UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE
Women and the gospel of prosperity and projects among Pentecostal churches in Zimbabwe. A case of Eternal Word Ministry Church in Kuwadzana 5 (Harare) By Lovemore Chirubvu R121576Q
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 Introduction and Background In Zimbabwe the gospel of prosperity is increasingly becoming common in various Pentecostal churches. The Gospel of economic prosperity is the doctrine that says God wants people to be prosperous, financially. Adherents to the Gospel of prosperity believe that wealth is a sign of God’s blessing and the poor are poor because of a lack of faith (Bradley 2009).Eternal word ministry church in Kuwadzana 5 in Harare is not an exception to this kind of gospel .The gospel of prosperity preached in Eternal word church encourages women to embark on projects in order to be prosperous.According to A Guide to Project Management Body of Knowledge ( 2004) a project is an activity designed to produce a unique service or result and in this case the projects encouraged in Eternal word church are designed for women to get money and thus become selfsufficient which in other words means these projects are believed to be the way that leads women into economic prosperity.This issue of projects is at the heart of the gospel of prosperity preached in Eternal Word. According to Maxwell (1998) the prosperity gospel is an offshoot of Pentecostalism that grew out of the tent revivals of the 1940s and 1950s. In Africa Pentecostalism and economic emancipation clearly go together although there is no direct correlation (Maxwell 1998). Religion can be regarded as factor that can bring about economic advancement in the life of women despite it being spiritual(Mbe 2002).In Zimbabwe the gospel of prosperity is becoming increasingly common in Pentecostal churches especially those led by charismatic leaders. (Chitando 2013). Eternal word church in Kuwadzana 5 in Harare is one of the churches led by a charismatic leader and in this church women make up the majority of the church members. In the Eternal word church like other churches led by charismatic leaders the gospel of prosperity is common and women are usually the target because of their economic disadvantages they face due to institutionalized sexism and patriarchy in the economic arena (LenkaBula 2006) .The gospel preached in this church teaches women to embark on economic projects or entrepreneurship in order to prosper in life. However despite the gospel and teachings of prosperity they are taught most of the women in the Eternal word ministry church still have not embarked on the projects encouraged in the gospel.According to the Eternal word ministry church annual meeting held on the Sunday of 11 December 2014 most of the women in this church are not translating the gospel of prosperity they are taught into reality, in other words there is little materialization of the gospel. This study therefore seeks to explore the reasons why some of these Eternal word ministry women are not embarking on projects despite the gospel they receive. The study wants to understand why some of these women have not yet started
putting the gospel and teachings into practice. In addition the study will also seek to explore ways used by women as alternatives to projects.
1.2 Statement of the problem Most Pentecostal churches preach the gospel of economic prosperity and women’s economic emancipation (Spinks 2002). This gospel is common in the Eternal word ministry church in Kuwadzana 5.In the gospel of economic prosperity women in Eternal Word Church(EWC) are taught how to do away with economic disadvantages they face and how to prosper. They are taught that in order for them to prosper in life they have to embark on economic projects (selling different type of goods or providing services in order to get money).In other words the gospel of prosperity in this church teaches women that prosperity of women is only achieved through embarking on projects. However most of the women in this church are not undertaking any project. According to the church’s annual meeting held on Sunday 11 December 2014 a lot of women at this church are not doing the projects they are encouraged to undertake. As such this study is going to explore the reasons why these women are not embarking on projects and ways they employ for their emancipation as substitute to projects. This study is going to explore this.
1.3
Objectives A General Objectives
A.1 To describe the nature of the gospel of prosperity and projects women are exposed to at church. A.2 To examine women’s perception of the gospel of prosperity and projects
B Specific Objectives B.1To analyze projects targeting the uplifting of women B.2 To examine reasons why women are not embarking on projects B.3 To document other ways employed by women as substitute to projects for their emancipation B.4 To examine the success of these coping mechanisms
1.4
Research questions
1.1What is the nature of the gospel of prosperity and projects are you exposed to at church 1.2What kinds of projects are you taught to embark on 1.3How do you perceive this gospel of prosperity and projects you receive 2.2Why are you not embarking on those projects 3.1What do you do as substitute for projects for your emancipation 3.2 How successful are these coping mechanisms 1.5 Significance of the study The study is important sociologically for many reasons, for instance it contributes to the knowledge of the role of religion in influencing the economic life of women in particular. The previous classical sociological theorist and researchers theorized about religion but none of them had to focus on women and the new religious movement of Pentecostalism as the turning point. Durkheim, Karl Marx and Max Weber all advanced their theories on religion but they did not
