Women in Worship

Prayers influence everyday life in the Moluccas. These cultural and religious expressions are embedded in many social activities that are rooted in the core of Moluccan society, among Muslims and Christians, today. In the following series of three photo essays, different church services* are shown as part of daily village life. This second photo essay is about an ibadah wanita.
 
Photo essay ― This church service is only intended for women. Every Wednesday an ibadah wanita is being held in each specific area (unit-sector) in the village. ibadah wanita means “women who worship God”. In such a church service, the readings from the bible are adapted to female needs. For instance, there are sermons and discussions about how to be a good mother, how women can develop themselves to a better economic level or other related topics that are derived from the bible. In this particular photo essay I follow my cousin, she attends a church service in the new home of an old member of their unit-sector who recently moved to another area in the village. Therefore, her house is still under construction. [August 2014]
 
Other photo essays in this serie about daily protestant church life in the Moluccas:
Photo essay: Spiritual Devotion
Photo essay: Empowering Youth
 

*The structure of services within the Moluccan Protestant Church (Gereja Protestant Maluku, GPM) consists of daily church services. These different smaller services always take place in someone’s home. Its structure is often common to other Christian denominations in the Moluccas.
 
Side note: The service in this photo essay is from the Baitrafa protestant community in the village of Suli, Ambon Island / Unit-sector is a term used to an area in the village that is divided by the local Protestant church. It is seen as a division in the congregation.