Mutuality 27.1 | Spring 2020

Spring 2020

Men and women serving and leading as equals

hope

that spans

generations

CON TE N TS 4 8 11 17 22 26

Encouragement for Women in Ministry An experienced egalitarian advocate encourages and advises women called to ministry.

by Douglas Groothuis

Nile Mother: The Story of Lillian Trasher Lillian Trasher was a young Pentecostal missionary who ministered to orphans in Egypt.

by Lucinda Yang

DEPA RTMENTS 3 From the Editor A Faithful Future

28 Ministry News 29 Praise and Prayer 29 Reflect With Us 30 President’s Message

“Let Us Not Become Weary in Doing Good”: Wisdom from One Advocate to Another Intergenerational egalitarian advocates share their wisdom and hopes for the future.

by Ellen Richard Vosburg

Listening to Our Preaching Foremothers: A Rhetorical History A gender-focused look at the rhetoric of preaching through US history.

by Sarah Kornfield

It’s Not Only Woman’s Work

Setting a Movement Aflame: The Power of CBE’s Founders

34 Giving Opportunities

ED ITO R IAL STA FF Editor: Ellen Richard Vosburg Graphic Designer: Margaret Lawrence Publisher/President: Mimi Haddad

How men can learn to be strong advocates for women in ministry.

by David Hart

Book Review: The Gospel According to Eve

by Amanda W. Benckhuysen Reviewed by Kurty Darling

Mutuality is published quarterly by CBE International, 122 W Franklin Ave, Suite 218; Minneapolis, MN 55404-2451.

We welcome your comments, article submissions, and advertisements. Visit cbe.today/mutuality.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the 2011 revision of the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

2 M U T U A L I T Y | Spring 2020

Mutuality vol. 27, no. 1, Spring 2020 Cover design by Margaret Lawrence Mutuality (ISSN: 1533-2470) exists to make egalitarian theology accessible to the non-scholar and to explore its intersection with everyday life.

Advertising in Mutuality does not imply organizational endorsement. Please note that neither CBE International, nor the editor, nor the editorial team is responsible or legally liable for any content or any statements made by any author, but the legal responsibility is solely that author’s once an article appears in Mutuality.

CBE grants permission for any original article (not a reprint) to be photocopied for local use provided no more than 1,000 copies are made, they are distributed free, the author is acknowledged, and CBE is recognized as the source.

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From the Editor

by Ellen Richard Vosburg

A Faithful Future The seams of theological patriarchy appear to be stressed. More people are speaking out against injustices committed against women in the church regardless of where they stand on the doctrinal spectrum.

Clearly, there are still vocal opponents to women’s full participation in ministry and leadership, but when some try to squelch the voices of certain women, Christians of all theological stripes are ready to defend. I have noticed that those who might have been reticent to defend women in any kind of ministry in years before are ready to encourage and support some women now.

Obviously, this progress toward including women in leadership and ministry is the work of the Holy Spirit and further evidence of the inbreaking of God’s work in the world. I also see this as the fruit of previous generations of egalitarians who were faithful to their calling to teach mutuality and advocate for women— generations that you will encounter in this magazine.

In this issue of Mutuality, we at CBE wanted to gather a variety of voices in a conversation about the past, the present, and the future of the egalitarian movement, and about how we as egalitarians can all work together.

In these articles, I hope you’ll gain a clear picture of who we are and what we’re doing. We are Christians who advocate for the inherent equality of women and men, regardless of race, class, or ethnicity, and for God’s vision of mutuality in the home, the church, and the world. And we are faithful to follow this calling. But I’d like to take a brief moment to begin to imagine where we might go in the future.