focus on Pentecostal religion and women because during that period Pentecostalism was not dominant. The proliferation of Pentecostal churches in Zimbabwe is increasing daily and upon closer scrutiny women forms the large population of the church members(Spinks 2002).Therefore the study seeks to reveal the relationship that exist between women and Pentecostal religion and whether this religion has an influence in their economic prosperity. The research is also important because it will either confirm or refute the classic sociological theorization of Karl Marx that religion pacify people or in Marxian terminology, “religion is the opiate of the masses� (Ritzer 2007).The research is also important because it will reveal the reasons why the gospel of prosperity and projects is not being practiced and the methods that women use for their own emancipation. Theoretical framework The research was guided by the structuration theory of Giddens to understand the relationship between women and the gospel of prosperity and projects in Eternal World Church.Gidden’s structuration theory is a social theory that is based on the analysis of agency and structure without giving primacy to either of the two forces. The structuration theory postulates that social life is more than random individual acts. It is not merely determined by social forces, the two forces complement each other. This concept is useful to this research because it explains the reasons why some women in Eternal word church are not embarking on encouraged projects. Eternal Word church is a structure and so is the gospel prosperity and projects it teaches. The purpose of the gospel is to socialize women into projects but women in this church are resisting the structure by not doing what they are told to do (doing projects). In this case the social forces that is the Church and gospel is not determining the individual actions .According to Giddens (1984) human agency and social structures are not two separate constructs but are two ways of
considering social action. The basis of this theory is the identification of the relationship between individuals and social forces that act upon us. Ritzer (2002) argued that Gidenns (1984) emphasized that the actors have power to shape their own actions although the consequence are often unintended. This idea of Giddens also shapes this research because women in Eternal word are not doing encouraged projects but instead they came up with alternative ways as substitute to projects thus they utilized their power to shape their own action their action towards their emancipation is not conforming to what the structure (Eternal word church) force them to do. According to Giddens (2002) structure is the rules and resources that give similar social practices a systematic form. Giddens (2002) acknowledged that structure can be constraining to actors but he argues that sociologist have exaggerated the importance of structural constrains. Failures of women in Eternal Word Church to embark on projects may be as a result of structural constrains. Giddens postulates that structures can also enable the actors to do things they would not otherwise be able to do. In this light the structural constrains that are constraining women to start projects have forced women to come up with coping mechanisms as alternative to projects although the consequence of the action are unintended. Giddens believes that the actor is a processor of causal powers that he or she may choose to intervene (or not ) into the ongoing sequences of events in the social world.Tylor (1993), argues that the structuration theory of Giddens combines the best of agency and structure approaches where the actor is situated but not clueless. Thus the research employed Giddens’ structuration theory because it gives a holistic approach to modern life.
CHAPTER TWO 2.1 LITERATURE REVIEW Hart (1998) postulates that critically reviewing the available literature is instrumental in revealing how current academic empirical studies contribute to existing literature. This section reviews literature with empirical and theoretical findings related to the research topic. Mate (2002) studies on born again churches in Africa generally conclude that they help members to embrace modernity. Their teachings provide the ideological basis for members to embrace extremely changing material realities. However the studies are silent on the demands of this ideological frame on men and women. Mate (200) article looks at two Zimbabwean women organizations, Gracious Women and Precious Stones, affiliated to Zimbabwe assemblies of God in Africa and Family of God. It argues that such organizations teach women ideas of domesticity and romanticize female subordination as glorifying the Almighty God. Mate (2002) postulates that in light of the above argument they discourage individuals by exalting motherhood, wifehood and domesticity as service to God. These demands emerged at a time when life is changing drastically in urban areas as women get educated and enter various professions .A small but growing number of black families have experienced some upward mobility, something these churches encourage through the gospel of prosperity they preach. Albeit accumulation and upward mobility free families from kin obligations which the churches encourage, women are discouraged from resisting the yoke of patriarchal dominance even when material circumstances make it possible. Mate (2002) notes that the organizations repackage patriarch as Christian faith.
The article by Mate (2002) concludes that if these churches are concerned with managing modernity, then they see modernity as female subordination. In a study on Pentecostalism, prosperity and modernity in Zimbabwe, Maxwell (1998) noted that Pentecostalism and economic advancement clearly go together although there is no direct correlation .However he notes that most contemporary Zimbabwean Pentecostals are not solely motivated by economic gain. The growing influence of what has come to be known as the gospel of prosperity has implications for both the formation of capitalist attitudes and for shaping political activism. Gifford (1991) notes that by advocating the gospel of prosperity, it dissuades adherents from evaluating the present economic order, merely persuading them to try to be amongst those who benefit from it. In a study on the impact of religion on women in the development process, Frankori, Fortuna, Macri, Wynkop and Xaver (2003) noted that in the absence of a strong state and the perceived irrelevance and hypocrisy of traditional churches, individuals turn elsewhere for support and guidance. Modern religious Christian movements like Pentecostalism offer a new panacea of opportunities to fill this void .Women in particular stand to gain through
a new found
independency and through leadership and responsibility in a new religious system.Brankori et al(2003) further noted that the constraints preventing African women from attaining socioeconomic independence provide the context for an increasing attraction to strong religious commitments with women in Africa in
particular drawn to Pentecostal Christianity .Such
groupings provide an expression of identity beyond the socio-cultural constraints of traditional patriarchal African society but thus far have been underrepresented in literature. The Pentecostal movement message is unsurprisingly popular among African’s upwardly, mobile young women as these churches encourage them to rise above their circumstances.
