Broken Silence: A Call for Churches to Speak Out about GBV

Good Morning Everybody..

Today we just greeting in English which is also one of the official languages in South Africa.

Yes, we doing it again.Making trouble.We looking more deeply into what the role of the religious community is in the fight against Gender based Violence. We do hope that some religious leaders will join the discussion and tell us what they think about their role.

What is the role of the church in GBV?

This means if the worship of God is to be lived and transform communities, the church must confront and discourage GBV among its members and surrounding communities. The church can contribute towards public transformation of its communities if it takes its holistic mission on earth seriously.

What is the issue of GBV in Christianity?

All forms of gender based violence are criminal acts and are against the law of the land. Any form of violence is contrary to the Law of God, and any actions that harm anyone or prevent them from living in peace and/or fulfilling their potential, has to be of concern for churches.

The Church has a critical role in prevention, intervention, and healing from gender-based violence (GBV). GBV includes domestic abuse, sexual assault, incest, human trafficking, and other forms of abuse, most often directed towards females.

What is the role of religious leaders in GBV?

A central recommendation called on religious leaders to use their religious texts to educate their congregations and communities to create awareness and knowledge of GBV. These texts also were intended to be used to promote responsible behaviours, respect, and the dignity of all persons.

How does religion influence domestic violence?

Abusers may employ religious texts and values to harm the survivor. This can be done by selectively quoting religious texts or interpreting religious values as a means to assert male entitlement and privilege or otherwise provide justification for the abuse.

What is the role of religion in promoting gender equality?

Religion is central to the meaning and implementation of gender equality. All religions provide some reflection on gender and embody gender ideologies in their teachings and practices.

Interesting observations made by counselling staff that are involved in the Domestic Violence and Faith initiative we started in 2012.

1. When the abuser is a religious leader or has a position of respect within the faith community, the survivor normally feel additional pressure to remain silent.It is not easy to speak out when you not sure if you will be believed.
2. Many almost everyone of survivors sought religious or spiritual counselling after experiencing abuse. Interactions with victims at SAPS VEP rooms showed us that most victims requested that their pastor or church leaders be informed about their situation.Church is home for many that feel they are being abused.
3. Religious involvement promotes greater mental health well-being and can also increase a survivor’s sense of social support.Knowing that he or she is part of a greater community and getting support really is a booster for anyone in that situation.
4. Faith leaders needs to take steps to better understand the dynamics of domestic violence and how to support survivors. I normally advise whoever I work with to get some form of counselling training or to attend even some online training in relation to understanding the dynamics of GBV better.Most religious leaders are male and victims of GBV do not find it comforting to talk to them.
5. Advocates and service providers need to make a very serious effort to understand how to support survivors’ religious practices. On more than one occasion counselling staff got reported because they just prayed for victims without asking their consent.Always ask permission to do a prayer as you do not know what religious practices the victim might be involved in.
6. Every church should invest in a trained counsellor to assist their congregation.If not they should partner with organisations that is working in the field to assist them.
7. Many victims prefer to work with an independent organisation as they are scared for secondary victimisation at the church level. Wherever we interacted we ensured that the victim always made aware that all sessions are confidential and no information about the session will be shared with the church management.
8. Many survivors found strength to leave and heal from abuse through their religious practices and engagement in their religious communities.Congregations needs to know that the church is a safe haven where they can come to ask for help.
9. Abusers also use teachings about dating, sexual relationships, gender roles, or reproductive choices to pressure an individual into not seeking help. Many abusers whether male or female knows the Bible very well and will quote you verses from Adam to Moses to not get you to seek help.

There definitely pastors and religious leaders stepping and making the call through using their prophetic voices.It is time for this to happen so that more awareness and support can be created alongside effective response programs for GBV in our communities.Through their sermons they can convey the message that violence, specifically family violence is not acceptable in their communities and finally they must emphasise that help is available.Special prayer sessions for GBV , especially domestic violence and also inviting speakers that can put all of this wheel of action in motion.This is achievable.

In August 2022, I was invited to speak at an event in Sebokeng, South Africa.It was a very good initiative that Ps.Ellen Moea brought into existence. This is officially an annual event. Coupled with this we working on having gatherings like this with the local men too so we can have both parties involved in community awareness building regarding GBV.

Pastor Andrew Tshikota of the Army of Worship Bible Church in Alexandra has taken it upon himself to sit down with men and seek solutions to issues of gender-based violence that plague the township.

KaBokweni Anglican Church in Mpumalanga, South Africa also hosted a GBV awareness session to break the silence in society on Human Rights Day this year. As a way to break the silence in local churches, St Mary’s Anglican Church in Ngodini hosted a gender-based violence awareness campaign on Human Rights’ Day on March 21.The aim of the initiative was to educate the members and the community about the importance of knowing their rights, about human trafficking and to remind them that a church is a safe place for any victim of GBV.This event was attended by members of GRIP, the Heartlines organisation and the Department of Social Development. 

 Rev Lungile Gwala, Tiny Mathebula, Bp Haward Thwala, Margaret Mazibuko and Rev Shadrek Ngutjane is on the photo above.This was retrieved from an article in the Mpumalanga News on April 2, 2023.

Final Thoughts:

Women have been known to be just as capable of being violent as the men have been throughout history. What is true, however, is the fact that there is a correlation between religion and women oppression.

Religion, we were led to conclude, is alive and well today, and is a force not only in private but also in the public lives of people around the globe.

Religious houses are the beacons of chauvinism and women oppression in this country. 

Violence under the endorsement of God is permanent and irrevocable. If you are turned away from your church when you seek help, you really feel God has turned you away and some people give up hope completely.Therefore churches should not be a safe place for perpetrators of GBV.

Faith can be an important part of a survivor’s journey of healing, but in some cases it can also complicate their path to safety, especially when the church do not have a proper protocol in place to assist the victim.

GBV is a complex problem that requires a team approach. Religious institutions should have a plan of action in place to assist victims of GBV.Make the necessary referrals and get help.

Finally I think that churches should sponsor or host more educational programs on domestic violence and work collectively together in their communities with other stakeholders.

If you can share more on this, please comment and give us some more insight into what is happening.