COCIN pastors in Rankyeng-Gyel commit to supporting the Gender Champions programme in their churches following our SGBV workshop for church leaders.

Ninety-two pastors, their wives, female leaders and church secretaries from 18 churches attended the workshop at our Jos headquarters in early August.

They heard an overview of social righteousness and experienced a taster of our three day Gender Champions training programme.

In small groups the leaders mapped what is happening in their local communities; the root causes of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), the consequences and how different genders are treated.

Then they explored the character and behaviours of the perfect human being as modelled by Jesus in the gospels; looking at how he dealt with issues of sex and power and asking what is relevant for today in Nigeria.

This SGBV workshop is designed to help faith leaders respond effectively to the causes of sexual exploitation and abuse of children, women and men – things like poverty, forced marriages, multiple sexual partners and declining cultural values.

Subsequently, Grace & Light is being invited to establish the Gender Champions training for these congregations and we are now fundraising to enable us to do so.

We will train up to ten women and ten men per congregation who will then deliver Grace & Light’s Transforming Masculinities programme over six weeks for small, same sex groups of people in their churches.

Prayer Requests

Please pray for:

• Church leaders as they explain the Gender Champions programme to their congregations and invite people to participate in the training
• Funds to allow us to deliver the training in all churches that wish to participate.