Brankori et al (2003) noted that Pentecostalism has empowered women in a study on the impacts of Pentecostalism in Nigeria.Pentecostalim has attempted to offer women individual and identity in the household of God, to embellish their authentic religious endowments and this is being taken by many mainline churches. He notes that the era when the church was the exclusive affair of the clergy is fast coming to an end. The platform of this awareness and vivification is the realization that there is no sector of the people of god that is endowed with monopoly of the spiritual gifts. The church grows where there are manifestations of spiritual gifts, whether among the laity or the clergy for the good of the whole community. Now there is awareness that there is one spirit but many gifts. Each gift is meant for the good of the whole community and it is therefore an affront to the Holy Spirit if any member of the community refuses to make his or her charismatic endowments available to the community. Mbe (2002) notes that another factor that has accounted for the growth of Pentecostalism is the whole range of economic opportunities that have been opened up by the groups during the economic crisis in Cameroon. The churches need a team of pastors and other workers to work in their establishments. Many unemployed people have enrolled in Pentecostal bible colleges, not because of the pastoral call to serve but to earn a living. Some of the churches have enormous projects and establishments such as schools, hospitals and banks. Employment opportunities are offered only to members of the church and as such many people have joined in order to be employed. Pastore andTenaglia (2002) conducted a study which examined the influence of religion on women’s decision to enter the labour market using data from the European Values Study (EVS) relative to 14 countries of women aged between 18 to 60 years. The results showed that women belonging to the catholic ,orthodox and even more Muslim denomination presented a higher
risk of non-employment than the agnostics ,while being a protestant increases the probability for a woman to be employed. Although its intensity is slightly weakening ,the association between religious affiliation and female labour supply is robust to different set of controls, such as a number of individual and demographic characteristics as well a welfare regimes and national specificities. The findings were robust also when we control for endogeneity of the religious s affiliation and find that the impact of religion is stronger on the probability of participating in the labour market rather than on the probability of finding a job or choosing an economic project. In a study in Latin America, Hallim (2003) states that the fact that two thirds of the religious category of Pentecostals are women is not itself enough evidence to label this growing phenomenon as also part of the women’s movement, but it is enough evidence to raise the question. Hallim (2003) went on further to argue that Pentecostalism is a women’s movement because it is more collectively supporting each other in opposition to the status quo,both at the level of opposition to religious hegemony by Catholics and at the level of the household in opposition to poverty. Pentecostal membership is voluntary after all and in fact it requires real courage for some women to turn away from generations of Catholicism as millions of Latin America women are doing .Hallim (2003) goes on further to state that women have pragmatic reasons as women to join Pentecostal movements in an effort to improves their lives and status in the society. Brusco (1993) noted that Pentecostalism is a particularly potent force for change. Brusco (1993) made connections between Pentecostalism and women in a research she conducted in Colombia .In the study Brusco (1993) concluded that what occurs with Pentecostal conversion is a transformation of male as well as female roles in a way that overcomes underlying gender
inequalities. There is also deep significance when men are changed by Pentecostal conversion which results in the weakening of the harmful mentality of machismo. In a study of Orthodox Judaism and Latin Pentecostalism, Friedman (2008) states that for decades mainstream feminism has asserted that women’s empowerment requires a radical readjustment of society. Not surprisingly, this view largely disregards empowerment claims made by in traditional religious systems. In the case of North American orthodox Judaism, women’s empowerment tends to be spiritual, finding in traditional gender roles a psycho-spiritual antidote to the drudgery of everyday life .in Latin American Pentecostals, on the other hand, empowerment is more practical, as a woman’s embrace of the religion often leads to increased familial and economic stability. As such these liberating traditions present the private sphere as a legitimate location for women’s emancipation, a reality often lost in the public centered focus in the contemporary west. Graske (1999) in a study of Latin America Pentecostal movements provides an opening for the inclusion of Pentecostalism in the analysis of women’s movements in that region. Graske (1999) presents the important conceptualizing of practical gender contexts in which women join together spontaneously around such issues as food availability, utility services, economic demands and other interests that may include their male partners and strategic gender interests in which women exclusively and self-consciously join together to demand gender equality. Clifton (2010) argues that the pursuit of the real empowerment of women against the demonic bases of patriarchal individuals ,churches and cultures is not just a matter of overturning sexist attitudes .Clifton (2010) notes that there is a presumption that Pentecostalism is a movement that ,from its inception at the turn of the 20 th century has always facilitated female liberation
and empowerment .Thus is in contrast to many of the mainline churches, they have tended not to instigate formal restrictions against
women and whether they have developed sacramental
systems that are exclusively masculine. Maxwell (1995) points out that ‘talents’ were started by Priscilla Ngoma although uncritical believers claim that they were started by Ezekiel Guti, thus contradicting Eunor Guti who acknowledges the initiative of Priscilla Ngoma. Talents refer to the money that one gets from buying and selling different goods and products such as vegetables which is sometimes called petty projects. The ZAOGA movement always encourages church members to be self-sufficient so that if they lose their jobs they will not be paupers. Talents are meant to empower members financially and thus Maxwell (1995) notes that ZAOGA encourages penny capitalism. Thus this cultivates entrepreneurial tendencies among women members. Neubert (2013) conducted a study in which they investigated the connection between faith and the propensity to start a business by examining data from a survey that queried 1,714 United States of American adults about their religious habits. Neubet (2013) found that entrepreneurs prayed more frequently than other people and were more likely to believe that God was personally responsive to them. They further found that 34 percent of entrepreneurs pray several times a day, compared with 27 percent of non-entrepreneurs Drogus 1994 is of the view that religious opportunities are potentially empowering, bringing women’s adoption of new roles in other spheres of life. Drogus (1994)
