5 minute read
POWER POINTS: GOD AT WORK THROUGH WOMEN LEADERS YESTERDAY AND TODAY
by Leecy Barnett
Kim Kerr
Kim Kerr was no stranger to hurt and trauma growing up. Although her life began with turmoil at home, she has witnessed the goodness of God transforming all that the enemy meant for evil and using it for good. At the age of three, she became a pawn in the divorce contest between her parents. For three years, Kim and her older sister, having been kidnapped by their father, were kept away from her mother and told she didn’t care about them. Through prayer and perseverance, her mother found and secured her two daughters. It would be many years later before helping children recover from childhood trauma became a widespread practice. Yet Kim is convinced that God doesn’t waste anything. She remembers moments of deep longing for a loving family, for belonging, and even an earnest desire to know and experience God’s love.
The women who have been hurt the most seem to have the greatest capacities to help and serve others by bringing the gospel with words and actions.”
Her longing for love created a deep hunger for the things of God, although she was unaware of just how to know Him. She and her sister Kitty were drawn to Christ in the 70’s through the Jesus Movement that swept across the USA. They both married and started their families quite young. Kim was only 17 when she married, and 19 when she had the first of her four children. It was then that her sister, Kitty, invited Kim to a Bible study; she fell deeply in love with Christ that very night. Kim says, “I fell in love with Someone who loved me first and loves me most!” As it says in 1 John 4:19 NASB, We love, because He first loved us.
Shortly after she became a Christ follower, Kim began to sense a Holy Spirit whisper saying, “I want you to work with women.” Kim served in a variety of ways, but she was passionate about studying and, later, teaching God’s Word. She began leading a Bible study for other women who had challenging circumstances in their past or present. This led her to volunteer at the Crisis Pregnancy Center at her church, where she eventually became Executive Director.
An invitation to visit India in the year 2000 turned Kim’s life upside down. She realized that women in India and around the world are harmed, oppressed, and abused simply because they are female. While at the same time, she recognized women are highly capable and intuitively aware of the needs of those around them.
The next year, Kim joined the staff of a mission that works with indigenous missionaries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, serving with them for five years. She served with a similar mission for eight more years before starting Women in The Window International in 2013.
The Window in the ministry’s name is the 10/40 Window, which “is a geographical region located 10 degrees to 40 degrees latitude north of the equator, spanning from the west coast of Africa to the east coast of Asia. Within this window we find... more than two-thirds of the world’s population... 90% of the world’s least-reached peoples... and 85% of the poorest of the poor live here—those who live on less than $1.90 per day.” 1
Women in the Window’s goal is to partner with women ministry leaders from the countries in the 10/40 window. They aim to equip and empower these amazing women to spread the gospel in their own context and culture. They know the language and understand the needs and dynamics far better than any western missionary ever could.
When reflecting on what she has learned personally from the women world leaders she serves with, Kim observed, “Nothing in my life is wasted. Women make the most of each and every opportunity to make a difference in the lives of those around them in these hard places. They are resilient, intelligent, hardworking and retain their sense of humor through it all. At the same time, I have seen into the deep places of their souls and see how my story is reflected in theirs. It’s as if pain and hardship find meaning and purpose in the deep places of soul connection.”
In the past ten years, Women in The Window has trained more than 15,000 women leaders in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Kim‘s life and ministry have been a shining example of how God comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us (2 Corinthians 1:4 NLT).
To learn more about Women in The Window, visit https://womeninthewindow-intl.org/
1 Women In The Window International. (n.d.). 10/40 Window. https://womeninthewindow-intl.org/1040-window/
