The traumatic experience that causes women wearing black garments to be excluded from the body of Christ : a challenge to pastoral care

Abstract

My focus on this research is based on the Black African widows who find difficulties, in action and rejection from the Church after the death of their partners. I am aware that the subject had been dealt with in the past by the late Rev T.B.S.Mnisi and expresses her point of departure from the woman perspective. I’m coming from the background where these practices have affected me and challenged my ministry As an African minister experiences had clouded our behavior and judgment especially to issues that are violent, abusive and harmful to women. I’m fully aware that being a product of patriarchal structure raises eyebrows, but it will help others to take care of widows in such a way that they are included in the community. The way the widows are treated from the church, raises questions that challenges the Pastoral care. The challenges lie on whether the cloth causes people to be stigmatized and isolated. Therefore the findings of the research will enable the church and Pastoral caregivers to undo the wrongs that were done in the past and continue in the present. The author will use Sesotho influence to help in the method of doing Pastoral care in the Swazi context. Copyright