or twice.A time of deep silence follows (about 3 to 5minutes).

3.Step: ImpressionsParticipants are asked to pronounce loudly onesentence, one word or part of a sentence fromthe Bible text which spoke to him or her in aspecial way. There is no time pressure, but shortperiods of silence between individual contri-butions.

4.Step: SilenceThe group facilitator sets a time of silence (3-5 minutes) in order to avoid possible disquiet-ness (e.g. looking at the watch). During thisperiod of time the biblical text and impulsesby the words spoken can continue to have aneffect. Participants can open themselves forGod's Word in meditation.

5.Step: Sharing, listening to each otherParticipants are sharing their impressions. They tell eachother which sentence or phrase touched them especiallyand why. They also express negative feelings. A conver-sation comes up. Information on the context of the bib-lical text can be given now. The group facilitator can giveimpulses as guidelines by asking special questions, e.g.:

Where does the text speak to us, where do we respond?

Where does it give me/us strength and where doesit rub something?

What do we know about the biblical context at that time?

Which vision of peace does the text bring us for our situation?

What does the text mean to our group with regard to our own experiences with absence ofpeace/discord?

What does motivate me/us to act and get involvedwith peace?

It is important not to lead a discussion on theologically"right" or "wrong". The aim is moreover to find out howbiblical texts speak to us. With regard to the project theaim is to listen to each other beyond boundaries and tolearn from each other.

6.Step: Closing prayerThe Bible Sharing is closed with a prayer or song.

Bible Sharing is a method to study the Bible which offers the possibility for each individualmember of the group to participate actively and to express in freedom in which way the Bibletext speaks to him or her.

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Participants in the youth workshop in Ghana studying the Bible



Shortly before the Easter holidays,the teachers' team reflect on howthey can bring the passion ofJesus and Easter close to theseven year olds to bridge betweenthe children's world and the textsof the Gospel according to John.

Together with the children they gathertheir experiences and write theprayers. During the service the sec-ond class pupils tell the biblical story.

They prepared this service for the"younger ones", i.e. for the five firstclasses at the "Freie EvangelischeSchule" in Reutlingen, Germany.

In the middle of the room thick greystones are piled on top of each other.

1. The children sing a hymn andwelcome each other.

2. Heavy stones in life.

Some pupils point to the big stonepile and say: In my life there are some-times things as dark and hard as astone…

... when my father and mother quarrel and hit each other

... when my pet died.

... because my friend is moving awayand we can no longer see each other.

3. Then the children continue:At Easter it was the same: so manythings were very sad and hard to bear.But then something new happened.Listen to the story of Easter:

Biblical story (according to John 11/12, 19/20)

You have already heard a lot about Jesus.He helped many people.Blind people could see again.Hungry people had enough to eat.Sad people were happy again. He told the people about God. He showed them how much God loves us humans. People loved to listen to him. They trusted in him. They said: Jesus, God sent you to us.

Many men in the government thought differently: What shall we do when all people listen to Jesus and no longer to us?He speaks wrongly about God. The best thing would be for him to die. So they arrested Jesus. They wanted to kill him.

But Jesus had done no wrong!He was the Son of God!In spite of this he allowed the people to arrest and kill him. Jesus diedon the cross.

Then his friends came. They were very sad. They laid Jesus into a cave-like grave. They said to each other: We could not save Jesus. That hurts so much. Everything they experienced felt like a heavy burden, like a heavy stone on them. But stop! Have you forgotten?Jesus is the Son of God!Death has no power over him!

And this is what happened: After three days Jesus rose from the dead.He was no longer in the grave. He came back to life!Jesus overwhelmed death.Death could not hold him back. Jesus visited his friends.First they were shocked.But gradually they were able to believe it. Jesus is alive! He has not left us alone.He loves us. We can trust in him.

4. In a dialogue children ask questions about this story and talk about theirlives: Standing beside the pile of stones, they ask:

"But how is it in our lives? Do we perhaps also experience something like asmall resurrection? When something which was dark and heavy like a stonebecomes bright and light and we feel alive again?"