First, we are clearly still in the trenches, so we need to keep working on our mission. Churches and Christian organizations are still overwhelmingly led by men alone (and white men at that). We must continue to do the biblical and theological study that supports and undergirds our ministry. I am reminded of the recent work of scholars in books like The Gospel According to Eve (reviewed on page 26). We are still only beginning to uncover and bring to the forefront women’s interpretations of Scripture. bookstore :

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Second, we need to keep telling women’s stories. In this issue, an article about Pentecostal missionary Lillian Trasher reminds us of what it looks like to follow one’s calling faithfully. I hope her story encourages us all to answer God’s calling wholeheartedly wherever we are and whatever we’re called to do. You will also read an article about rhetorical strategies employed by women preachers. One strategy that patriarchy employs to keep women isolated from one another, and to keep men clutching at power, is diminishing the stories of women’s leadership in the church across time and space.

We cannot be what we cannot see, so the enemy makes sure that we cannot see our foremothers or hear of the work they have done. We need to keep telling these stories until we can hear the great chorus of women who have come before us as clearly as we can hear the great chorus of men.

Third, we need to use our privilege to stand beside others.

I hope that throughout these articles you encounter a still small voice encouraging you to use what benefits you have to journey beside others as a faithful colleague.

Regardless of age, race, ethnicity, or class, you have something unique to give and contribute to the mission of the egalitarian movement. We also know what it is like to be unheard, so we need to be the first to listen to those who are different from us.

Above all, my prayer for the future of the egalitarian movement is for unity. We cannot let petty divisions keep us apart, but we also need to reckon gently with the places where we have let significant disagreement separate us. I’m certain we have all said or thought something disparaging about someone younger or older. Many of us need to repent of the ways we have ignored our bias against someone of another race or ethnic group. Certainly, there have been times when we have dismissed the poor or favored the rich and privileged among us. God “reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:18). No matter how sin has torn us apart, the Lord is working to bring us to unity, and we must join him in that ministry.

M U T U A L I T Y | ”What Holds Us Together: Hope that Spans Generations” 3

By Douglas Groothuis

In the early 1990s, I worked out my view of women’s place in the church and the home. I had held the traditional views on women’s subordination to men for many years, since my conversion in 1976.

It was all I really knew, and I knew that anything like “feminism” was secular or theologically liberal. I have a sad memory of a woman in the college class at First Baptist Church in Eugene, Oregon, in the late 1970s being concerned about women’s status with respect to men. She was told to just get over it. She left.

I only changed my view after studying the issues thoroughly over several years along with Rebecca Merrill Groothuis (1954–2018), my first 4 M U T U A L I T Y | Spring 2020

wife. Shortly after we got married in 1984, Becky and I began to notice how many pastors and other male Christian leaders made disparaging comments about women, often their own wives. This both irked us and caused us to wonder why. Becky launched into several years of study, which led to her writing Women Caught in the Conflict in 1994 and Good News for Women in 1997. She also coedited an academic work called Discovering Biblical Equality, which was published in 2004. I did not cowrite Becky’s books, but we talked over every major issue, and I read every page of her writing.

We approached the subject with the conviction that we would affirm what the Bible affirmed, as best we

could determine this through careful study and sound theological method.

My convictions were further ratified by getting to know gifted female seminary students since 1993, when I began teaching at Denver Seminary. I have seen them win preaching awards, perform admirably on their doctrinal orals, excel in my classes, and go on to teach, preach, and lead in evangelical churches and other ministries. The proof is in the egalitarian pudding.

I am writing this article largely because women whom I respect have encouraged me to let my voice be heard. It is far easier for egalitarian men to avoid the subject, since it is so controversial and heated. Rebecca website :

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and I felt the stress of this for many years. For that reason and because of her declining health before her death in 2018, I pulled away from engaging it for a few years. I am back now, and I hope this essay is a word of encouragement for women in ministry.

I will not defend my egalitarian views here. I have done that elsewhere and I refer you to Rebecca’s work. One can find more recent treatments elsewhere too, but my point here is not bibliographical or apologetic. Rather, I want to edify women called to public ministry or who are pondering it.

