DMM: Part 2, A Case Study
Women Leaders’ Meeting Case Study
Asian Listening Movement, June 2024
Where are you on the CPM continuum?
7. Multiplying CPMs: Initial CPM has catalyzed other CPMs.
We are consistently reaching 4th generation in many places. There are also streams of 12, 15, and 18 generations. This is not just one movement, but multiple movements stretched across at least four different geographical regions of the country. The movements are primarily among people from the majority religion, though the work has now cascaded over to a people from one of the minority non-Christian religions. As of May 2024, we estimate there are at least 3 million baptized believers and about 300 thousand house churches. Only a handful of churches use special buildings or rented space; nearly all are house churches, meeting in a home or a courtyard or under a tree.
Name of Focus Group (UPG, city, region, language group, etc.):
Majority-religion people in an Asian country. (All personal names are pseudonyms.)
Background info on the group
Nearly all people speaking this language are unreached. Various groups are separated by divisions which would traditionally be a barrier for the spread of the gospel. Although there are significant social divisions, people live in community. So, unlike more isolated places in certain parts of the world, or nations made up of more homogenous populations, it’s nearly impossible in this area to simply choose one group as a ministry focus.
The CPM Team
Our team has grown to 7 expat workers (only one of whom lives in the country), and three national co-labourers, along with their wives who are very active in the work. Sam* is the key national leader. John* (Sam’s younger brother) operates as Sam’s partner and is also a key leader in the work. The wives of both men helped in significant ways at the women leaders’ meeting, and it was powerful for the women movement leaders to see the wives working together with their husbands. The wives prayed over the time, did all of the translating, and read scriptures.
Focused Leaders’ Meeting for Women Disciple Makers
The CPM team hosted a two-day conference in October 2023 for women house church leaders. Around 100 women traveled from 16 different states to attend the meetings. Some were leaders over many house churches, others over a few. They shared their stories. Some have been kicked out of their families for choosing to follow Jesus but are unswerving in their allegiance to Christ. Others shared about miraculous stories of healing and deliverance. The ladies spoke different languages and were from different people groups. Some were illiterate, others had degrees. None of the differences mattered. The love of Christ united everyone. Over the two days there was time for introductions, testimonies, reading the Bible to address their authority as disciple makers, foot washing, commissioning, and anointing.
Purpose for Hosting the Meeting
Over the course of the last couple of years, Sam, in particular, could see that the male leaders in the movement(s) were receiving the most input, trainings, and seminars. But 80% of those engaged in the spiritual work are women, not men. He didn’t think it fair that men get most of the training, but women do most of the work. Women pray more than men, women are more engaged than men, women fast more than men. Ladies apply the principles more than men. Eighty percent of the DBS distribution in the movement is happening by women. So, Sam felt that since the ladies do most of the work, they should have a ladies’ focused meeting. This was a way to bring honor to the women.
Sam also knew it would help the women to not have men in the room. Without men around, women feel free to share real things with one another. When the leaders meet as mixed groups for trainings, even when invited to fully participate, many women simply don’t feel as free to speak their opinions or share simply because there are men in the room.
Main Activities
First, being free of their home life responsibilities and obligations, the women were able to relax and share with each other about what they do, learn from one another peer to peer, and discuss personal experiences of being lady leaders and disciple makers. This happened throughout the two days, and was an important part of the event.
Second, because it’s not safe in this country for women to travel alone, there were a few men who traveled to the event with the various groups. These were trusted mentors, “Barnabases” to these lady “Pauls,” so they also attended the general sessions. However, on the second day, a “break out” session was called. This would be fully segregated. No men allowed. Then, during this session, the two segregated groups discussed the same topics. See the next session for details about those discussions.
Also, during one of the general sessions, the women were asked to write down the languages they speak in their families and house churches, any other languages spoken in their house churches, and also the number of districts (counties) they’re working in. This resulted in very useful language data.