noted that
Pentecostalism challenged the traditional catholic culture. Drogus (1994) examines the ways in which women’s experiences in Pentecostal groups may change their gender attitudes and roles and describes the new forms of symbolic and participatory opportunities for women. Drogus
(1994) contends that many scholars claim that traditional Catholicism reinforces women’s subordination, particularly their exclusion from the public life. Religion and culture however are never static. Religion has played a significant role in shaping Latin American culture, including beliefs about gender .changes in religious beliefs and opportunities for women may have important ramifications for attitudes and participation in society as a whole. As shown by the above extensive literature women and the gospel of prosperity is not an under researched area, the above literature shows that the relationship between women and the gospel of prosperity has been researched a lot. However the existing literature does not address reasons that may affect the relationship between women and the gospel of prosperity, some women are not able to put the gospel of prosperity and projects into practice despite being taught how they can prosper in life. The existing literature only tries to reveal the influence of religion on women’s emancipation. The existing literature shows how the gospel of prosperity and projects impact on women but it fails to identify that there are other constrains that restrict women from practicing the gospel of prosperity and these constrains restrict women from embarking on projects encouraged in the gospel of prosperity preached in Pentecostal churches such as the Eternal Word Ministry. Furthermore the existing literature did not explore ways that these women employ as substitute to the gospel of prosperity and projects ,The existing literature about the gospel of prosperity, projects and women perceived women as actors that are always conforming to the gospel they receive in church ,the literature did not reveal the obstacles that women face in trying to implement the gospel and the mechanisms that these women use as substitute to the encouraged projects .Thus this study is going to fill these gapes by finding out factors that makes some women unable to translate the gospel of prosperity and projects into reality. In other words the study seeks to fill the study gape concerning the reason why some
women are not embarking on projects encouraged in the gospel of prosperity. In addition the study is also going to explore the ways employed by these women as substitute to what they are taught to do in the gospel of prosperity and projects and the success of those mechanisms.
CHAPTER THREE 3.1 Methodology The research employed qualitative research approach. This approach is appropriate to this research because it articulates the experiences ,attitude and values of the participants in a specific social context from their own point of reference(Leedy 1997 and Burgers 1982).Qualitative approach was appropriate as it encompasses assessment of attitudes ,opinion and behavior of the participants.
3.2 Sampling procedure Selection of research participants was done using non-probability purposive sampling .It is a sampling method that selects participants that are accessible and that are willing to participate in the study. According to Williamson et al (1997) a purposive sampling is a judgmental form of sampling whereby the researcher intentionally or deliberately selects the individuals or group of people relevant to the issue being studied and in the case of this study the researcher first found
the key informants in church, who then helped the researcher in finding appropriate sample of women who goes to Eternal word church who were easily accessible and willing to participate in the study. Snowball sampling is also another sampling method that was also used to access participants .It was based on the social networks of the researcher .This sampling method was appropriate to this research because it was difficult to randomly identify women who were not participating in the encouraged projects that lead to women’s emancipation unless if told by someone who knows them in the church. Thus the researcher used his social network to identify one participant who assisted him in identifying some people whom he knew were useful in the research and can contribute to the study. Different women from Kuwadzana 5 who go to Eternal word church were engaged for the research as participants. 3.3 Strategies for data collection The study utilized in-depth interview to gather data .Terre Blanche et al (2006) supported the views that interviewing is the most used method of collecting data and it contribute a large amount of in-depth data about the participants’ opinion .Therefore the in-depth interviews of women who go to Eternal word church were conducted in Kuwadzana 5. It enabled this research to have deeper insights into how the gospel or teachings of prosperity affect the economic life of participants. Focus group discussions were also employed to gather information from the women who subscribe to Eternal word church in Kuwadzana. These focus groups discussions were conducted with 10 individuals as according to Petty et al (2006). .The researcher
employed
focus group discussion to enrich the research with detailed information. The researcher also chose a moderator who probed the participants to give information that was deep. The focus group discussion was therefore appropriate to this research because it provided deep information and enabled the participants to discuss and provide the best information relevant to the study.
3.4
Ethical consideration
These are important part of the research. From the start of the research to the end careful consideration of research ethics was observed. The researcher fully explained the purpose of the research before engaging participants. The participants were informed of their right to participate in the study and to withdraw from the study at any time or even during interview or discussion .Interviews and focus group discussion were conducted with those who, with their full concern, agreed to participate. To ensure privacy and confidentiality of respondents pseudonyms are used in this study .The participant were also requested to be audio-taped on consent, to allow the researcher to take notes during the discussions/Interviews. The researcher also informed the participants that they have the right to access the study findings once it is finished and readable.
CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS 4.1 Introduction This chapter shows the findings of the collected data. The data is presented in form of themes that emerged from the in-depth interviews as well as focus group discussions that the researcher contacted with the participants. The chapter will start by a table that that shows the key informants’ background information and information of all respondents
Name PastorMangena Apostle
Area of expertise Head Pastor and women’s leader in Eternal Word ministry church of Kuwadzana 5 T Eternal Word Ministry founder
Gunguwo Professor A Mtetwa Elder Mpofu Mrs. Mare
Lecturer in Religious studies Eternal Word secretary general Eternal word project officer
Age and Percentage of participants Women of 18 - 30 years 65% Women of 31- 40years 25% Women of 41years and above 10%
4.2 Nature or type of the gospel of prosperity preached A focus group discussion held with ten women of different ages who are members of the Eternal Word ministries church in Kuwadzana 5 shows that women in Eternal word are taught to work hard with their own hands and that prosperity of women is achieved through working projects. That is through selling different type of goods or products that can yield profit. Women in the focus group discussion said that in their church (Eternal Word) prosperity through miracles is not
welcomed; people are taught to work for the betterment of their lives. One of the respondents who identified herself as Manasseh in her vernacular said: “Isusevana we Eternal Word ministries tinotenda mukushanda nemaoko edu aya ndizvotino dzidziswa nemaPastors edu, kushanda ndikokwega kunobvisa munhu muurombo kwete zveminana izvi.”(We as Eternal Word ministries children we believe in working with our own hands, that is what we are taught with our Pastors, working is the only solution to a person’s poverty) One of the key informants who supported the same idea said: Eternal Word ministry teaches its church members to work hard, rather than waiting for God to prosper you with his miracles. Therefore one of the chief principal of success in Eternal Word is working hard with your own hands. Miracles are best welcomed in situations like sickness. One respondent corroborating the same idea said: “My church and I personally don’t believe in gospels where by people are taught to use what they call miracle oil and some clothes to wipe someone’s property in the hope that they will miraculously get the same type of property they admired. Those churches are misleading people because even when Jesus fed five thousand people in the bible he acted his miracles on the few things that the people at that moment had, that is the fish and the bread that he was given, otherwise if there was absolutely nothing to start from it would have been impossible to feed that multitude of people “ 4.3
How women perceived the gospel of prosperity and projects preached to them
A significant number of respondents perceived the gospel of prosperity and projects preached in their church as good. They argued that the gospel of prosperity and projects they are taught is important and good especially to women because it offers hope in a hopeless world. Most of the respondents also pointed out that if the gospel is put into practice it will emancipate women from poverty and other economic disadvantages they face. One respondent said: “I think the gospel of prosperity we receive from our church is good because it cures stress and if you practice it you can surely succeed in life.” One key informant by the name Elder Mpofu who joyously agreed to be identified highlighted: “The gospel of prosperity and projects in Eternal Word is being perceived differently by women as this is shown by the percentage of those who practice it, some would see it as not real and they don’t take it serious, however some perceive it as good and they went on to practice it. Personally I think this gospel preached is hundred percent real and practical unlike other type of doctrines or gospels preached by some churches that are not practical in real world” However few other female respondents were of the view that the gospel of prosperity they receive in Eternal word church is flattering and it’s a gospel of hope which is sometimes not practically real. Corroborating this idea one respondent said: “The gospel of prosperity for me is just a way of flattering people and it just lures people into the church. The gospel for us as women is meaningless because it does not offer us tangible solution to our economic problems, the gospel alone is not complete they should give us maybe loans or other tangible asserts that we can use to get rid of our economic problems. And to be prosperous is God’s plan the gospel alone cannot change someone’s destiny”
Regarding the side effects of the gospel of prosperity, one key informant said: The gospel of prosperity is good and it works to those who have the means to success and for those who do not have means it is useless. Those that do not have means to success they would view it as difficult to implement and those with means would embrace it� Another female respondent argued that the gospel of prosperity they receive in their church (Eternal word church) is just a way of comforting the need and the poor. 4.4 Projects targeting the uplighting of women in Eternal Word Church In two different focus group discussions held with different women of Eternal Word Church show that women are taught to work hard with their own hands, they are taught to do whatever project that can be profitable. They said they are not forced to embark on a project they do not like. In other words they said there is no prescription on what project to embark on. The respondents said they are taught to sell whatever product they find regardless the product is small or big it can lead to success if properly managed. The respond said that there is no church based project initiated by the church, the church only encourages women that prosperity is only possible if they embark on projects .The church does not specify what kind of projects should be undertaken instead it points out several examples of what they call projects for instance selling cobra,tomatoes,poultry among other things but the gospel is not specific regarding what projects should be undertaken One respondent said:
“Our Apostle said we must embark on whatever project we find profitable, he said we can sell small things like cobra, maputi and tomatoes and still become prosperous and it can help us to overcome our day to day monetary problems as women” Supporting the same idea another respondent said: “Chese chinotengeseka chinogona kuita project inounza mari, mu Eternal Word church hatina yatinoti ndiyoyega project inokwanisakuitwa.”(Everything that can be sold can be a project that brings in money, in Eternal Word church we do not have a single prescribed project that can be done) Regarding the issue of projects targeting the uplifting of women, one key informant said: It takes intelligent women to research on project that can be viable and the success of any project depends on how one can manage her project. Corroborating the same idea one respondent said: Projects that can be done by women are so many, stealing and things obtained by means of corruption are the only things that can not constitute project. The project that one chooses should not disturb one’s marital relationship 4.5 Reasons why women are not embarking on projects 4.5.1
