The AD2000 Women’s Track
Dreaming and making plans for the year 2000
Christian women in Abidjan, Ivory Coast have caught the vision to reach unreached peoples. Violet Mtegha, the regional representative for the AD2000 Women's Track, tells of one woman who selected the Tuareg people, thinking that "all" she would have to do is pray. Then she discovered a group of Tuaregs living in Abidja, and realized that God had even more for her to do.
The AD2000 Women's Track is a resource network of women leaders committed to mobilize and help women use their gifts to further the goals of "A Church for every people and the Gospel for every person by the year 2000." The Women's Track seeks to catalyze existing networks, bringing denominational and para-church women leaders together, to enhance their prayer groups and to find ways to help women use their gifts in reaching those without Christ.
Fifteen regional representatives gathered in Colorado Springs in October to evaluate the progress of the Track and to dream and strategize about what women can do to hasten world evangelism by the year 2000. Since these leaders first met two and half years ago, they have been actively spreading the AD2000 vision. They have held eight regional consultations and distributed a quarterly newsletter to women in more than 120 countries.
"Our women knew there was something more," reiterated Evelyn Christenson, Co-chairperson of the North American Women's Track and author of the best-selling book What Happens When Women Pray? That "something more" is a new vision and urgency to see Christ's love communicated among every people group on earth.
The women who attended the consultation represent a broad spectrum of gifted leadership roles. Judy Mbugua of Kenya, who is also the chairperson of the Women's Track, is the international coordinator of the Pan African Christian Women's Association (ACWA), a branch of the Association of Evangelicals in Africa and Madagascar. Since 1989
African women have formed chapters in almost 30 countries. AD2000 has become the evangelism/prayer arm of this interdenominational ministry, which also deals with social and economic issues women face in Africa.
Dr. Inonge Lewanika, member of the Zambian parliament, heads the opposition party in her country. She returned from the consultation to intensive campaigning. If her party wins, she would become the first woman president of an African nation. "But," says Dr. Lewanika, "my heart is first and foremost that of an evangelist and I'm determined to use my political role to open doors for the gospel."
The Study Guide for Evangelism Praying, written for the AD2000 Women's Track by Evelyn Christenson, has been distributed in 84 countries and translated into eight languages. Juliet Thomas, leader of Women's Ministries of Operation Mobilization in India has organized women in 30 cities into triplet prayer groups, using the "Study Guide."
Women's gifts under-used
The October consultation focused on the goals for the year 2000. The international representatives grappled with the question, "How will women have impacted the world for Christ by the end of the century?" They recognized that a major obstacle is the status of women in so much of the world. Because their gifts are often not recognized, many women feel God has no use for them in ministry, or that they have nothing to offer. There is an almost universal longing on the part of key women leaders to be accepted and encouraged by the male leadership of the Church. They desire to be complementary co-laborers in order to hasten the fulfillment of the Great Commission.
The leaders also discussed the need for practical, usable research findings so that women at the grassroots level can pinpoint unreached peoples. Some are already finding that skills training or literacy programs are keys to open the doors for evangelism.
Clearly, there is a need for a renewed mission involvement by women -- returning to the active missions participation of Western women in the 19th century, but now on a worldwide scale.
Dreams for AD2000
The women returned to their countries with these dreams burning in their hearts:
- Hundreds of thousands of women around the world praying for the lost and unreached.
- Key women leaders networking together to encourage each other, share resources and models of ministry and cooperating across denominational and para-church organizations.
- Penetrating at least three unreached people groups in each country with the gospel. (If that goal is reached, women's networks would see a church planting initiative in at least 10% of all identified unreached peoples by the year 2000.)
- Multiplying the effectiveness of these goals by bringing men and women together as co-laborers in the harvest.
With this challenging task ahead, the leaders of the AD2000 Women's Track believe God is going to turn their dreams into reality as they faithfully obey Him.
Lorry Lutz is the International Coordinator for the AD2000 Women's Track. You may contact her at:
The AD2000 Women's Track
2860 South Circle Drive, Suite 2139
Colorado Springs CO 80906
USA
or call 719-540-0933
An Open Letter from Luis Bush
(In a letter to the AD2000 Movement, the leaders of the Women's Track expressed their commitment to being full and active partners in the AD2000 Movement and mobilizing as many women as possible for active and vital participation in all areas of the movement.
