Emotional Healing Delivered to Women in Middle East
By JUDY ERICKSON ~ Good News, Etc., March 2009 · Vol. 25, No. 6

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The average American Christian woman might have been terrified and repulsed — and refuse to go back — but Marilyn Williams, the women¹s pastor at Emmanuel Faith Community Church wants to return to minister to women of the underground churches of Muslim nations.

The harassment that Williams and her oppressed sisters in Christ in the Middle East endured during the recent conference where she spoke wasn¹t so foreign to Williams. Growing up, she also was treated like a sex object. For Williams it was at the hands of an abusive and controlling father.

The formerly Muslim women to whom she ministered were able to identify with Williams' testimony. One of them was healed of multiple personality disorder, as Williams was. Another woman¹s husband sold her to pay his debts to his drug dealer, who beats her every day. A third wants to share what Christ has done for her, but her father could have her killed if she admits she was raped. Yet another had to flee with her pastor husband, who had been imprisoned and severely tortured for sharing the gospel, but had to leave their teenage son behind.

Through their Safe Harbors nonprofit ministry, Williams and her husband Mike paid for the women to travel to a less oppressive Middle East country near their homeland, which cannot be named for security reasons. The Christian men from the same country canceled their conference, which was to follow the women's, because of threats to their safety.

While some Arab countries are more "free" than others, according to Williams, the darkness which permeates such a land that rejects Christ is at best inhumane and uncivilized. The Islamic culture, whether or not it is mandated by law, is a culture which exalts a man to satisfy himself at every level — with no accountability as to how this self satisfaction may affect others, especially women.

Williams said she was honored to be with these women, who are the most responsive to Christ of any she¹s met around the world. "You¹ve never worshiped until you¹ve worshiped with (these) women," she said.

Williams calls the women her heroes, not only for their courage, but for their love of the Word. She said they hunger for the true meat of the Word, and apply the same zeal to Christ and His Word that they were taught in Islam.

In the past five years, the church in their homeland has developed from scattered believers to cell groups where Christians encourage each other. However, house arrests have escalated, with new laws to execute converts, sometimes immediately.

The personal violations they suffer, said Williams, is intended to strip them of their sense of identity and worth. Williams related to their inner confusion, shame, and the irrationality of control wielded over them. She also relates to getting free from lies.

Williams said women in the Middle East are taught they exist solely to meet men¹s needs. She loves to teach them that God created them with unique characteristics, even using their experiences for His divine eternal purpose.

To this end, Williams used the curriculum (SHAPE: Divine design, Christ uniquely fashioned in you) she teaches at Emmanuel Faith in Escondido. She taught these women their Creator's desire to use their individual designs and gifts to help build His Kingdom.

"Since they have the Spirit in them, when I¹m speaking from Scripture, it resonates in them," Williams said. "They¹re the most dedicated to Scripture people I¹ve ever met — because they were very devoted Muslims at one time, because they really, truly want to know God. So when they find the true God in Jesus Christ, all that devotion and dedication goes into Jesus Christ."

"They¹re very diligent and careful with the Holy Scriptures," she added.

Williams is finishing her bachelor's degree in religion and leadership in Christian ministry at Vanguard University, and plans to transfer to a seminary in the fall.

To prepare for her trip to the Middle East, Williams did an in-depth study of the women of the Bible to encourage women in Middle East of their value and their part of God¹s design to glorify Him on the earth. She shared with the women about the women in Jesus' ministry, and in the Old and New Testaments.

"I do this around the world," Williams said. "³In Africa, where most of the women have been raped, and in our country where there is a lot of child abuse, and in Japan and Korea. My hope and ministry is to restore women with any kind of brokenness. It¹s in finding your strength and healing and identity in Christ and biblical principles."

Williams came back with renewed gratitude for the freedoms we enjoy thanks to our godly heritage. Whether the women walked by twos and threes to try to conceal the fact they were part of a conference, or walked in large groups for protection, the harassment was the same. Men would walk into the center of the group, grab them, and make sexual remarks and gestures.

Williams has written a book for Middle Eastern women. She Did What She Could is based on Mark 14:6-8. It is being translated into their language, to be distributed underground.

Williams is currently teaching the same series, through mid-May, at Emmanuel Faith Community Church. For a CD of Williams' testimony or to join her prayer partnership for our sisters in the Middle East, see her website at www.marilynwilliams.com.