As a scholar and researcher of Pentecostalism, I attended a monthly church gathering, known as Daughters of Zion, in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi where women around me were praying loudly and with passion. Usually there are no men present in the gathering, except for the tech team and guest speakers who open a separate discourse.
The gathering’s programme follows an urban Pentecostal rhythm that features prayerful worship, testimonies and sermons, and ends with rounds of prayers.
As a female theologian, I’ve always been struck by the fact that in Pentecostal Christian churches in Kenya, women are seldom preachers, prophets or leaders. Yet where they are particularly visible is as prayer warriors, wailing women, using loud and emotional prayers to fight the evil forces of the devil.
