Church-themed dresses provide General Council delegate a sense of unity

By Amy Eckert

Rosie Galanti attends the Zengeza-Seke Church in Harare. And she wants everyone to know it.

The General Council delegate likes to wear her bright yellow church dress at home in Zimbabwe, too. She sees the garment’s vibrant color and images of the church in orange, black and white as an evangelism tool.

“I have had people walk up to me and ask about which church I attend,” said Galanti, a pastor’s wife in the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian. “My dress allows me to tell people that yes, I am a Christian, and this is what we believe, and that Zengeza is my congregation.” The Zengeza church includes a membership of approximately 200.

Galanti serves as the wife of the church’s Pastor A. Galanti, is the mother of five children and grandmother of two. In addition, she has been the president of her congregation’s Women’s Guild since 2012, with a membership of approximately 80. Taken together, the two roles involve a host of ministries to Zengeza’s female members: providing social, emotional and counseling support; conducting a weekly Bible study; occasionally offering group devotions; and visiting the elderly, sometimes merely to socialize, at other times to offer housekeeping or other tasks of daily living.

“Once a month our Women’s Guild meets with other congregations for different projects,” said Galanti. “We might get involved with replacing a church’s refrigerator or something like that. But recently our project was to collect money to have fabric printed, to produce dresses that we could wear that would show the world who we are.”

Some of the church women used the fabric to sew their own dresses. Galanti hired a tailor. “I can do many things,” she laughed, “but sewing a dress is not one of them.”

In addition to serving as an evangelical tool, Galanti believes the colorful dresses help foster unity with her fellow female congregants. When her Women’s Guild members appear in church clothed in the matching yellow garments, she feels an intimate part of the family. At the same time, the dresses alleviate visible signs of economic disparity.

“Whether you are rich or poor, if you are a member of our Women’s Guild and come to Sunday service wearing your church dress, you are all the same,” explains Galanti. “No one knows if perhaps the rest of your clothes are not in good condition.”