It is a brand New Year, and we were all very excited to attend our first MW BIG MEET on 20th January 2024.
Of course, any MW BIG MEET would first have to start off with taking care of the business of our tummies, with a wide array of delicious foods brought by our members.
That being done, the meeting started with worship and service, led by Lee Heng. We followed the order of worship specially designed by the World Federation of Methodist & Uniting Church Women (WFMUCW).
Our President, Dr Mary Bien then gave an overview of WFMUCW. It is a fellowship of officially recognized groups of Methodist, United and Uniting Church Women organized in Units to affirm its purpose: “To Know Christ and To Make Him Known”.
It was officially established in 1939 when women leaders within the Methodist Church recognized the need for a platform that would amplify women’s voices and advocate for their rights. Its main purpose is to be a support group for women, acting as a beacon of hope, empowerment and unity for women across the globe, promoting the interests of women in all areas of life, ie spiritual growth, equality, development and peace, equal status of women and leadership training for women.
We were very blessed to have a dynamic guest speaker, Pastor Dr Elaine Goh, Dean of STM Postgraduate Studies on a relevant topic, WOMAN AS PROPHET and JUDGE – TOWARD GENDER EQUALITY.
Dr Elaine spoke about The Silence of the Wives in Ezra 7-10 where the women were not given a voice, and the focus was on the men deciding to divorce their foreign wives. She went on to compare two female characters from the Old Testament:
Miriam: The Forgotten Prophet (Micah 6:4, Num 26:59 and Exod 15:20)
Deborah: The Unspoken Judge (Judges 4:4-5, 2:16, 5:7)
Miriam, the older sister of Moses and Aaron, played a significant role after the Israelites crossed the Red Sea. She is described as a leader, prophetess and songstress, leading the women with tambourines and dancing, singing a song of praise to celebrate their deliverance. Deborah, in the book of Judges, emerges as a central figure in Israel’s history, demonstrating courage, wisdom and faith. The Israelites went to her to settle their disputes.
Following from these 2 biblical female characters, we should inspire more women to be ordained, to take up leadership roles and empower women to be theological educators. Women should no longer be “Forgotten” nor “Unspoken”. Today, women are active participants in the life of churches, but they are still not in the forefront of decision-making and strategic planning. We hope to see more female deans and female doctorates in the future.
Lynda Leong
