6/16/21
In India, women are often viewed as worthless. Even in our partner’s* ministry, there are husbands struggling to adopt a biblical view of marriage. While their attitudes have improved over time, cultural influences are powerful and some men prefer to treat their wives as servants instead of equal partners.
Further complicating matters, pastors and “house group” planters travel to villages for days at a time, leaving their wives the responsibility of running the home and caring for the children and in-laws, and may be subject to abuse. These women frequently become aggravated and resentful and sometimes harm the ministry.
To encourage these ladies whose husbands are in the ministry, our partner created a Women’s Empowerment Group. He wants to help women discover their identity in Christ, understand that they are children of God and made in His image. Because they belong to Christ, they are valuable. Our partner wants them to see that they are partners with their spouses in ministry.
For 12 weeks – from June to August – approximately 75 ladies meet on Thursdays via Zoom. Each week, a female speaker from the U.S. encourages the wives and provides a biblical perspective on how they can come alongside their husbands and be supportive. The two-hour sessions include 20 minutes of prayer and worship in Hindi, 20 minutes from the speaker (plus 20 minutes for the translator), and close with another 30 minutes of prayer.
Please pray for:
These sessions to be effective,
The pastors’ wives to be encouraged and empowered as they see themselves as part of God’s family, and
The married couples to view each other as partners in ministry and for them to communicate effectively and respectfully.
In Christ,
Friends of India Network
*Name omitted for security reasons.