Capital
A significant number of respondents pointed out that lack of capital (money to start business or project) is the main cause of women’s failure to put the gospel of prosperity into practice .Most of the respondents articulated that considering the economy of the country, it is difficult for women to get the capital to start the project they would like to embark on. One respondent pointed out:
capital is the only thing that can make a person starts whatever project she wants in life but most women are disadvantaged because a number of women do not work they just do unpaid house hold chores so it is difficult for them to find money to start a project In a focus group discussion held with ten women of Eternal Word, most women had the view that capital is the key to unlock any project desired but most women lack this capital hence they fail to undertake the projects encouraged. 4.5.2 Fear of competition A number of women respondents in a focus group discussion argued that goods are flooded on the market, so they are caught with confusion on what projects to embark on .Furthermore due to flooding of goods on the market those who sell their goods will lower their prices as a result of competition resulting in loses.Therefore the perceived fear of intense competition will inhibit women from desiring to embark on projects. One respondent identified as Shylet said: “We are confused on what project to embark on because everywhere there are multitude of people selling different products, at the end of the day you end up being confused and this discourage us as women from starting any project, because seriously I cannot do a project that gives me little returns that cannot cover the expenses of running the project itself� 4.5.3 Laziness A significant number of respondents pointed out that some of the women are lazy they do not want to work hard. One respondent confirmed:
“Yes I am lazy, working has never been easy, everyone likes to get things easily, and cheap things are dear to almost every one of us” Corroborating the same idea another respondent said: “I don’t want to work because it’s my husband’s duty to fend for his family, so yes I am lazy because I know there is someone who can fend for me and my kids” 4.5.4
Shyness or being shy
A good number of respondents postulated that they are not embarking on projects because they are shy to sell small things, they just want to do bigger projects that brings prestige and status so since they don’t have capital to embark on bigger projects they don’t embark on smaller projects like selling cobra, tomatoes and other small products because they are shy. One respondent said: “Ndinonyara kufamba mumaraini ndichitengesa cobra kana mutsvairo, ndonyara nekuti vanhu vanobva waona sendinotambudzika” (I feel shy to walk around selling cobra or brooms, I feel shy because people would see me as someone poor) In support of the same idea one key informant said: Some projects look so ridiculous such that people will make funny of you especially very small business or projects. This is why some women who have little capital are not yet started, although they might have money to start a small business or project they end up losing hope because they will feel so shy to engage into those small projects like selling tomatoes because these small projects are usually associated with poor people. This can also inhibit some women from starting small projects since in most cases no one wants to be viewed as poor especially those people with high self esteem
4.5.5
Resistance from spouses or husband
A number of women also said that resistance from husbands is also inhibiting them from putting the gospel into practice that is starting projects. The respondents said that even though they want to embark on projects that can supplement their needs, the idea faces resistance from husbands who refuse them to embark on certain projects because of different reasons. One female respondent said emotionally: “I wanted to start my project of selling tomatoes on the market place but my husband threatened to divorce me saying if you start your project then I will no longer be your husband. He went on to say vendors end up being prostitutes because of their love of money, thus because of my husband’s resistance i cannot put the gospel into practice because he does not allow me to work” Corroborating the same idea another respondent said: “I am very eager to do my own things, the gospel we are taught can lead me to success but I cannot put it into practice because my husband refuses me to do any project saying the money he has is enough for the family but as a women I want many things and his money is not enough, it cannot cover everything I want. Look I am looking shabby I don’t have money to get my hair done ,these braids in my head are so old they need to be changed and he is saying I don’t have money yet he doesn’t want me to work any project to supplement my needs” One key informant also postulated that for women to put the gospel of prosperity into practice that is for them to embark on projects they want gospel alone is not enough, there should be a mechanism that encourage men in the church to allow their wives to embark on projects. This is
because in most cases women’s failure to put the gospel of prosperity (doing projects/working) is hindered by their husbands. 4.5.6 Social capital The majority of the respondents in a focus group held with ten women pointed out that lack of social capital is another obstacle that is blocking women from putting the gospel into practice. The respondents postulated that lack of social networks and negotiating skills is blocking them from starting projects because they usually lack information of viable projects to embark on. One respondent identified as Sofia highlighted: “we do not have good social networks that can inform us about good projects to start on, we are domesticated and the majority of us we are house wives we don’t usually move around the world to see what is happening in the world, so we lack exposure, therefore we don’t embark on projects encouraged because we don’t know what project to do that can be viable” 4.5.7 Fear of loss A significant number of respondents argued that fear of loss is also stopping them from starting projects. The gospel of prosperity preached at Eternal word involves embarking on projects but the majority of respondents argued that they have not yet started putting the gospel into practice because they fear loss. One respondent confirmed: “Embarking on projects is a dangerous business adventure because you can lose all your money for nothing, there is no guarantee that if you start a project you can earn profit so it’s sometimes better to keep your money safe by not embarking on projects because it is risking”
