Zambia (2) (contd)

The church leadership was predominantly, if not entirely, made up of white expats - all male of course! There was one white missionary lady (a Scot) who had no part in the leadership, and was not allowed to preach in the presence of men. (She was actually in charge of the Sunday School). To her credit, she 'got around' the system by teaching a group of African young men in her own home - which somehow did not count as part of 'the church'. When I gave a talk to the Sunday School, in the church building, she took no public part although I would not have objected. It so happened that my home church in the UK had been struggling with the place of women in the church, and had already concluded that there was no reason why they ought not to be allowed to pray publicly in the presence of men. My Zambian experience only reinforced that position as far as I was concerned. [A few years later that UK church allowed women even more freedom in the mixed public meetings].