Christine Caine: We Have Thrust Women Into the Marketplace Like Lambs to the Slaughter

Christine Caine, most known for her work in fighting human trafficking, launched her new movement, Propel Women, during Monday’s Convocation at Liberty University.

The nationwide movement is designed to help women in the marketplace learn how to interconnect their faith with their work, church and home life. Caine’s visit was part of a weeklong launch at Liberty, which includes panels, seminars, and special guest speakers. Carl Lentz, pastor of Hillsong (New York), will address students in Wednesday’s Convocation and best-selling author Beth Moore will speak in Friday’s Convocation.

Last fall, Caine told Christianity Today that she chose Liberty as the site to launch Propel. She described Propel as a training program that will feature inspirational videos, industry-specific articles, mentorship pipelines and urban events to encourage Christian women leaders in the workforce.

Caine and her husband, Nick, founded The A21 Campaign in 2008. A21 was given the global 2012 Hero of Human Trafficking Award. They also lead Equip & Empower Ministries and are members of the leadership team at Hillsong Church in her native Sydney, Australia. She has written five books.

Before Caine took the Convocation stage on Monday, alumna (’05) Meredith Andrews led students in worship, along with the Liberty Campus Band.

Caine told students that throughout the week she wants them to learn that they are empowered by God to do what He has told them to do, which is to go into this entire world to make disciples of Jesus Christ.

“I feel at home at Liberty, and I am so grateful to be here because there is nowhere else on earth that I would rather be launching Propel,” she said.

She added that in the 20th century, women—who for centuries only had the duty of a homemaker—were propelled into the workplace with very little guidance.

“We have thrust women into the marketplace like lambs to the slaughter because we have left them to secular feminists to educate, to train and to equip them to somehow navigate this world, which up until the 20th century was mostly a man’s world.”

She said she had the idea for Propel last June when she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Before her surgery that same month, she recalled asking the Lord if she did everything He put her on this planet to do, and if she was bringing everybody home that she was supposed to bring home with her.

“Life is too short to blow on my ego, on stupid secondary discussions and debates that do not matter in light of eternity, and it is too short to be full of pride and selfish ambition,” she said. “We need to be a generation of young people that say we are obsessed with one thing, which is making Jesus’s last commandment our first priority.”

Caine told students that they need to be a generation of men and women that will bear witness to the truth of the gospel in the marketplace.

“We need to reclaim godly leadership qualities, not arrogant and selfish qualities, and we need to pursue godly ambition, not selfish ambition,” she said. “We need to come to the table as men and women in mutual respect and love and understand that we are equal in God’s eyes.”

Caine concluded by challenging students to pray for each other during this launch week.

“We want this world to know we are His disciples by the true love we have for one another,” she said. “God is going to show us this week how we can make a difference in our own world.”