Journal: Priscilla Papers
Volume: PP 01:1 (Winter 1987)
Article: What Your Write Us
Author: Anonymous

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What Your Write Us

It is our hope that this newsletter responds to the needs of women as expressed by our readers. The following are exerpts from letters we have received recently.

From overseas:

Being a finance officer in charge of the Budget Section within the Ministry of Finance, my heavy work loads began in June. It took me 3 months to go through all the Budget meetings and eventually get the “State Budget for the year 1987” finalized. I praise and thank the Lord that he is the source of my strength during the time I found most difficult to cope with work pressure. I feel so much relieved now as I have completed the State Budget ready for drafting the “State Budget Speech 1987” by another senior officer.

I shared your news about the convention in Minnesota with those sisters in my Bible study group. I am sorry to say that none of us will be able to make it. I myself wouldn’t dare to dream for such an opportunity as I am still a very young Christian.

I fully agree with your views given in the paper “Some Women in the Bible” - The same goes for the topics published in the green book entitled “Woman Elders - Sinners or Servants.” I have passed on your articles to a few sisters in our group and requested them to contribute some ideas. Lily Chong, who has just returned after completing her theological course in Singapore, told me that Christian women’s leadership is genially accepted in our country except the number is small. However, discrimination does exist.

Alison Barnes is an Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship staff worker in the Boston area. She writes of her concerns for the students at Wheaton. a college for women in Wheaton, Massachusetts.

Lack of self-confidence seems to be impeding many of my women students and me from leading with the kind of conviction and strength wanted. This has prompted me to consider the role of feminine socialization and its effects on women’s self-image, self-confidence, and therefore inclinations to lead with confidence, especially when the necessary convictions clearly exist. I ask, “What word does the gospel hold for us when we have been socialized to be ‘nice’ instead of speaking our minds, to accommodate and circumvent instead of confronting, to work around the figures of power instead of being one?” The women of Scripture and Jesus’ dealings with women indicate to me that we are to struggle to overcome this socialization in order to respond to God, and lead as He and our convictions direct. This often requires steps of faith to act and lead decisively when we’re scared, to take confidence in God’s calling even though we lack, often, confidence in ourselves.

As for me. I am, as referred to above, also struggling with the results of my feminine socialization: poor self-image a...

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