3. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF CHRISTIANITY AND THE IMPACT OF THE REVIVAL MOVEMENT IN THE NORTH WESTERN DIOCESE OF THE
5.2. Some Strengths within the Revival Movement
5.2.3. Insistence of Equality
The Revival brought about a greater equality and stability in marriages. Niwagila who accounts for the development of the Revival points to the opportunity for women within the Movement to be regarded as equal with men (1988:260). The researcher has observed that the equality within the fellowship groups is also visible among married couples in the Revival.
The researcher remembers one of his informants who gave testimony that since he was saved thirty eight years ago, he has not beaten his wife even once because he regards her as equal because Jesus Christ is their Saviour.
The Abalokole call each other Brother and Sister instead of husband and wife to show a new relationship and real equality. Even new words had to be used in order to break with the inequality connected with the concept of husband and wife.
One of the respondents told the researcher that when she had a serious disagreement with her husband, they took their Bibles, went out into the ekibanja (farm), talked and read the Bible and talked again far from people and far from children, until they had settled the matter (Interview with Bertha Nyabuhoro, Kongo, 27/5/2002). Barbro Johansson in 1949 noticed the changes brought about by the Revival Movement in the Church of Buhaya:
Where the Revival has been, the men begin, happily and voluntarily, to assist in the daily work. They are eager to go together with their wives to gatherings and tea parties; they want to know their views and they ask for their participation in deliberations, testimonies and prayer fellowship...(Johansson; 1949:337)
This new opportunity can only be fully appreciated when it is seen against the background of the traditional upbringing of girls, who should be reserved and not speak in a loud voice in the presence of men.
The great strength of the Revival Movement, according to John Taylor, is its insistence on spiritual partnership (1958:187). Through the equality among the Abalokole the researcher has observed that a husband can allow his wife to tell her own story without interrupting her.
According to the Bahaya customs possibilities for the women to speak in public were very rare. Women were traditionally conditioned not to speak in a loud voice in the presence of men. The Revival very definitely broke with this pattern. Through the years of Revival women have preached. Some of the outstanding preachers like Pastor Lwegayula, Pastor Kahigi have wives (Yustina Lwegayula and Naomi Kahigi) who are allowed to be preachers and not only to remain unseen creatures behind the male preachers. Women are also participating in the Church public functions such as reading lessons during Sunday services, delivering announcements for the congregation, sitting on the Church committees and so forth. In this group many who have discovered Christ are supporters of the Church and not only give their service but also support the Church financially. Through the Revival Movement in Bukoba, women have new qualities of confidence and self assurance, fluency in speaking and are given a greater responsibility in holding different positions in the church.
The affinity of members to their fellowship is usually stronger than that to the church to which they belong. And the stronger and more popular the leadership of the fellowship is, the more committed are its members. Good examples are the fellowships of Bukoba Cathedral and Ibura Parish. Most fellowships endeavour to cater for the non spiritual needs of their members. Members of the fellowship visit their sick colleagues in hospitals and homes, pray for them and provide them with material support such as food, clothing and money. Should one be bereaved, revivalists offer services of consolation. The same cooperation is extended when a member of a fellowship marries or has a child. It is becoming normal for young
people preparing for marriage to expect considerable financial, material and non material help from their fellowships.
There are many examples of the Abalokole assisting in making arrangements for wedding contributions to bride wealth and ceremony expenses if required. Sundkler says that the Abalokole formed a new quasi-kinship group, a new Clan, the Revival clan...(1980:122).
Birgitta Larsson cites Josiah Kibira who conducted the first wedding in the new Clan:
Since 1947 I belonged to the Abalokole. As it was difficult for me and for many of the brethren to find suitable saved girls. I had to postpone the time of my wedding. I was 25 years old when I found a girl. She was 19 years old and also saved. Her parents were pious people. My parents and sisters and my brothers are also pious people.
My mother, one brother and one sister belong to the Revival. One of my spiritual brothers volunteered to be my arbitrator. I had myself obtained the consent of my wife. She had got permission from her father to marry a young man whom she would choose. According to Customary law I had no right to marry this woman as she was of a royal family and I come from a quite simple fishermen's family.
But as we are Christians we have broken against the custom and we have found each other. There are some relatives of my wife who do not greet me, as I without right have married one of their relatives. We had to bring bride wealth, as my parents in law so wished, that is to say a cow. We refused to bring beer, as we Christians do not drink beer. The wedding was quite simple. Early in the morning we were married in the midst of a joyful congregation.
Then we went to my home area, 25 km away and celebrated again in the school where I was a teacher. At the feast we made personal testimonies. My wife witnessed about how Jesus had saved her.
She did not cry or look unhappy. I told them also what the Lord has done to me. That was the end. No old ritual ceremonies took place, but the people returned to their homes. All this was new and one talked about this wedding as one among the first where nothing of the old tradition had been brought in the Christian marriage (Larsson 1991:152).
Today the Abalokole are not be very different from other Christians regarding marriage practices.
The question may be asked whether the Revival brings about important changes in the lives of married couples within the Revival or whether there are problems hidden behind a pious facade ? It is the opinion of the researcher that the Abalokole are supposed to have no marital
problems, but if they have, then the Lord helps them to forgive one another. Larsson cites Felicita who draws the ideal picture:
When Jesus saves people, men and women, in the same home, there is no quarrelling, there are no problems, no grumbling, no woman to pack her things to go home. If there are many problems, they call each other, just there, they finish themselves.
" Brother forgive me," " Sister forgive me." Then they continue year after year without quarrel (Larsson; 1991:153).
This picture shows the relationship and the real equality. Larsson agrees with the District Commissioner of Bukoba District who stated that equality taught by Christianity made a woman a human entity instead of a chattel of her husband, and thus the churches had played a role in the emancipation of the younger Haya women (1991:210). Today in the North Western Diocese women have the same opportunity as men to talk and to be listened to in the fellowship groups.