Luis Bush, the International Director of the AD2000 and Beyond Movement responded with a letter that encouraged their involvement and explained a little more about the nature of this movement which is unique in its structure and organization. We provide excerpts of this letter here so that both men and women can get a better understanding of what the AD2000 Movement is and how it operates. --Rick Wood)
Dear Sisters in Christ:
Thank you for your report and recommendation from the AD2000 Women's Track International Consultation October 4-8, 1993 which I received from Lorry Lutz. As I read through the results of the discussions and dreams for the year 2000 I became excited with the tremendous vitality and potential. I sensed among the leaders of this track with regard to the present world picture and the future. I was greatly blessed and challenged by the fellowship and common heart Doris and I experienced among you at your October meeting. I sensed a strong pursuit of the Lord and desire for His will to be accomplished through women around the world. I share that same heart and desire with you.
In relation to your request, I would make the following reflections from my mind and heart.
- A sense of joy in the statement of the first paragraph of your recommendation that you all have sensed the support and encouragement of the AD2000 Movement. This indeed has been the great desire from the very beginning of this initiative; that God's women would experience great support, increasing participation and encouragement.
- It was interesting to me that the document was a recommendation to the AD2000 Movement rather than to any individual. It raises the question in my mind; "What is the AD2000 and Beyond Movement?" I'm not sure if anyone fully understands what it is yet. It was interesting that as people try and define what exactly it is there were several common expressions noted on page two of the handbook such as those made by people in December 1991.
Dr. Bong Rin Ro, General Secretary of the World Evangelical Fellowship Theological Commission, emphasized that AD2000 is a "grass-roots" networking structure." Dr. Bill Taylor, General Secretary of the WEF Missions Commission, calls it a grass-roots movement, a network of networks, a fusion of visions." Dr. Peter Wagner, professor at Fuller Seminary School of World Missions notes, "We are all controlled from the bottom up rather than from the top down." Phill Butler of Interdev observes that the AD2000 Movement has a "...focus on catalyzing, mobilizing, and multiplying resources through networks."
What is common in the minds of many who have reflected on this question is that it is grass-roots and controlled from the bottom up, as led by the Holy Spirit. What this means is that in some sense "AD2000 is out of the control of a hierarchical structure's decision making process." This, by the way, is not only factual, but intentional. There is a sense in which AD2000 is something which the Holy Spirit has raised up and is doing around the world. In fact, I recall when the women executives from the Lausanne Movement, from WEF and AD2000 met to discuss cooperation, the AD2000 Movement was described as a "fast moving train." In a real sense, those who wish to be a part of the movement jump onto a train in motion. When they get on board they discover it has its own unique set of peculiarities that those coming on board must recognize and accept.
With this in mind, many things are happening within the Movement that neither the various boards or Director have any control over. As you can imagine, while on the one hand this has its strengths, yet, at the same time it also has its weaknesses, as seen from the human-process point of view. One of those weaknesses is in trying to legislate the kind of desires you have expressed for greater involvement of women in the movement.
Having made these observations, let me add the following thoughts:
- As International Director, I agree in concept and principle to your desire greater participation of women. Consequently, I would like to be a partner with you in encouraging AD2000 committees to have "more active participation of women on all levels." Thus, I plan to seek the support from the International Board, the U.S. Board, Resource Network leaders, Task Force leaders and regional coordinators of the AD2000 movement to encourage AD2000 committees on all levels to invite more women to be a part of the process in these committees.
- Base actual appointments on qualifications, availability, and commitment to the AD2000 Movement vision and process demands.
- Seek candidate recommendations from a number of different sources, including the executive Committee of the women's resource network.
Discussions are currently underway to appoint godly qualified women for the position of Honorary chairperson of the AD2000 and Beyond Movement as well as for the International Board and the U.S. Board.
I am sending this letter, along with your recommendation, to the primary leaders of the AD2000 & Beyond Movement. In addition, I am bringing this matter up at the upcoming planning meetings in December.
May the Lord mightily bless you sisters as you mobilize God's women around the world.
Sincerely In Christ,
Luis Bush
International Director