In the midst of our anxiety a light shines because Jesus is risenTeachers plan an Easter service with their pupils

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OUR V ICESems women’s networkFOSTERING BIBLE SPIRITUALITY

"Yes, just like at Easter. In the midst of darkness, quarrelsand anxiety it became light. Because Jesus arose from thedead".

6. During the prayer children tell about their worriesand hopes:

"Dear God, sometimes life is not kind when Mum and Dadquarrel, when my pet died and sometimes feeling afraidat school. It is good that you know about this.

You make my life brighter again. I can trust you. DearGod, sometimes I feel lonely.

I need someone who can listen to me and love me. ThenI need you! You love me. Amen"

7. In all the classrooms colourful stones are paintedand laid out together in a big Easter pattern which ac-companies the children during the Easter season.

Anne Baur, Gabi Bürkle, Bärbel Tesche, Hildegard Walker, Gabi Zwissler-Schmid

"Yes, that's sometimes the case, e.g. when I quarrel withmy friend and then we make it up again. Then the lightis bright between the stones."One child puts a candle between the stones.

"When parents separate it hurts a lot and is very sad. Butthen after a time you realise that life goes on and is stillgood to you and your heart becomes lighter again."

One child puts a vase of budding branches between thestones.

"When I do not understand something in school and myteacher explains it again to me and all of a sudden – I un-derstand quite well."

5. The children sing a song of resurrection and invitethe younger ones to paint the stones.

"Look at my stone. I have painted one side of it. Withbright and gaudy colours. Now it is an Easter remem-brance stone".

An Easter remembrance stone?

left: Stones painted withbright colours become "Easter remembrance stones".

below: Pupils saying theirprayers.

Photos: Bärbel Tesche



What has a patchwork quilt to do with the Bible?Women in Brazil link their lives to the Bible

A warming quilt sewn from colourful pieces of cloth as a gesture of solidarity.

In order to apply this method of read-ing the Bible in other contexts itmakes sense to look at concrete situ-ations. For example the gathering ofwomen from a "favela", a slum areain Brazil. They introduce and talkabout their own stories when study-ing a Bible text.

One example from Santa Cruz: A group of poor women sew piecesof cloth together. The result is a patch-work quilt.Maura is one of the women. Her childis taking part in the street childrens'project "Joy and Hope", a social pro-ject of the Paróquia Evagélica SantaCruz. Maura perceives the connectionbetween her sewing, reading the Bibleand her life:

"Each piece of cloth of this quilt is like averse of the Bible. I'm not very good atreading. But there are verses in the Bible,aren't there? You always speak of chap-ters, verses and texts.

The text is this story and the story con-sists of pieces belonging together. Andeach piece of the text is as important aseach piece of the cloth. Otherwise ourquilt would have a hole. Only women dosuch work. Men would never do this –even if their children are freezing cold,and they themselves too."

Such an approach to the Bible canbe described in three steps:Most poor people start with their ownlives and situations which they haveto cope with. That is their startingpoint when reading the Bible.

They then hear about the contextof the Bible text at the time it waswritten and the group leader makessome comments on the text.

At the end of the afternoon, whenthe pieces of cloth have been turnedinto a warm quilt, the women givethe quilt to a pregnant and impover-

ished girl as a present. The quilt sewnby all the women together becomesa joint gesture of solidarity.

Rev. Heloisa Dalferth from SantaCruz do Sul, South Brazil, now living in Lichtenstein-

Holzelfingen, Wuerttemberg. She is a member of the

EMS Women's Advisory Board.

Thebiggest challenge

of the "basis" commu-nity is not to interpret the

Bible but to interpret lifewith the help of the Bible.

Carlos Mesters

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"Leitura Popular da Biblía" is aLatin-American way of readingthe Bible under the special per-spective of liberation theology.Simultaneously, it is a feministway of reading the Bible. Inthis way, a Brazilian or Latin-American approach to Bibletexts is possible. Challenges inpeople's daily life strugglesand the search for alternativesin life are linked with Bibletexts and interpret each othermutually.

