Battle Cry
In 2020, international Women’s Ministries underwent vital ‘reimagining’ to sharpen the focus and purpose of Women’s Ministries. Three years on, the time has come to move into the next phase of the reimagining of Women's Ministries within The Salvation Army; it is time to sound the Battle Cry!
We envision women who are engaged in social justice and action to positively impact the world. Be inspired by some of these social justice stories in our digital exhibition: 'The waters are rising, but so am I.' As disciples we are called to go into all the world and express the good news of Jesus Christ, both in word and deed. We desire that all who have an investment in Women’s Ministries – participants, leaders or as champions of women within The Salvation Army – would be informed on social justice matters and prepared to speak out with boldness, wisdom and grace.
Women and girls often experience systemic social injustice. Though key issues and severity differs across countries and regions, the value of women and girls is continually undermined. The Salvation Army believes that both male and female are made in the image of God and are equal in value and therefore is opposed to sexism. We reject any view that subordinates women to men, or men to women.
The waters are rising, but so am I!
In her final days, Catherine Booth is quoted as saying to those within her close circle, ‘The waters are rising, but so am I.’ The ‘waters’ for Catherine was her increasingly aggressive illness, but within the context of social injustices faced by women, these rising waters are systemic oppression, covert mistreatment and lack of equity. Crucially, as Catherine Booth’s quote implies, we see the possibility for women to rise, too.
As The Salvation Army continues its global efforts to achieve gender equity, international Women’s Ministries has identified and prioritised three social justice focuses, urging individuals and groups involved with Women's Ministries across the world to adopt one, two or all of these focuses in their existing ministry and continued reimagining of ministry. We want to see:
- Improved access to healthcare and a better understanding of women’s health
- Increased education and development opportunities for women and girls, with fair compensation for their skills and labour
- The elimination of violence against women and girls.
May God go with us as we seek the values of his Kingdom, making every effort to learn from each other as we are mutually transformed by his grace. So long as there is need for women to rise up against these oppressive forces, we will continue to raise our battle cry: the waters are rising, but so are we. We are not going under, but over!
Please note that various translations are in progress. If your territory is translating the resource in another language, we would be pleased to receive a copy to make available to others. Please email to: ihq-wm@salvationarmy.org
Tags: Real Talk