First, women who sense the call of God to teach, preach, and lead in public ministry—whether in the church, parachurch ministries, or elsewhere—need to thoroughly work out their theology of men, women, and leadership in a way that does not rely on experience as the ultimate support. Around 1995, a woman pastor was asked by one of my students to defend her ministry from Scripture. While the question might have been a bit rudely stated at the time, it was legitimate. The woman said, “I don’t have to defend it. God called me to be a pastor.”

This might be true, but someone who teaches the Bible and who holds a high view of Scripture should be able to defend their theology of women in ministry. Without a solid theological grounding, women in ministry can be accused of putting their experiences or desires above Scripture. That is something we should never do.

Scripture should critique us.

Second, I encourage you to grow a thick skin without growing a hard heart. All the great biblical characters—from Jeremiah, to Ruth, to John the Baptist, to the apostle Paul, bookstore :

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to Jesus himself—faced, endured, and prevailed against opposition. Jesus was laughed at, mocked, called insane, and, of course, crucified. But he rose from the dead. Let the mistreatment you face as a woman in following the Lord into public ministry, through the Holy Spirit, be transmuted into a more Christlike character. This is a deep biblical theme with many texts to support it. Consider just two: Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (Jas. 1:2–4) Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.

And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Rom. 5:1–5) You will feel and carry your wounds, and they are not easily forgotten.

Take them to Christ, whose wounds far exceed any we may get in his

service. Jesus understands our pain and advocates for us (Heb. 4:14–16).

Beware of bitterness, but do not deny the seriousness of the indignities and abuses. As Hebrews says, “See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many” (12:15). Personal prayer and involvement with a sympathetic support group can help apply balm to the wounds. Praying through some psalms of lament (Psalm 22; 88; 90) may minister to you as well. (To learn more about the meaning of lament, I recommend Glenn Pemberton’s book, Hurting with God, and I wrote of our lament over Becky’s dementia in Walking Through Twilight: A Wife’s Illness—A Philosopher’s Lament.)

Third, be aware that many insecure Christian men are afraid of women with ministry gifts equal to or exceeding their own. They view women in the role of teacher or preacher as part of a zero-sum game in which they lose some of their authority if women have their own authority.

John MacArthur recently voiced this in light of the controversy over Beth Moore’s role as a Bible teacher. I am not poisoning the well (a logical fallacy) by saying that all male criticisms of women in ministry are reducible to an irrational fear. However, male fear of strong women is simply an existential reality for many men. Even more, a man threatened by women with ministry gifts may still give arguments for his position that should be taken seriously. If so, they ought to be addressed, if the situation allows for it.

I encourage you to grow a thick skin without growing a hard heart.

M U T U A L I T Y | ”What Holds Us Together: Hope that Spans Generations” 5

Called and gifted women of God, I leave you with an admonition and a benediction. As God said to Joshua, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” (Josh. 1:9).

This male fear is rooted in defining masculinity as possessing an innate authority that women cannot have, simply because they are women. Men must be the leaders in the home and have the final say in the church. Some even call this “biblical masculinity” or “biblical manhood.” Whatever true or godly masculinity is, it is not that, since the Bible and history give us so many skilled and virtuous women leaders, who lead better than most men. I cannot resist pointing out that Deborah was easily the best 6 M U T U A L I T Y | Spring 2020

judge reported in the book of Judges.

She had the highest political and military authority and was a prophet to boot (Judg. 4–5). From what I can determine from the Bible, masculinity definitely means restricting one’s sexual intimacy to one’s wife (1 Cor. 7:1–7) and not dressing like a woman (Deut. 22:5). Beyond that, why worry about it? Many of our current ideas of masculinity are far more cultural than biblical or even logical. A man’s masculinity should not be threatened if his wife makes more money than he does, or if his wife is a pastor and he is a plumber.

If men challenge your ministry more because of a perceived threat than on the basis of solid facts and reasoning, it is best to let it go. Such a person will not likely be receptive to the suggestion that your leadership should not harm his masculinity.

