Ward Chapel AME Church Memphis, Tennessee

Sunday, May 20, 2018

 

From the President’s Desk

What do you think of when you are presented with the idea of invisible oppression?  For the most part, invisible oppression occurs when these low profiled factors are used to belittle minorities:  mental illness, religious preferences, and structural and institutional oppression.  Gender, namely women, is highly targeted as pointed out by Amanda Johnson, the 13th Episcopal PME Director in one of our lessons for 2018.

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As a society, we must combat invisible oppression at every level and in every community through education and in traditional institutions including the church.  Women’s Missionary Societies throughout the United States and abroad use a Mission Education Curriculum intended to address all the above-named oppressions with lessons designed to empower us to understand what it is and how we should work to eliminate these oppressions as much as possible before they start.

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Amanda Johnson further points out in her lesson examples from the bible.  One from Luke told her only one thing is needed, and that Mary had chosen what was better for her and it would not be taken away.  Then in John 4:24-25 she recounts the story of a Samaritan woman who was an outcast, but after hearing Jesus speak, knew that He was the Savior of the world.

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Subordinates feel powerless and hopeless.  We then must do our best to remember the one thing that is better, and not feel as an outcast.  We need to always keep in mind from where our power and hope come.  It is from the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ.

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Joyce V. McClinton, President

Sarah Garrett Women’s Missionary Society