Greetings and God’s blessings to all the Bishops of the Church of Pakistan, officers of the Synod, respectable delegates, distinguished guests and visitors, who have gathered together at this point in history, when the Church is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
This period of 25 years has been a journey of faith for the Church of Pakistan. We have experienced the growing pain in our witnessing together as a people of God. We have made definite achievements which could be further enhanced if we also recognize that we have failed and frustrated God and our people through our sin of pride, sloth and fa1sehood.
How much I wish to be part of you at this jubilant time to celebrate and reflect upon our past and present realities and. to move into a new future with hope and renewed commitment to watch and perceive the signs of our days in order to play our pedagogical and prophetic role more effectively, “but behind everything lies a great future of God”, a great theologian, Karl Barth, said. This perhaps is true in my being here thousands of miles away from you all. When the first meeting of the Synod was held in Karachi in 1972, I had just begun my theological journey. This was a breakthrough in the life of the Church as I was the first woman to go to seminary to receive theological education. On the recommendation of the Church, I was able to receive the Crusade Scholarship from the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church for which I will always remain grateful. I had then hoped that many more women would follow this path and the Church will take interest in their theological education. Unfortunately it has not come to pass.
After the completion of my studies in 1977, I didn’t receive any positive response. There was no pastoral or ministerial work available for a theological trained woman in the Church. However I continued my faith journey with the support and encouragement of many wonderful people. Among them were of course my father (late Bishop Qadir Bakhsh) and my dear husband Bishop Samuel Azariab, who have very gently, intentionally and sacrificially contributed to my spiritual journey. Both of them besides being related to me were and are still part of the hierarchy of the Church, who not only believe but took a positive action to train a woman for work in the Church and society.
I respect Bishop Malik for his commitment to women’s -theological education. He also acted out his- commitment by encouraging his daughter Nudrat to receive theological education. I take this opportunity to congratulate Nudrat for successfully completing her studies this year from London Bible College, and wish her God’s blessings as she steps into the life of the Church which is quite a chal1enge for a young woman of her age. I know a couple of other Bishops and pastors who are also very supportive of Women’s theological education. However, I would like to raise a few questions to them and to all the leadership of the Church:
• What is it that hinders them from encouraging other women to do theology?
• What is it that does not allow them to take any positive and systematic, action to enable women to do theology?
• What measures have been taken to remove any obstacles to prepare women for the ministry?
• Why is the Church and the Synod is quite on this issue? .
I do not know how seriously these questions will be taken, as they are wished by a woman who is not physically present and as such has no legal status. Today women in the church of Pakistan are determined to “break the silence”, They are speaking with more confidence and freedom, Let us not close our eyes to this reality.
At this historic moment, I am again away from the country and the Synod meeting. It is my wish that the Church take over questions- and- us-seriously. To take as men are. I am away and not present though I was a delegate to the Synod because I felt called once again to pursue my theological education. At a very short notice, I was accepted as a woman student and returned to school after a gap of eighteen years. Though Ph.D. work is a great challenge for me, I hope with God’s grace and your prayerful support, I shall achieve my goal.
Some of you may wonder what is it that has led me to make such a decision at this stage of my life! My long life, work and commitment with the people particularly women and children is deeply connected with theological education and formation which is rooted in the pedagogy of liberative conscientization method. The church needs to provide theological experience and education to men and women, clergy and laity so that they can engage in an education which opens our eyes to thousand realities which we have ignored and denied; open our ears to those, hearts to receive others to enter into partnership with them in their struggles for freedom and liberation. This is the need of the hour in the present realities of our time.
We need men and women in the church who can devote their time, talent, and passion for such an educational and theological task to realize this dream. I have made his decision which I thought was necessary. In my school and in my class more than 50% of the students are women. There are a number of highly educated devoted and competent women teachers. I dream of a Church and a seminary that will be widely open to women who will not only he treated as objects but who will fully participate in policy matters, leadership formation, curriculum development, and transformation of the Church and Society.
In this meeting of the Synod, I urge you all to:
a) Evaluate our past strategies and policies of mission work which mirror a false generosity of paternalism and move towards a true self-hood.
b) Look critically at our educational system, as a whole particularly the theological education. Let theological education for both men and women be a priority concern for the synod. Without sound theological education and formation, we are like a house built on sand.
The Synodical of Women’s Fellowship of the Church of Pakistan has taken a few preliminary steps in this direction. The Ecumenical Decade of the Churches in Solidarity with women challenges the Church to make an international effort to include women in the total life of the Church and society. This will happen when we as – a Church facilitate, encourage and train both men and women for a libertative education that is aimed at an inclusive and holistic community.
May God be with you all in your deliberations, election of leaders, and policy making procedures. I have hope and faith in God’s everlasting grace and wisdom of our leaders who lead us into the kingdom of God that is here and present in our midst.
Khushnud Azariah – Claremont School of Theology
(This letter was written to the Synod of the Church of Pakistan held on 30th October 1995 at 17-Waris Road, Lahore, Pakistan)