Pray that someone else can get through to him. This kind of man may enforce a stained-glass ceiling in the church or Christian ministry where you want to serve. If so, I encourage you to look for a ministry that honors your gifts as God-given and does not restrict your leadership on the basis of your gender.

Fourth, when considering a denomination in which to serve, choose a place that fully affirms your gifts and calling to ministry as a woman. Unless you sense a strong prophetic calling otherwise, it is likely best to avoid those denominations and institutions that take a hard line against women’s equality for leadership. It will be hard enough in denominations that are open to women in ministry, since the idea of male superiority and women’s subordination is still the prevailing tendency in many church cultures.

It has been so ever since the fall,

and patriarchy will not be utterly abolished until the Second Coming.

So, as Jesus said, be wise as a serpent and innocent as a dove (Matt. 10:16).

Fifth, I encourage you to seek out men who can wisely mentor you and advocate for your leadership. While men are still predominately leading most churches and ministries, it is neither cowardly nor obsequious to find men in positions of godly influence who can speak up for you as a bona fide minister of the gospel. The best way to do this is simply to use your gifts. I try to model this kind of advocacy for the women I encounter.

Some years ago, a colleague and I conducted a doctrinal examination of a female student. After her stellar performance, my colleague said, “I would be happy to have you as my pastor.” I seconded that statement.

She also won the preaching award that year and now serves as a preaching coach for homiletics classes at Denver Seminary (among other things). I do all I can to support her calling in Christian leadership.

Called and gifted women of God, I leave you with an admonition and a benediction. As God said to Joshua, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” (Josh. 1:9). “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you” (2 Cor. 13:14).

Amen.

Douglas Groothuis is professor of philosophy at Denver Seminary where he heads the Apologetics and Ethics master’s degree.

website :

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IT’S TIME FOR JUSTICE IN THE CHURCH The #MeToo movement has revealed sexual abuse in every sphere of society, including the church.

Disclosing candid stories of abuse, pastor and survivor Ruth Everhart offers God’s hope to survivors while shining a light on the prevalence of sexual misconduct within faith communities.

“Pulling back the curtain on the mishandling of sexual abuse within Protestant churches, this incisive work from . . . Everhart boldly calls for communal repentance and change.”

H PU BL I S HE R S W E E K LY STA RRED REVI EW, October 2019

RUTH EVERHART is an author, speaker, and Presbyterian (PCUSA)

pastor. She is the author of the Christianity Today award-winning memoir Ruined.

Author Photo Credit: Susan Robbins Etherton

Douglas Groothuis is professor of philosophy at Denver Seminary where he heads the Apologetics and Ethics master’s degree. bookstore :

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ivpress.com M U T U A L I T Y | ”Whatshop Holds Us Together: Hope that Spans Generations” 7

THE STORY OF LILLIAN TRASHER

By Lucinda Yang

“After I had been in Egypt a little over three months I was asked to visit a dying woman. She had a tiny babe about three months old, and it was being fed from a tin bottle. The milk had become caked and green and stringy, yet the baby was trying to drink it. Soon the mother died and the baby was given to me. I took it home. The child had never had a bath, and its clothes were sewed on its little body. You cannot imagine the odors that came from it. The little thing would cry and cry, making it hard for the missionaries to rest at night.

They begged me to take her back, but I could not do that. So I went out and rented a house for twelve dollars and a half per month, then spent my little all for a bit of furniture; and thus February 10, 1911, marked the opening of the Assiout Orphanage” (Lillian Trasher, The Pentecostal Evangel).

This great action of compassion and boldness belonged to missionary Lillian Trasher. She was often regarded as the Assemblies of God’s most esteemed missionary for her lifelong service to the children of Egypt by founding the Assiout Orphanage. She possessed an uncanny ability to trust in God’s faithfulness and provision. Near the end of her adventurous life, at age seventy-four, Lillian Trasher founded and operated the largest orphanage in Egypt of the twentieth century. That starving and sickly baby, whom the twenty-three-year-old Lillian Trasher had taken from the hands of a dying mother, became the first orphan under her care. For the next fifty years, 8 M U T U A L I T Y | Spring 2020

thousands more would find themselves in the arms of “Mamma Lillian.”

