In many regions across South Asia and Africa, women and girls within Christian minorities face unique and severe forms of religious persecution. Their struggles are exacerbated when they return from captivity, only to be ostracized by their own church communities.
At the World Evangelical Alliance’s 14th General Assembly, held at SaRang Church, experts on gender-based persecution shed light on these issues. The panel, led by Emma van der Deijl, CEO of Gender and Religious Freedom, highlighted the dire situations women experience in countries like Nigeria, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Irene Kibagendi, executive director of the Pan African Christian Women Alliance, recounted harrowing stories of young women who are frequently abducted on their way to school, coerced into converting to Islam, and subjected to sexual violence. The Christian Post has reported on these issues for over a decade.
When these women escape and attempt to return to their communities, they are often met with rejection. “Despite being persecuted for being a Christian, when they come back to the Church, they’re not accepted,” Kibagendi noted. Many return pregnant or with children fathered by militants from groups like Boko Haram or al-Shabaab.
Kibagendi emphasized, “They’re rejected by their families. Their husbands cannot accept them back. The Church cannot accept them back,” underscoring the urgent need for reintegration and recovery systems.
Van der Deijl explained the resultant division within church communities: “It’s as if women and girls who are targeted now become an enemy of the Church. Or it’s as if the Church thinks that the blood of Christ isn’t strong enough to cleanse these women or to keep the Church pure.”
Sarah Cunningham, COO at Open Doors US, highlighted the psychological toll on these women, including PTSD and anxiety. “Women who’ve been raped are ‘carrying stigma and shame because of these kinds of hidden, secretive, very intimate violations against them,'” she stated. This often leads to social withdrawal and feelings of powerlessness.
Despite the challenges, some churches are taking steps to support these women. Van der Deijl remarked that certain congregations are “stepping outside of the cultural norm” to aid recovery and reintegration, focusing blame on the perpetrators rather than the victims.
The Rev. Martha Das addressed the cultural barriers within churches in Christian-minority countries, where followers often face discrimination. Some organizations are providing essential support, but many churches hesitate to engage with individuals in complex situations.
Cunningham noted the lack of support systems: “There’s not a place in their community to get care,” making it difficult for victims to find a safe space to process their trauma.
Kibagendi urged that churches worldwide must play a proactive role in reintegrating persecuted women and children. “We need the Church to become a rescue place or space for everybody who needs help,” she stated. This involves creating care groups to restore the dignity of affected women and girls.
The WEA General Assembly, hosted by the 60,000-member SaRang Church, gathered over 850 Evangelicals globally. The theme, “The Gospel for Everyone by 2033,” guided discussions on achieving this goal within the next eight years.
The assembly concluded with the presentation of the WEA’s Seoul Declaration, a 15-page document crafted by international theologians, including eight from South Korea. It provides Evangelical perspectives on key global issues such as gender, religious freedom, and abortion, acting as a “guiding post” for the Church’s future direction.
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
