Women empowerment in evangelism and socio-economic development in South Africa: Nicholas Bhengu’s vision

Abstract

The article is a historical analysis of Nicholas Bhengu’s vision of women’s empowerment for evangelism and socio-economic development. It was during one of Bhengu’s visits to the United States to raise funds for his Back to God Crusade, God appeared to him in a vision in Brooklyn, New York, in 1960; God asked him what he had come to do. Bhengu answered that he had gone there to raise funds for the Back to God Crusade. In a vision, God showed him an African woman wearing a doek (African headgear). God directed Bhengu to go back to South Africa and organise women like the one God showed him in the vision. It was from such women that he would raise funds for his ‘Back to God Crusade’ evangelistic campaigns. The organisation and empowerment of women, known as the Mothers’ Movement, has been a phenomenal success story of spiritual and socio-economic development in South Africa. Women in Bhengu’s churches continue to raise millions of rand for the evangelisation of South Africa and beyond, by creating entrepreneurs among themselves. They are taught to share expertise and skills in group meetings as well as in one-on-one situations - one teaches one.

Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The contribution of the study is to challenge church leaders to empower and create opportunities for women to be involved in missional activities through their expertise and skills sharing to become financially independent and self-sufficient in an unequal gender society.