Lillian Hunt Trasher was born in 1887 and grew up in North Carolina and Georgia. Trasher was originally raised Catholic but came to the Holiness-Pentecostal faith through the mentorship of Bible school and orphanage founder Miss Mattie Perry. Miss Perry, a vibrant independent Holiness evangelist and activist, operated the Elhanan Orphanage in the mountains of Marion, North Carolina (Nancy Hardesty, “Mattie Elmina Perry,” South Carolina Encyclopedia). During her early adulthood Lillian served Miss Perry in the North Carolina orphanage and learned skills of caretaking, compassion, administration, and budgeting. Soon, the beautiful, young Lillian Trasher was engaged to be married to a handsome and well-respected preacher, Tom Jordan.

That starving and sickly baby, whom the twenty-three-year-old Lillian Trasher had taken from the hands of a dying mother, became the first orphan under her care.

For the next fifty years, thousands more would find themselves in the arms of “Mamma Lillian.” website :

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However, though she loved Tom, Trasher painstakingly broke off the engagement because she had discerned a call from God to become a foreign missionary. Though Lillian felt crushed to lay down one dream, the joy of obedience to God gave her vision to complete a divine assignment unique to her own calling.

After discerning the call to evangelize in Africa at the age of twenty-three, Trasher left for Alexandria, Egypt, on October 8, 1910, aboard the SS Berlin set to sail from New York. Trasher stayed with a missionary couple, George and Lydia Brelsford of the Apostolic Faith Mission in Assiout (also spelled Asyut), Egypt. Within months of her arrival in Assiout, Lillian went to pray for the dying young mother, took in her first orphan, and the rest was history.

Later that year, Trasher adopted four more children from destitute situations. Each year after that, her orphanage grew exponentially as locals heard of her compassion.

Lillian Trasher aimed to serve “the least of these” (Matt.

25:40). Her orphanage took in abandoned children with physical disabilities and illnesses as well as vulnerable widows. By doing so, she gained the respect of the local people and word of her openness spread quickly. Many of her orphans were born as illegitimate children in an Arab society, both Coptic and Muslim, that saw family lineage as crucial for future respectability. The American reporter Jerome Beatty interviewed Trasher for The American Magazine and found:

the orphanage operated on a threadbare budget making the contributions of its members all the more critical.

In the early days, the household tasks involved cooking, cleaning, mending, and building small pieces of furniture.

Lillian Trasher operated by faith, praying each hour to God to meet the needs of God’s children. Many times she was desperate for support, and she often went doorto-door on her donkey soliciting for donations of food or money from wealthy Egyptian locals. By asking boldly, both to God and to others, Trasher was able to uphold her two requirements: first, the orphanage should never go into debt; and second, no orphan should be turned away.

Trasher was not without troubles. In 1933 an anti-foreigner and anti-missionary campaign arose from Egyptian nationalist groups which sought to break imperialist control of Arabs. Lillian Trasher resolutely remained in Egypt despite the flight patterns of other American missionaries who were in Assiout, Cairo, and Alexandria.

Even the governor of Sudan heard of her and sent from far-off Khartoum a young mother and her illegitimate child, to save their lives. Both, as is the general custom, would have been poisoned or their throats cut by religious relatives, their bodies secretly burned, and, bowing to public opinion, the police would have asked no questions. Many such mothers seek haven with Miss Lillian. She has children of lepers, too, taken from their parents before they contract the disease.

Lillian quickly made Egypt her home. She was determined to care for her orphans as a biological mother would for their own. The orphanage was staffed solely on a volunteer or freewill system, though children and widows within the grounds were expected to play their part in keeping the affairs and daily workings of the facility in order. As word spread of Trasher’s success, many from America came to volunteer their time and efforts by teaching, serving as chaplains, and filling odd jobs throughout the orphanage.

