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2007-05-15 issue:

Women of color encounter the face of God

by Iris de León-Hartshorn

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God is moving in ways that may catch us by surprise. Women of color throughout the Mennonite world—both in the United States and abroad—are embracing opportunities God is setting before us. Be ready to listen, hear and see what God is doing.



In 2003, at the Mennonite World Conference gathering in Zimbabwe, two Latin American women, Alix Lozano from Colombia and Ofelia Garcia from Mexico, met with African women leaders Mama Kadi Beatrice, Mama Sidonie Swana and Esther Kalambo. They met to dream together how they could continue widening the dialogue on how women of color experience God and how that has shaped their theology. Alix and Ofelia were inspired to start working toward a gathering of Latinas throughout the Americas at the MWC gathering in Paraguay in 2009. They spread the word and encouraged Latinas to have regional gatherings in preparation for that gathering.

Elizabeth Soto (Puerto Rican) and I (Mexican descent) were excited by the call and thought about what it might mean for Latinas in the United States and Canada. What stories could we share with each other to help us understand how our own theological understandings were shaped by our cultural, socioeconomic and gender lenses? What could we contribute to the wider church to help it understand our Anabaptist theology more fully? Where is God’s Spirit leading us in this wonderful venture?

In 2005, a small group of Latinas and African-American Anabaptist women met and enjoyed a rich encounter with Scripture. Wilma Bailey led us. We worshiped together and were able to see the ways many of our individual experiences intersected.

This fall we will engage a broader discussion, including women of African descent, Native women and Latinas from the United States and Canada. I look forward to the communion of these women in God’s presence. I wonder what God has in store for us, what gifts we will bring to enrich our communion together.

As women of color, we will explore our struggles, victories and vision for a church that honors all voices. First-generation immigrant women will find a safe space to speak of the hardships they encounter. Other women will recount their encounters of racism and sexism, and still others will report their work for the sake of shalom, seeking justice for their communities and others who face injustices. I anticipate encountering the face of God as each woman contributes to the dialogue.

The meeting of these women from the United States and Canada will not be limited to our gathering in October. My hope is that we will be able to engage the wider church in further dialogue as we give voice to our understanding of God through our lenses. My dream is to deepen our collective self-understanding as Anabaptists and contribute to the larger church.

What if engaging in regional and global theological discussions with women at the grass roots, as started by women in Congo, is the beginning of a rebirth of our Anabaptist faith? What if the meeting of the African and Latina women is the 21st-century meeting of Felix Manz, George Blaurock and Conrad Grebel, where the first rebaptism took place? Significant movements have been known to take place in unlikely places, so why can’t one start with women of color? Are you ready to listen, hear and see what God is about to do in our midst? I know I am.

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