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GhanaRebecca Dowuona, liaison woman in Ghana reports:

"The Presbyterian Church of Ghana has a dual purpose in ministry, the spiritual dimension and the material dimension:

The spiritual dimension helps to meet the spiritualneeds of the flock and build the church as Jesus com-missioned the disciples in Matt 28:18-20

The material dimension helps the members to improveand have quality of life of members and community asit is recorded in John 10:10 "I have come that you mighthave life in fullness".

With this knowledge the Women's fellowship whichhas been in existence for about forty seven years nowoffers different events: Leadership Course, NationalDelegates Conference, Central Women's MinistryMeeting. Apart from these activities, the women haveother activities such as Bible Studies. This year's studyis on the books of Titus and Philemon. The Outreachprogrammes such as the visitation to the Hospitals,Orphanage Homes, Prisons, and Psychiatry Hospitals arewell patronized…

The World Day of Prayer activities wereformerly performed by the women allalone but now it is the general church ac-tivity."

EMS WOMEN'S NETWORK

News from the EMS women’s networkExcerpts from reports of EMS partner churches' liaison women

JapanSUGIMORI Yoko, liaison woman in Japan reports fromthe women's fellowship of the United Church of Christin Japan:

"In March we have had World Day of Prayer (WDP) withthe worship order from Paraguay on the basis of a trans-lation into Japanese from English materials realized by our-selves.

IndiaPrime Sarojini, liaison woman in India, reports:

"Church of South India Women's Fellowship has launchedout a programme called "Family Enrichment Programme".This programme is conducted at regional level invitingdelegates from 22 Dioceses of C.S.I. The subjects includedare Gender Sensitization, Health & Hygiene, FamilyCounselling, Purpose of Marriage, Communication andConflict Management. Responsibilities and Relationships,and Personality Development. We have conducted thesemeetings for Karnataka, Tamilnadu and Kerala regions.

The Church of South India Women's Fellowship is go-ing to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee during the monthof May 2007."


EMS WOMEN'S NETWORK

Korea Chae Hae Won, liaison woman in Korea reports abouther new task: Quite recently she started her work at the NationalCouncil of Churches in Korea (NCCK) for the EcumenicalConsortium for Peace Building and Social Developmenton the Korean Peninsula which was founded onDecember 8, 2006 in Hong Kong with participants rep-resenting churches and ecumenical bodies around theworld.

The Ecumenical Consortium aims to:

strengthen information-sharing within the ecumenicalcommunity and promote ecumenical participation in thepeace and reconciliation movement in the Korean penin-sula as well as in North-East Asia

encourage the ecumenical community around the worldto share their resources

mobilize the limited resources of the ecumenical com-munity in a more systematic and effective way (ensuringmutual transparency and accountability) to support

Indonesia40 Years Women's Fellowship in Toraja Church. Excerpts from the report of Aleksander Mangoting,member of the office for information and communica-tion of Toraja Church:

"Women in Toraja Church embody a special potential. "Ifwomen today are treated differently than men, this meansinjustice produced by the society", says the general sec-retary of the women's ministry in Indonesia, Mrs Dra HjAndi Kasmawati Paturusi during the 40 anniversary cele-brations of the women's fellowship of Toraja Church onDecember 4th, 2006 in Rantepao.

The women of Toraja Church are expected to sharpenthe face of the church within society, to form the charac-ter of young people by culture and religion, to shape therole of women in society as they are the first and most im-portant educators. The president, Rev. D. M. Anggui, S.Th. could present within the frame of the celebrations abook of remembrance which might become a referencebook for the further ministry of the women's fellowship. Furthermore, a panel discussion took place on the role ofwomen in politics. This topic came up for the first time inthe history of Indonesian churches (PGI church associa-tion).

social development in the DPRK (Democratic People'sRepublic of Korea = North Korea)

seek the possibility to work with any other organizationin DPRK to promote sustainable projects and assist theDPRK to build its own capacity for sustainable and alter-native social development

support the Christian community in North Korea tomake its life more visible in that society.