4.5.8 Lack of education A number of respondents articulated that education is the key to successful projects. They said that as women they had failed to start projects due to lack of education. They said that as women they had faced various discrimination even in education and other institution and that they did not perform well academically and this had consequently affected everything in their life. They are facing challenges because all projects need calculation of money and logical planning which requires a bit of education. One respondent highlighted: “Education is a key to everything in life as for me I was unfortunate, my parents never sent me to school, I did not have the chance to test my intelligence, therefore I cannot read and write, last year I wanted to start a poultry project but I failed because I could not read the books about how to raise healthy chickens. I dared not to start because I knew I would harvest loses only� Corroborating the same idea one key informant said: Lack of education makes women unable to master their business or projects because if any project is to be successful it needs knowledge ,being able to read and write and making logical plannings.Thus some women in Eternal Word lacks education that why it is difficult for them to start projects. 4.6 Alternatives to projects A significant number of respondents who did not embark on projects said that due to the obstacles they face in trying to implement their projects they had come up with alternative ways to projects. Some women in the church are employees in different companies so they are not doing projects encouraged in church because they have a reliable source of income. The majority
of the respondents said they are not doing projects but they still get enough money to do whatever they want from their husband. One respondent said: “I am a mother of four children I do not do projects but I just manipulate my husband to give me enough money. When he gives me little money then he knows there is no sex, no favours, I just ignore him but whenever he gives me a lot of money i always treat him as king, I please him on the bed,in the kitchen and everywhere” Another respondent also in contrast to the above said: “I am still a young mother I want to go back to school, do my course in Accounting so that I can find a job instead of wasting my time doing projects because I find out that these projects although they are good they cannot make you rich. As for me I want to get a job that has security these projects do not offer security because you can encounter loss then you broke the rest of your life” 4.7
Success of the coping mechanisms
Most of the respondents said that the ways they employ as alternatives to projects are working despite facing challenges. The respondents said their alternatives are working but sometimes the results can be seen after a long period of time. One of the respondent said that she will never dream of doing projects because she is manipulating his husband to provide her with all his needs. Other respondents said that they are employed; they are working in companies so they are not embarking on projects but they are still self-sufficient and prosperous in their own right
However other respondents in contrast to the above said that the alternative ways are not working for them, the coping mechanisms are not successful. One respondent said: “I rely on money I get from my husband ,it is never enough because as a woman I have infinite needs and I don’t get satisfied with money from my husband I also need my own money to do what I want with it ,therefore what the gospel encourages us to do can never be substituted ”
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION 5.1 Relationship between prosperity and projects The discussion from focus groups and interviews shows that in Eternal Word church the issue of projects is at the heart of the gospel of prosperity preached. The study reveals that women in Eternal word church are taught that in order for them to prosper economically they have to embark on projects. This view of projects is similar to that of talents in ZOGA were people are encouraged to work talents, selling different type of goods despite that they are employed(Maxwell 1995).The idea about these projects and talents is to ensure that people will not be paupers even if they get unemployed. The gospel of prosperity in Eternal word church for women is preached to all types of women that is widows, single mothers and even the old aged. However more importantly it is crucial to note that the study has revealed that the way one perceives the gospel may influence ones’ action. In this light people are unlike animals they think before they act this is well articulated in the rational action theory which regard human beings as rational beings they are able to calculate or think before they act. The study shows that most of
those who perceived the gospel as flattering did not embark on projects encouraged by the gospel. Elder Mpofu of Eternal Word Church confirmed this idea saying, most of the women who took the gospel as useless responded by not doing what the gospel said and those who believed it practiced it although they faced challenges. This therefore fits in with Giddens’sociological view that individuals are not passive to the structures instead they can interpret the social phenomenon and choose to act or not. Mbe (2002) found that in Cameroon some of the churches have enormous projects and establishments such as schools, hospitals and banks. Employment opportunities are offered only to members of the church and as such many people have joined in order to be employed. In contrast this study shows that Eternal Word church has no projects initiated by the church itself and it does not prescribe the projects that one should undertake instead it gives primacy to what Giddens called the agency. That is to say it only preaches that women should embark on projects and it leaves the choice to the individual so that she can choose the kind of projects they think are profitable and worth partaking. 5.2 Constrains Most responses obtained from the interviews and the focus group discussions pointed to the view that various social, economic and political forces restrict women from embarking on projects ,they act as constrains that force women not to embark on the projects they are told to do by the gospel of economic prosperity. According to Ritzer (2008) Durkheim one of the classical sociological thinkers talks of material and non-material factors that may be conceived as social facts that constrain behavior or action. In the light of Durkheim all the constrains can fall under the category of social facts.
