by Jennifer Hockenbery
Bishop Vushebwashe Mhaka is one of three bishops in Zimbabwe who attended the International Congress for Luther Studies in Aarhus, Denmark, in August 2026.
It was my great privilege to sit with Bishop Mhaka at dinner one night after noticing that his shirt proudly proclaimed the message, “When Women Thrive, Communities Flourish.” He wondered if we might meet to talk about ways to support women in Zimbabwe and in the United States.
What a spiritual gift it was to meet with him via Zoom later in August. Bishop Mhaka spoke with clarity about the call of the church to address the physical, mental, emotional, and sexual abuse of women and girls. He spoke of girls isolated in rural communities who felt that they did not have any choice but to accept early marriage proposals from men who insisted that God wanted them to be their wives. He spoke of girls and women who were abused by their husbands who did not have the support of nearby churches who would be able to hold them and tell them that they were valuable and that what they were experiencing was not right. He spoke of how economic disparity allowed wealthy men to flash dollars in order to compel girls and women to dance before them and to compel others into prostitution. He explained, “When people are not empowered economically, they are prone to abuse.”
Every issue that he mentioned I know to be a real issue for women in the United States. We are bombarded with social media that is advocating for trad wife roles and acceptance of male dominance in the family as Christian teaching. Every one of us, if we have not been physically abused ourselves, knows a woman who has been physically or sexually abused, and many others who have suffered from emotional, mental, and financial abuse. The statistics in the United States for domestic abuse are staggering. While one of our chief initiatives for many years in Women of the ELCA has been seeking to end human trafficking, we know it continues. Moreover, we see the billboards for strip clubs, the advertisements for online porn sites, and signs in every public bathroom about ways to escape human trafficking. All around us, we see evidence of women’s disempowerment, objectification, and dehumanization.
I was moved by the words of Bishop Mhaka’s advice on what needs to be done. In his diocese, they offer Contextual Bible Studies telling stories that often don’t make it into the lectionary but have special importance for women—like the story of Tamar. He spoke about the importance of people hearing the story of this rape and tying it to their own experiences and contexts in order to be able to see what is abusive, what is not right.
“Everything starts with learning that you must respect the other person,” said Bishop Mhaka. This includes not only advocating for laws that do not disempower girls and women, but also advocating for education that empowers both girls and boys. “Empower them both, first in their minds, and then in their pockets,” said Bishop Mhaka. He explained how we must teach boys that abuse is immoral and unchristian. “We must empower boys to walk with girls in the new world to come.” Bishop Mhaka spoke about the need for both the abused and the abuser to learn to see all human beings as human and the need to provide tools to use when abuse shows its face. Bishop Mhaka also spoke about the need for economic opportunities, explaining that in Zimbabwe nearly 80% of business is informal in structure.
“So what resources and programs do you offer?” asked Bishop Mhaka. Hearing his trust that faith in a God who makes us worthy is the key, I talked about the Gather Bible Studies that help women know that God does not want them to be used, abused, or treated without equality. I talked about the resources we have on healthy relationships from Cherish All Children and Adults Saving Kids guides, and prayer books about parenting kids. I mentioned that since the beginning, our predecessor bodies of Lutheran women have raised money for scholarships for women to attend higher education and provided grants to help ease economic disparity. I spoke about our efforts to raise awareness of human trafficking. Mostly, I talked about how we encourage women to meet together and see each other as children of God.
When our Zoom meeting was finished, I realized that Bishop Mhaka had given a blueprint for Women of the ELCA to support girls and women in a world that did not honor their full humanity and their role as children of God. He urged Bible Study, prayer, conversation, and meetings– which we do. But he also advocated working seriously with men and advocating for laws and public policy to make real cultural and legal changes that empower women. He explained, “Our boys need positive models of masculinity that teach dignity and reject violence and domination. Such formation should involve families, schools, churches and communities.”
I am grateful for the ideas that Bishop Mhaka shared and his clear gospel witness to the importance of helping women thrive. What shall WELCA do with his ideas?
Dr. Jennifer Hockenbery is the executive director for Women of the ELCA and editor of the Journal of Lutheran Ethics.