International (MNN)–Women outnumber men by a large percentage in the persecuted church. Jane Huckaby is director for ‘Women of the Way’, a ministry of Open Doors USA. “In countries such as Sudan, Indonesia, China, Pakistan, and Egypt, women are belittled, they are abused, they are sometimes treated like property.” That sentiment sets the stage for the ministry of ‘Women of the Way’.
Huckaby explains their group helps women see they are not without hope. She adds the womens’ stories are poignant because they reveal the depth of struggle. “If you are a Christian, and you are a woman, you are the lowest of the low. So, these women do not know that they are vital to their communities, they do not recognize that they are vital to the church and what ‘Women of the Way’ wants to do is to reach out to them, and strengthen them, and let them know how valued they are by Jesus Christ.”
Huckaby says through their work, they encourage women to rise above difficult circumstances..’teaching them about who they are in Christ, how He valued them and chose women to sit at His feet and learn demonstrates that they have a significant role in the church and in their relationship with God.”
Women of the Way chapters work to provide Bibles and Bible studies, educate families and supply them with resources to overcome oppressive cultural influences, counsel and support new believers to endure and educate and teach vocational skills to women so they may provide for themselves and their families.