Due to the fluctuating and unreliable streams of funding, bookstore :

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Photos courtesy of Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center

M U T U A L I T Y | ”What Holds Us Together: Hope that Spans Generations” 9

During years of political hardship, Trasher expanded the capabilities of the orphanage and doubled down on efforts to create a sustainable community, especially when the local Egyptian community wrestled with violence and instability from nationalist uprisings. While other Westerners fled back to America and Europe, Trasher laid her stakes in Egypt, and purchased more land adjacent to her orphanage. This was a task she had wanted to accomplish for years. Trasher had a vision for the new land. She intended to use the property for agriculture so that orphans would be fed from their own crops. The new addition of land complemented Trasher’s already existing dairy farm and slaughtering pen, which was home to Jersey cattle purchased from the former American Presbyterian mission.

By the end of World War II in 1945, the Assiout Orphanage began installing running water into the buildings and celebrated the completion of a hospital wing, which allowed sick children to be housed separately. By the 1950s, the “orphanage” expanded to include a total of sixteen buildings on nine acres—complete with dormitories, a hospital wing, a chapel, schools, nurseries, a bakery, gardens, sewing rooms, carpentry workshops, and other various facilities to teach orphans trade skills which accompanied their education. The 1957 annual report revealed that through the course of forty-six years, the orphanage had received well over $1.6 million in monetary donations alone. By that year, the orphanage was home to

some 1,141 children, though an estimated 6,000 children had called it their home (Trasher, Personal Letters, and Statement of Account, FPHC).

The Assiout Orphanage was a home for the people of Egypt, and Trasher labored tirelessly to make sure that the institution was also managed by the people of Egypt. As it was her custom, she instilled values and a sense of familial unity within the orphanage, so that her first generation of children became caretakers of the next generation.

A true mother and overseer, Trasher worked tirelessly to provide financial stability, hope for the future, and spiritual care to all in her orphanage. She administered a familial model in day-to-day operations, causing the orphanage to eventually reach a population of a small village. Beginning her career as a single, simple, servant-hearted Pentecostal girl, Trasher eventually gained the colloquial title of the “Nile Mother,” a name given to her by the thousands of orphans she raised in Assiout, Egypt.

Lucinda Yang is a doctoral candidate in Religion at Baylor University. She specializes in religious history, gender, and women’s roles in the church, and her forthcoming dissertation focuses on Pentecostal female missionaries of the twentieth century. Lucinda earned her Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School, where she served as a worship leader and youth pastor in multicultural ministry settings.

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“Let

Us Not

Become Weary

in Doing Good”

By Ellen Richard Vosburg

In this issue, we wanted to hear from egalitarians across the movement to highlight the importance of working together to accomplish our mission of dismantling theological patriarchy. We all want the church to be a place where all are able to serve based on God’s gifting and calling. We want our leaders to be elevated to places or positions of leadership bookstore :

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and spiritual influence based on their character. So, we asked a few intergenerational pairs of egalitarian advocates to share with us the egalitarian influences in their lives, how they’re working to share egalitarianism with the next generation, and the wisdom they have for how all ages of egalitarians can work together better.

Let’s listen in to what they have to teach us.

M U T U A L I T Y | ”What Holds Us Together: Hope that Spans Generations” 11

Patricia & Jaclyn Williams

in our community. Her example convinced me that I was not limited in possibilities for growth, development, and opportunities to contribute toward the betterment of humankind.

Two of my teachers deposited words of wisdom and inspiration in my life, which spurred me on to acquire preparation that might position me for equal opportunity. As Christian women, they convinced me that I must accept that which corresponds with God’s original intent for me as one created in his image and his plan for coequal stewardship and responsibility for male and female (Gen. 1:26–27). In retrospect, I view them as nonviolent protesters of gender discrimination.

In my four decades of experience in academic and faithbased endeavors, principles of wise living have emerged.

I offer these for young and emerging egalitarians.

