By Tione Andsen
Lilongwe, May 16, Mana: Prophet Shepherd Bushiri’s Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) Church Ironmen have been challenged to be open to their wives in order to have progressive families.
Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, Patricia Kaliati made the challenge recently during Lilongwe ECG Church Ironmen Conference whose theme was “Men of stability and strength,” held at Cross Hotel in Lilongwe
She noted that some families are failing to progress because men are not open to their wives on a number of aspects include planning and budgeting.
Kaliati said men have responsibilities of ensuring that they are providing protection and care to their wives and members of their families.
“We are aware that men are dominating in many aspects including power in politics, finances and society. We believe men need to lead by example and should aim at transforming their families into better ones,” the Minister said.
She said men should ensure that their wives are supported all the time and should strive to make them their best friends.
“Wife buttering is the thing of the past, we need to live in harmony. If there are differences within try to resolve them amicably and find better solutions,” Kaliati added.
She said her Ministry gets worried when receiving report of increased number of defilements among men within our communities.
The Minister urged ECG Church ironmen to be in forefront to help in curbing such malpractices and provide protection to women and girls.
She urged the ironmen to avoid engaging themselves into temptation of having extra marital affairs saying this tendency bleeding mistrust among couples.
“We were all created in the image of God; we need not to live in sinful life. As churchmen, you have the responsibility of modelling your marriages so that the future generation should not encounter what previous generation marriages had gone through,” the Minister pointed out.
She said for the church to grow, men need to take lead and encourage families to be part and parcel of the process.
Prophet Bushiri of ECG Church said men have responsibility to alleviate social and economic problems affecting most women in the communities.
He said some of the social evils being faced by women are being perpetuated by men and they need to reverse the situation.
Deputy Managing Director for My Bucks Bank Malawi, Bernard Mkandawire urged ECG Church Ironmen develop culture of saving and investment if their families are to progress.
He said as men they should not only have one source of revenue saying multi sources would help them to be financially stable.
ECG Church Ironmen is a grouping men doing men’s ministry.