Congratulations for Chae Hae Won and the Lord's blessings for her responsible task!

During the same time the translation workshop for 2007WDP started. A women's group was actively involved inthe EMS Bible Reading Project "Reading the Bible throughthe eyes of another" to promote ecumenical relations withchurchwomen in the world.

We decided to continue the same theme as 2004-2006,"Carrying on Tomorrow's Mission as a Part of the Body ofChrist-Studying the Matthews" by adding an importantissue "Praying and seeking Peace in the world".

In 2009 we will celebrate the 40th Anniversary of thewomen's fellowship with 1700 churchwomen invitingglobal ecumenical guests from our partner churches.Please continue to pray for us, as Christians in a very mi-nority situation in our society."

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OUR V ICESems women’s networkEMS WOMEN'S NETWORK

Excerpts from reports of EMS member churches

GermanyEvangelical Church of the Palatinate

Barbara Kohlstruck reports among other things:

"Ecumenism: On the occasion of a Ghana delegation's visitin late summer 2007 we offer two events for women:

June 2007 "Women living in the globalisedworld" with women from Ghana living in Germany

September 2007 "How do I live with my faith"(Working with Bible texts)"

Mission Association of the Moravian Church inGermany, Renate Stierlen reports among other things:

Double jubilee 2007:This year the Moravian Church remembers the 550. Jubileeof their foundation day in spring 1457. The MoravianChurch remembers the first missionaries being sent to theslaves on the Caribbean Island of St. Thomas by Zinzendorf275 years ago. Several events are planned.

Since March 2007 a new collaborating family (Sebastianand Annette Schneider with their small daughter) have

Elisabeth P., member of the Toraja Church, said thatshe only now understood the true meaning of politicswhich formerly she only judged as dirty business. Thereforeit is good to become politically active as women accord-ing to the Word of God. …

"RBM is a programme paying special attention to dis-abled children. It was the result of the 8th women's con-ference of Toraja Church in 1992. By the end of 2006 al-most 400 people were cared for. Manifold kinds of workwith disabled people are practised today. "

again been living and working in the rehabilitation cen-tre on Sternberg in Palestine.

The difficult political circumstances and the risks on theway to the centre made it necessary already years ago totransfer part of the activities to the surrounding villages.There the disabled children live again with their families,join local kindergartens and schools and are regularly vis-ited and cared for by the co-workers of the centre. Thecommitment with which the weakest of society are sup-ported here is astounding.

Evangelical Women in Wuerttemberg, Karin Lindner reports:

Ecumenical Women's Congress in Stuttgart:On October 20th, 2007 two thousand women from ACK-churches (Working Committee of Christian Churches)in Baden-Wuerttemberg are expected in "Liederhalle" inStuttgart. The motto is: "Life in Fullness – Women takingaction and shaping the future".

The correspondence course for feminist theology is car-ried out for the second time. Numerous events are offeredwith regard to the new Bible translation "Bible in a justlanguage".

Protestant Church in Hesse and Nassau, Kristin Flach-Köhler wrote:

Annual topic 2006/07 "Women – Body – Faith" Jubilee on September 1st, 2007: 100 years Evangelicalwomen in the Protestant Church in Hesse and Nassauunder the motto of "Fresh Winds and Strong Sails – Evangelical Women on a favourable course".

Five workshops on World Day of Prayer werefully booked.

Correspondence course for feminist theologywill be offered in 2008/09.

The editorial staff of OUR VOICES is looking forward to your comments!


News from the EMS Secretariat inStuttgart, Germany

Ulrike Schmidt-Hesse, new head of department andvice general secretary introduces herself:

"For more than a year now I have been head of the de-partment "Mission and Partnership" and vice general sec-retary of EMS. Before I came to Stuttgart, I worked as thedirector of studies at the Zentrum Ökumene (Centre forEcumenism) in the Protestant Church in Hesse and Nassauin Frankfurt on Main. I am a pastor and 50 years old. Myhusband is a pastor as well. He works 50% part-time in acongregation and in our family he is responsible for thelargest part of the housework. Our daughter is fifteen yearsold.