Finally, the event ended with a time of anointing and commissioning of the women leaders. Not that they hadn’t been commissioned as disciple makers before this event, but Sam, John and others wanted to give the ladies a visible seal of approval that they have the same authority and responsibility to make disciples as men do. They can and must continue to go out and do the work. The CPM team tried to wash the women’s feet. The plan was to wash one group of leaders who would then wash another group’s, but the ladies were having none of it. They lovingly pushed the foreign guests out of the way and began to wash anyone’s feet they could. There was joking and laughing and jostling for space as women took turns washing each other’s feet. They would rush across the room to find someone, then drag that person over to a chair to sit so she could wash her feet. Everyone wanted the chance to express their gratitude at fully “knowing that they know” they are fully included in the task to make disciples of Jesus. It was a loving, chaotic, laughter-filled 20 minutes.
No Men Allowed
Since one of the main reasons for gathering the lady leaders for their own 2-day event was to give them a chance to speak freely with each other, it was important to have at least one session with no men allowed. Thus, the break out session on Day Two was fully separated by gender. The two groups discussed the same topics. Later, the leaders learned that the Holy Spirit had truly been the Teacher. Turns out, the two groups asked the same questions, had the same concerns, and ultimately came to the same conclusions about the issues they were facing. It was a wonderful example of the Holy Spirit’s ability to lead and guide, to direct, and to instruct from the Word.
First, the women were asked to share what they thought were advantages and disadvantages of being women disciple makers. Disadvantages were what one would expect – hard to travel, responsibilities at home take their time, religious leaders questioning their right to baptize, and others. But, there was one advantage that surprised the outside catalysts/servants. The women said that in their country in these days, if two men enter an unknown village, the locals are immediately suspicious of their motives, thus making outreach even harder. However, when women enter an unknown village, there is usually more trust and ease of acceptance.
The topics for discussion were not planned ahead of time. The CPM team didn’t want to presume to know what the ladies were facing, so they waited to see what questions people would ask. Later, the Team learned that the two groups had asked pretty much the same questions, and the Holy Spirit had taught pretty much the same lessons.
First, the two groups discussed women’s authority to make disciples in the first place, and also baptize. Before this event, there had been reports of women baptizing, but many were still hesitant. The CPM team didn’t know if this was due to cultural pressure or if they were being held back by their male leaders. But, the Team was pleasantly surprised to learn later when they discussed it that both groups went right to Matthew 28 for the simple answer to those concerns. First, since Mary was the one who went to tell the disciples to meet Jesus on the Mount in that story, all saw that Jesus didn’t exclude men or women. All can be disciples, fully obeying all of His commands.
Then, the groups discussed the equality of men and women. The men addressed this question by looking at the story of Deborah. The women studied Galatians 3:28, There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. They talked about those three pairs of people mentioned. In each pair, there is one who has less “worth” according to almost all cultures throughout history: the outsider/foreigner, slaves, and women. But, the verse is very clear. In Jesus, all distinctions are bridged. We are all one. So, if that’s true, then who is to obey Jesus’ command in Matthew 28:18-20? All of us.
Fruit from the Events
Soon after the meetings, the CPM team was able to craft a list of the languages most in need of Bible translation. Within months, work had begun on many of them.
During the first four weeks after the meetings, one lady went home and started nine DBS groups. She'd always been active, but somehow attending the meetings helped her realize that she, herself, is to start new groups. The meetings helped her see that as a disciple, all the commands are hers to obey, too, not just the main leaders.
Roughly two months after the meetings, three of the main lady leaders met with one of the CPM team online. They excitedly shared all they’d learned during the event. One was going to actually do a training over Zoom with leaders in another part of the country, a first-time-ever for her. All relished the thought that they, too, can be included in God’s wonderful work.
Within the first month after the meetings, the CPM team began seeing more photos shared through Signal of women leaders baptizing than ever before.
Within days of the event, Sam decided to focus the whole next year on key movement(s) leaders in a new way. The movement is spread across many states in this country. Depending on the age of the work in each state, Sam will select up to eight men as key leaders to build up/encourage, and eight lady leaders, as well. As he speaks with these folks, Sam will make a list of the issues and troubles that cause the loss of fruit in the various places to discover what more we need to do to strengthen the movement(s).
Contact email carmichaeltrotter@gmail.com for further info...
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