Divine Appointments: Today’s woman is in town

Today’s woman is no ordinary woman, she is every woman from all denominational persuasions – an inspired, delivered and empowered woman. Archbishop Dr Eunor Guti of Zaoga FIF is the results-oriented woman behind the eight-year old Today’s Woman Interdenominational initiative. As the fourth edition of Today’s Woman Interdenominational Conference slated for October 22-24 at the City Sports Centre draws closer, Tendai Manzvanzvike (TM) spoke with representatives of the organising committee, Pastors Bertha Shayamano and Abigail Magwenzi of Zaoga and Bishop Margaret Takaedza of New Revelation Ministries.

TM: Today’s Woman was birthed in 2007 at a time when the nation was facing challenges – the hyper-inflationary environment being one of them. The fourth edition of Today’s Woman Interdenominational Conference comes at a time when the nation is again facing some challenges. Thus far the Lord has walked with the woman of Zimbabwe. What is this inspired, delivered and empowered woman doing about these challenges?
Pastor Bertha: This is our eighth year of running Today’s Woman, and we have seen a lot of changes in women’s lives. Women are changing for the better – spiritually, physically and economically.
This year, there are challenges just like in 2007 but because of the teachings we are getting, we are seeing ourselves empowered and it is that empowerment that has brought a change among so many women.
TM: Empowerment is now used to mean different things to different people. What does it mean to a Christian woman?
Pastor Abigail: There are three dimensions of empowerment – spiritual, economic and social.
Spiritual empowerment has to do with empowering the woman for victorious living through the teachings of the word of God. As for economic empowerment, Archbishop Eunor Guti’s teachings encourage women to start small, even if it means selling peanuts. The idea is that you will have to graduate to the next level. This is from her school of talents in Zaoga. She also teaches that even a small profit margin is important because those days of making big profits are gone.
Even though this is an interdenominational initiative, the teachings are the same. You should not be comfortable with that entry point because empowerment also has to do with access and control over the productive resources.
We will have some experts who will come and teach on various topics. For example, we will have the Master of the High Court who will teach the legal perspective on inheritance and the estate. The woman must also be legally empowered.
All this knowledge is critical to the person who has been laid off, or whose husband has been made redundant; to someone that has been chronically unemployed – this is the conference for that woman.
More women, especially the marginalised from across all denominations – Mapostori, mainline churches, Pentecostals – must all come together. That is the uniqueness of this conference.
TM: What does the conference theme mean to today’s woman?
Bishop Margaret: The Conference runs under the theme, “Dawn has Come to Today’s Woman” and, it is from Isaiah 60:1. We are telling women to arise and shine, for this is the appointed time for their blessings.
TM: Many might have heard about Today’s Woman but do not know that the visionary is Archbishop Eunor Guti. You have walked with her as she tries to realise the vision. Tell us what exactly is at the bottom of her heart. What is she communicating to the woman?
Pastor Abigail: Mama Guti is telling women that they need to be current, be a ‘today’s woman’, living in today’s world with the know-how to survive in today’s world. So, she is coming in to spiritually, economically and socially empower women so that they can live victoriously in today’s world.
So, women have to be technologically savvy – ‘unoda kudzvanya-dzvanya iyoyo WhatsApp yacho, itawo email address, itawo Twitter because that is the in-thing now.
TM: Will City Sports Centre accommodate all the women?
Pastor Abigail: We have an overflow section with TV screens. Although it’s in Harare we have organised accommodation in the churches. Everybody who wants to come to Harare and has no accommodation will be accommodated in the Zaoga churches free of charge.
So, let all the women come, we are ready to host them. Once you catch the spirit of Today’s Woman, God will open your eyes.
Mama Guti teaches us to find innovative ways.
Bishop Margaret: We encourage and provide a lot of information to cater for women’s business interests. In April, we went on a trip to India and it was facilitated by the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development. The mission was to network with Indian women in business, others went to China.
Initially, women brought in suitcases of wares to sell. This time around because of Today’s Woman Business Network, they managed to bring in containers as a group, which is cheaper.
We are also encouraging women to learn foreign languages such as Mandarin. As Today’s Woman, we have also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the locally-based Chinese Business Association. The advantage is that we have a special card and we get a discount.
Pastor Abigail: I was privileged to go to China and when I saw the ladies who put their goods in the container, I broke down because for years we were talking about it. Only this year, God allowed it to happen. It was also the fulfilment of what Mama Guti teaches – the need to move from the basket to the container.
TM: In line with Archbishop Guti’s vision, where do we situate today’s woman 10 years from now – the key result areas?
Pastor Bertha: I go back to 2013 when we were in Israel and this gentleman said when he looks at Zimbabwe in the next few years, he sees the breadbasket of Africa. Every woman in Zimbabwe is able to stand on their own.
When you get the tools (knowledge), you don’t sit down. You actually regret why didnt have the knowledge.
So, in a few years to come, we are expecting Zimbabwean women to be role models going out to other nations to teach, equip and encourage other women to be productive.
TM: More or less like preaching the good news?
Pastor Bertha: Yes, taking the good news to other people. We are now going to run with the vision. During this conference, there is going to be deliverance of our mindsets, the way we perceive things.
A woman is very influential, and when she’s is delivered, she becomes something else. See what the woman of Samaria in the book of John did. She caused the transformation of her nation.
Our women have already started. If you care to see, so many Zimbabwean women are doing things at various levels. TM: How do you manage to bring women together from different denominations?
Pastor Abigail: I believe that this is because the vision speaks to the heart of the woman. It speaks beyond denominations. Mama Guti is a highly respected woman of God who has led by example. She has shown that it can be done because if she can be an Archbishop together with her husband with a ministry that is in over 120 nations, surely, there is something you can learn from such a woman.
The uniqueness also lies in understanding and appreciating the other woman who is coming from her own church. People are not being lured to Zaoga. No, that’s not it.
What Mama Guti wants to do is to bring these women together so that she teaches them and then they can go back to be a blessing in their churches.
TM: Who are the key speakers?
AM: We have four international speakers – Pastor Santa du Plessis of Full Gospel Church, SA; Petronella Muriuki-Musau of River Church in Johannesburg; and, Pastor Fiona Arthurs (Wheaton Christian Centre, USA).
TM: Final remarks!
Pastor Abigail: I might have attended conferences in the past, even have missed some, but this is one conference I wouldn’t want any woman to miss because it’s a full package that addresses every area that affects a woman’s life.
The women that God is going to use to minister have gone through it all to be able to impart not only spiritually, but practically as well.
TM: Are men invited?
Pastor Abigail: Men are welcome during the evening sessions but day sessions are strictly for women!