The statement was drafted by WEF's Commission on Women's Concerns and endorsed wholeheartedly by WEF's Theological and Religious Liberty Commissions. It was passed unanimously when it went before WEF delegates during their quadrennial gathering. Henceforth, we'll make a difference. And it should be a radical difference. The statement comes on the back of a new report published by the women's commission, which has revealed that incidents of violence against women are nearly as bad in church circles as in wider society.
Churches provide few resources for victims of abuse.
Moreover, believers are discouraged from using available community services. The potential of emotional and spiritual healing is sacrificed to silence. James Stamoolis, executive director of the theological commission, added that the Bible was sometimes used to justify violence against women. This problem was identified at the last WEF General Assembly in 1997, resulting in the setting up of a 19-member task force on violence against women, to consider how the evangelical Church worldwide deals with this issue. In the process of carrying out their research, the women involved began to recount their own experiences of abuse.