Anglican Botswana promotes gender equality in the pulpit
Zolani Kraai | Tuesday June 3, 2025 10:04
Beleme shared that the recently held historic event on May 4, 2025 (which is still fresh in his mind) prides him and the church campaign team for the hectic 10-year campaign that eventually brought happiness, hope and signs of growth to the church. Beleme stated that a decision was made to lure more women to Lay Ministerial roles who would be enrolled for vocation at the Anglican, St Augustine Theological College. Anglican Dioceses of Botswana may have triumphed over the Central Province decades of resistance to allow women to assume leadership positions and as for Beleme, the question would be how he will be able to continue striving to have Batswana women in assuming senior clergy positions and to eventually have a probable first woman Bishop of the dioceses.
The question of ordination of women continues to spark debate amid controversy of how African Christian women faced multiple sexism and theological obstacles to ordination, particularly in the Anglican Central Province. But as for Rev Metlha, Botswana has applied for membership with the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, while the Archbishop of the Province of Central Africa, the Right Reverend Albert Chama has accepted the Botswana’s decision to relinquish its membership with Central Africa Province. There have been some pockets of divisions in the Anglican Church globally, dating decades back. Some of the Anglican Provincial Synod Church of Central Africa leaders continue to persist in one of the Anglican’s highest decision body in Africa.
The New Testament Group journal reveals that some dioceses in the Central Africa Province who are against the ordination of women in the Anglican Church draw their authority from the scripture specifically Paul’s letter. However, the research found out that the rejection of women ordination based on the Bible especially Paul’s epistles will be a lame excuse because the Bible should not be regarded as a standard to which people must conform in all questions arising in their lives.