Life Aboveground: “Empowerment”
‘Created’ uplifts women out of the sex industry, gives them the reins to do so for others
Across the Underground Network, hundreds of microchurches strive daily to live out their God-given callings. Although each is unique in its respective mission, every microchurch ministers in accordance with the 18 values that comprise the Underground Manifesto: Jesus, the Poor, the Lost, the Whole World, Culture and Ethnicity, Contextualization, Zeal and Contemplation, Simplicity, Sharing and Giving, Each Other, Kingdom Mission, Humility, Biblical Justice, Passion, Prayer and Dependence on God, Microchurches, the Bible, and Empowerment.
The “Life Aboveground” series explores individual microchurches and how they reflect these values in the current season.
This interview profiles Created, a microchurch that is “committed to the restoration of vulnerable women involved in the sex industry through unveiling their value, beauty, and destiny in Jesus Christ”. As stated in their mission, “by offering new life through a relationship with Jesus Christ, a message of identity (a name), a place for belonging and community (a place), and advocacy for the women (a voice) we hope to bring light, hope, and transformation to women caught in prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation”.
Sharing today’s story of Created is director Jillian Penhale.
In this current season, what is one of the 18 Underground Manifesto values you and your microchurch are living out?
Empowerment sticks out the most. As Created continues to grow, our heart is to see women discipled and take on the mission themselves as survivor leaders. We’ve had six survivor leaders on staff over the past year and have been fighting to figure out they can step in and fulfill this mission. We want to see Created women find out themselves where they are called by God.
Why do you find this value important for your microchurch?
Indigenous leadership is core, it’s such a part of the Created culture. It’s crucial that women can see other women in leadership that have been through same things they have. Lots of our women initially have such a hard time trusting staff but having a survivor leader that can they’ve been there too gives a credibility that others don’t immediately have.
As far as leadership structure, we need their voices at the table. We need them to say yeah, this is going to work or not going to work. Having the voices of survivors present changes the way we make decisions and provides insight into the minds of women who are going through our program.
How have you practically fought for this value?
We’ve fought for empowerment through having open hands with the women we’re working with. We don’t want to force them back into working with Created. Still, we challenge our women by saying “you say you want to help other women, why not here?” We’ve changed our language to make it clear to survivor leaders that they are desired. It’s changed the way we’ve developed job roles — we want those positions to be for them, not just outside missionaries. We’ve had conversations with our board and with our leadership about how to best instill this culture.
As the leader of Created, lots more of my time is spent with people that I want to be leaders as they’re able to have a larger impact in this ministry.
What are the challenges you have faced in fighting for this?
Because we’re working with marginalized and the poor, survivors present very practical needs. We’re trying to figure out how to help them fulfill those. Part of that process has involved developing some paid positions. A lot of times we expect people to invest back in us, but we need to make sure doing so makes practical sense for these survivors. We have to provide some benefit, there should be something in it for them too. We’ve changed the entire way we do salaries. Created used to be comprised only of missionaries from the outside but we must ensure the survivor leaders are involved and get a fair wage that affords them the ability to serve in this ministry.
We have continued to put them up front, giving them opportunities to lead discussions or bible studies so they feel like the leaders they are supposed to be. We continue to the speak language of “you are important” and “your voice matters”.
Also, we must be willing to make changes. In beginning, the women who have gone through the program wanted to make changes that I didn’t want to. It’s been challenging and good to give up control of making decisions and trusting in my staff that knows the nature of these women’s experiences.
What that has recently happened in your microchurch is worth celebrating?
We’ve recently been able to partner with the city of Tampa, transitioning from a grassroots movement to an established organization. We recently were named by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office as an organization fighting human trafficking, which was exciting. We’ve been invited to bring our Created classes into jails. Also, survivor leaders have been invited to come out on stings with the police. These leaders will be serving as mediaries between the police and the victims to help determine if they are being trafficked or have been trafficked. We then get to provide Created resources for the women who are victimized by the industry.