The stories of hope in the Bible are essential for my faithand my life. I love to talk about them with and in groupsof women and men from different life styles, churches andcultures.

I am looking forward to the exchangewith you within the women's networkand hope that we will soon have theopportunity to meet personally."

EMS WOMEN'S NETWORK

Adoption of gender guidelines as a cross-cutting perspective in EMS, Gabriele Mayer reports:As an ecumenical fellowship of Christians, women andmen, we believe that God created all people with equalrights. We have to admit, however, that we are often faraway from our convictions as far as gender, HIV/AIDS andcorruption is concerned.

Men and women are on their way towards a just fel-lowship – and some important steps have already beentaken.

The way has led from gender training courses inLebanon, Indonesia, Basle and Stuttgart to a broad dis-cussion process in many partner and member churches.Numerous responses to the draft of the gender guidelineswere presented to the Mission Council when in November2006 the new guidelines ("Gender Policy") were adoptedand its implementation agreed upon by the MissionCouncil.

In eight chosen fields of action step-by-step changesshall be put into practice during the next three years – bytraining, analysis, exact target definition, implementationand evaluation.

In EMS, the unit responsible for media and communi-cation early on established a very concrete list concern-ing how in the future clichés about men and women canbe interrupted both in language and images, and howwomen will no longer be made invisible by male- domi-nated language, but become visible as own subjects andin which way both men and women become visible andaudible in their diversity and dignity; even where injus-tice and misery seem to keep them powerless. A gender-just language can contribute to justice when carefully ap-plied.

Bärbel Wuthe, staff member at the EMS Women andGender Desk, reports: The World Day of Prayer with theworship order from Paraguay wasalso celebrated in the EMS Secretariat.The worldwide relationship with allChristians in member and partnerchurches becomes especially tangibleon this occasion. The Nandutí-lacewhich was chosen by the women fromParaguay as this year's symbol standsfor "Unity in Variety". The staff of theSecretariat are also striving towards be-ing "united under God's tent".

Interview withUlrike Schmidt-Hesse

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María Victoria Servin, United under God’s tent © Weltgebetstag der Frauen – Deutsches Komitee e.V.

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OUR V ICESems women’s networkIMPRINT

OUR VOICES is published once a year in English, Indonesian and German language for the internationalEMS women's network. Responsible in the sense of press law: Gabriele Mayer

EDITORIAL BOARD: Gertrud Hahn, Gabriele Mayer, Bärbel Wuthe

LANGUAGE: We apologise for language errors. The native language of almost all the readers and writersis none of the three languages in which OUR VOICES is published. Funds are limited for native speakers'translation.

DESIGNED BY: Steffen Grashoff, Julia Theilmann

ADDRESS: Women and Gender DeskEvangelisches Missionswerk in Südwestdeutschland (EMS)Vogelsangstraße 62 | 70197 Stuttgart | GermanyTel.: +49 (7 11) 6 36 78 -38/ -43 | Fax: +49 (7 11) 6 36 78 -66e-mail: [email protected]: www.ems-online.org

PRINT: Grafische Werkstätte der BruderhausDiakonie, Reutlingen, Germany, June 2007

TRANSLATIONS: from German – Bärbel Wuthe

Articles identified by an author do not necessarily reflect the editor's opinion. Copies or reprint welcome,just indicate EMS source.

PHOTO ON FRONT PAGE: India, EMS/Lutz Drescher

Gabriele Mayer,Germany

Wadi’a Badr,Lebanon

Rebecca Dowuona,Ghana

Joy Lotteriet,South Africa

Prime Sarojini,India

Krise A. Rotti-Gosal,Indonesia

Yoko Sugimori,Japan

Chae Hae Won,South Korea

The Liaison Women of the International Women’s Networking

ov englisch 2007 web · guage) – a new bible translation into german which is drawing a lot of...

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