Forced Labor, Women in Leadership Roles & Ukrainians Marked Six Month

Tomoya Obokata, the U.N.’s special rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, reported it is “reasonable to conclude” forced labor by Uyghurs, Kazakh and other ethnic minorities has taken place in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and some of the coercion “may amount to enslavement as a crime against humanity.”

The Trump administration announced its decision that China is guilty of genocide against the Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang on its last full day in January 2021, and the Biden administration affirmed that determination weeks later. In June 2021, messengers to the SBC’s annual meeting in Nashville passed a resolution that made the convention the first Christian denomination to denounce China’s campaign against the Uyghurs as genocide.

News reports have indicated the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has carried out a campaign primarily against the Uyghurs, predominantly Muslims in western China, that has included not only forced labor but widespread detention in “re-education” camps and a coercive population control program of abortion and sterilization.
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A Lifeway Research study asked U.S. Protestant pastors about six potential leadership roles and if women are permitted to hold them in their congregations. While a slight majority say the position of senior pastor is open to women, a broader consensus exists for other positions.

Close to 9 in 10 pastors say women could be ministers to children (94 percent), committee leaders (92 percent), ministers to teenagers (89 percent) or coed adult Bible study teachers (85 percent) in their churches. Of those surveryed, 64% say a woman could be a deacon (64 percent) and 55% said a woman could be a senior pastor (55 percent).

Due to specific convictions about biblical interpretation, different Protestant denominations have varying levels of openness to women serving in certain leadership positions. In general, pastors at mainline congregations say their churches have fewer restrictions on the roles in which a woman can serve compared to evangelical churches

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Ukrainians marked the sixth month of the Russian invasion into the country as they celebrated a scaled-down national independence day on August 24.

IMB President Paul Chitwood encouraged Ukrainians on the special day and on called on other to act to bring gospel hope to the country. Chitwood said more than $12 million in aid has been given to Ukrainian efforts through Send Relief.

“While Ukrainians continue to fight for their country, and simultaneously celebrate their independence from USSR, declared in 1991, Southern Baptists continue to seek opportunities to provide both current help and the gospel of eternal hope through Send Relief and ongoing partnerships fostered and maintained by IMB missionaries who are present in the region. Their generous gifts to meet physical needs and sharing the gospel have exceeded $12 million since the beginning of the war and continue to this day.” – Paul Chitwood