5.2.1 Economic constrains Information from the focus groups and interviews point to the fact that financial capital is one of the constrains that is hindering women from starting business projects. According to Spinks (2002) majority of the married women in Africa are not employed so it is difficult for them to acquire financial capital to start some small businesses. Thus the gospel of prosperity that encourages women to embark on projects cannot be practiced because of lack of capital. Moreover according to Gaidzanwa (2006) women usually lacks collateral that enables them to get loans from lending institutions this therefore further exacerbate their situation. The research shows that not only financial capital is useful in starting a project, social capital is equally important. Social capital are negotiating skills, as well as the ability to socialize with others which enables one to get information or access to projects that are profitable. Social capital is very crucial because it provides links to projects. However according to the research most of the women in Eternal word lacks this social capital because they lack exposure and they always stay indoors doing household chores .The fact that Pentecostal women still suffers from the gender inequalities that confines them into the household chores goes against the study by Brusco (1993) which argued that what occurs with Pentecostal conversion is a transformation of male as well as female roles in a way that overcomes underlying gender inequalities 5.2.2 Social constrains Fear is another factor that makes women unable to practice the gospel of prosperity and projects. Fear act as a constrain that inhibits women from embarking on projects. Women in Eternal word church suffer from fear of competition and loss these are other factors that restrict women from embarking on a projects. These ideas goes against the view by Gifford (1991) that gospel of
prosperity dissuades adherents from evaluating the present economic order such as competition because responses pointed out to the fact that fear of competition has not been addressed by this gospel of prosperity because a significant number of women are still evaluating the economic order (completion on the market) which is inhibiting them from starting projects. The research reveals that even if capital is there and other constrains are hold constant there is one constrain that can inhibit agency and this is fear. Fear goes against the very doctrine advanced in Pentecostal churches which believe that wealth is a sign of God’s blessing and the poor are poor because of a lack of faith (Bradely 2009).Lack of faith is synonymous to fear as according to Bradely (2009).Thus fear is a very strong constrain that can affect women’s ability to start projects. 5.2.3 Personal constrains The research also point to the fact that despite structural constrains, individual problems are also important constrains that are inhibiting women from starting project. These personal problems include being shy and being lazy. A significant number of women had argued that they are timid or they are shy especially when it comes to selling small goods like cobra, tomatoes of which they are usually the only projects that requires little capital that women can afford. Women are not embarking on projects especially small ones because they don’t want to be perceived as poor or vendors usually because small projects are associated with poor people. Thus women need to maintain higher status by not embarking on projects especially small ones .This is in contrast to Hallim (2003) view that women join Pentecostal movement in an effort to improve their lives and status in society because the doctrine of prosperity and projects advanced in Pentecostal churches such as Eternal Word is facing resistance because women perceive these projects as things that can lower their status .These personal problems also act as obstacles to the successful
manifestation of agency. According to LenkaBula (2002) women constitute the majority of poor people in Sub-Saharan Africa but they (women) do not like to be perceived as poor. Another personal problem that has been highlighted in the findings is being lazy. The findings point to the idea that the fact that men are perceived as bread winners women are now suffering from dependence syndrome, they are now over dependent on men. Women no longer want to work because they are socialized that men are the bread winners and it leads them to believe that if their husband prospers then they are also prosperous .In other sense women develops learned helplessness which is now inhibiting them from embarking on projects because they are made to believe that they are house wives and not bread winners thus they take the gospel of prosperity as not meaningful to women but to men who are bread winners. 5.2.4 Domestic politics The research has also shown that men still hold power over their wives in the family. Men have considerable influence over women’s decision making. This is clearly shown by the fact that most of the women in interviews and focus group revealed that their husbands are denying them to embark on projects. According to LenkaBula (2006) women are usually the target of the gospel of prosperity because of patriarchal oppression they face, In contrast to Clifton ( 2010) who argued that Pentecostal churches from their inception are concerned with the liberation of women , responses point to the fact that the Eternal word church has not done much to address patriarchy and women oppression because a lot of respondents articulated that they are still under strict control of their husbands they are unable to do anything without the husband’s consent thus most of the respondents are not able to embark on projects because of their husband’s refusal to give them permission to start a project. Men usually get this power to
control their wives from the fact that they are the ones who have the resource power, if the wife disobeys by embarking on project then the husband will withdraw his support. More importantly is the fact that since most of the women in Eternal word do not work the only source of capital is the husband, thus if the husband does not want his wife to do projects he uses his resource power; he doesn’t give his wife the capital to start the business and if the wife gets the capital from somewhere else the husband can still use his patriarchal powers to deny the wife to start a project ,this therefore points to the view of Giddens 1992 that structure can constrain action ,in this light patriarch is found in the social structures like family and it is constraining women from acting freely. However the discussions from the interviews and focus groups reveals that women in the Eternal Word church possess what Giddens called agency even though they are constrained by the structure that same structure compelled them to come up with alternatives. The study also showed that women are rational beings they can make use of the cost benefit analysis in order to act. For instance those respondents who said that fear of loss stops them from embarking on projects made use of the cost benefit analysis whereby they chose not to encounter loss through doing projects thus they chose alternatives to projects. The discussions from interviews also reveals that women can use their bottom power or their sexual body to manipulate men and to emancipate themselves for instance one respondent said that she manipulates her husband to give her enough money by denying him conjugal rights whenever he gives her little money and she said that she pleases her husband more when the husband gives her enough money to provide for her needs. This shows that women genitals are source of power that can be utilized by women. More importantly the research has also shown
that women are creative beings that are not always passive and conforming to the social forces like the gospel advanced by the church , in other words women are masters of their destiny.
5.3 Conclusion In conclusion despite efforts by the church and other affirmative action groups to empower women, the social, political and economic forces are still affecting women a lot. Thus if the gospel of prosperity and projects is to be practiced the Pentecostal churches have to deal with the socio-economic and political disadvantages that women face head on instead of trying to address the issues indirectly through encouraging projects. Mainstream feminism has asserted that women’s empowerment requires a radical readjustment of society if women’s empowerment is to be achieved ,this idea is appropriate for women’s emancipation (Friedman (2008) .Radical efforts to address all structural and institutional gender inequalities have to be undertaken first in order to pave way for the fruition of the gospel. Moreover women should also be allowed to be masters of their destinies they should be left to choose the way in which they want to emancipate themselves not to be forced or subjected to emancipatory plans they did not contribute.