a contextual missiology of the spirit - eTheses Repository ...

3.4.3. Ecclesiology
Pentecostal ecclesiology in Rajasthan can be summarized as ‘Theology of
Involvement.’ For Pentecostals, Church is a symbol of acceptance and
participation. In many north Indian villages, women are not treated well, and their
participation in the public sphere has not been encouraged in many villages 103 and
female literacy is less than that of men in most village societies. In the early days,
women were not taken to hospital as most doctors were male. 104 During field
research, most people underlined this fact, especially Pentecostal women 105 as the
Pentecostal message and their practice of congregational participation appeal to
them, because they have not experienced freedom to a greater degree and
traditionally women have been an oppressed class in India. In most churches, the
attendance shows that more than 60 % are female. However, A.T. Cherian argues
that it does not mean that the membership mainly consists of women, but as men
go to work in far away places they may not be able to attend all the church
services. 106
In Pentecostal churches, women are allowed to participate fully in spiritual
activities alongside men. They are actively involved in church activities such as
worship, preaching, teaching, praying for the sick and teaching Sunday school. In
certain cases, women are allowed to be a part of church administration. One
103 For more details, see Cherian, ‘Study of the Religion of the Bhils,’ 19.
104 Dr. Shepherd’s farewell address indicates this. In one of the farewell addresses, signed by
public officials in Rajasthan, when Dr. James Shepherd was leaving Udaipur in 1882, it was
mentioned that local people gained confidence in him when he opened a mission dispensary, and
that ‘they began to send even their wives and daughters to be treated’ at his hospital. See Carstairs,
Shepherd of Udaipur, 142.
105 This does not mean that participation is only meant for women, but the focus is given to women
in this study as they are traditionally a neglected group in the north Indian villages.
106 Cherian, ‘Contribution of Churches,’ 201.
142