Widows :potential Christian educators in the educational

Abstract

This Study is a report of an attempt to find out the Nairobi Baptist Church's understanding of the role of widows in her educational ministries, especially how they are nurtured and deployed. This purpose was achieved through a detailed review of related literature focusing on both Biblical and African perspectives and also the role of the church and Christian educational ministries. Data was collected through the use of a self-administered questionnaire which had both open-ended and closed-ended questions. It was administered to twenty-nine leaders of the NBC who included Pastors, Elders, Board directors, and ministry leaders. An interview guide was also used. It was administered to twenty-three widows of the NBC. The researcher identified widows with the help of the Church office, pastors, women's ministry leader and the social worker. Collected data was analyzed and interpreted. Findings revealed that widows had a role in the educational ministries of the church. However, there was a need for an appraisal of the widows in order to find out how they could impact the church. Findings further revealed that widows received care and nurture through the Special Singles fellowship, Care groups and Area Pastoral Units. Effective ministry to the widows could be strengthened if NBC could employ a pastor for adults. Widowhood had a strong impact on widows and affected how they viewed themselves as women. Most testified to feeling isolated and lonely. This could change if the church was sensitized on their needs, hopes, and aspirations.