WILLIAMS FAMILY Patricia Williams—Mother Influential women in my life modeled egalitarianism, though I’m not certain they were consciously aware of the concept. My early models were my maternal grandparents, my mother, and two of my teachers.

Through my grandparents, I believe I witnessed an egalitarian couple, for they were expressing the creative image of God they each possessed, as they mutually supported each other in their chosen vocations. My mother, my grandparents’ only child, modeled women in leadership to me. She was a leader in our church and

First, divine revelation is imperative. Every opportunity in my life that has been divinely appointed has concluded on my terms. My perspective is that God set the season for particular assignments in my life, even if I encountered racial discrimination, gender discrimination, or, most recently, ageism, God disallowed anyone or anything to interrupt what he had ordered for my life. I therefore chose to seek God’s direction through prayer, study, and journaling.

As direction formed across time, I followed the path of God’s guidance, completing seminary study and embracing the call to ordained Christian ministry.

One is wise who stays focused and attuned to divine direction.

Second, priorities are important. God calls us to live in a divinely focused manner, doing all things decently and in order, having purpose and not growing weary in doing good, dwelling in peace with others, and developing the gifts deposited in us by God’s Spirit to accomplish his plan for our lives. One is wise who lives with priorities in order, avoiding entrapment and enticement that comes

Excellence flows through humankind in accordance with the capacity God grants. One is wise who discovers, cultivates, and offers his or her spiritual gifts to succeed spiritually, personally, and professionally.

12 M U T U A L I T Y | Spring 2020

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through the “lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 Jn. 2:16b).

Third, excellence is essential. Discovery of one’s spiritual gifts is necessary, for we are assured assignments in life through employment of God’s grace-ability in us (Prov.

18:16). The gifts point to God’s purpose for one’s life; and, through these grace-given abilities, one has a greater chance to succeed, even in the face of unfair practices.

Excellence flows through humankind in accordance with the capacity God grants. One is wise who discovers, cultivates, and offers his or her spiritual gifts to succeed spiritually, personally, and professionally.

Fourth, development of peace-making interpersonal skills is necessary. God’s people are equipped with overcoming power. “Everyone born of God overcomes the world” (1 Jn. 5:4). This is an all-encompassing truth which builds hope in all Christians. There is nothing God’s people will face, gender discrimination included, that is impossible with him. Peace-making interpersonal skills require us to renew our minds and to present ourselves as worshipers of God in all we do, avoiding evil responses and allowing God to vindicate us. Then we will prove God’s good and perfect will. Admittedly, this is tough, but it becomes a

I think one of the greatest challenges to any kind of intergenerational work is intentional striving towards empathy from all sides.

Seemingly competing viewpoints and angles can decrease empathy. Empathy is work that begins internally, allowing for a person’s capacity and desire to work alongside others with empathy to be a priority that impacts the community. bookstore :

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way of life we can treasure, as we witness God’s faithful protection and preservation of us because we re-present him on the earth. One is blessed who focuses on giving others the benefit of his or her obedience to God. Finally, studying God’s word guides one’s steps. I am convinced that the answers to all human issues and concerns are found in the Word of God. The Bible is the best guide for safety, security, and success in life. One who seeks answers to life’s challenges in the Word of God becomes a person of wisdom.

Some of the best ways we can work together intergenerationally are to trust each other, share and help each other develop, pray for each other, become accountability partners, respect differences in opinion, and adopt a willingness to work toward mutually beneficial resolutions and strategies to reduce gender discrimination.

Jaclyn Williams—Daughter Personal experience made me an advocate for egalitarianism. Long story short, the wolf of explicit bias, in the form of a dangerous patriarchal viewpoint that denied the call on my life from God, came to my door. My response was to reject this viewpoint as false, dangerous, and arrogant. I was hurt and angry, but I was not tempted to believe that this viewpoint was correct. God’s love and grace is what allowed me to respond in this way.

I grew up knowing that my mother was accomplished, but more than that, she cares deeply for people. Even when I was a child and did not realize the struggles she faced in the name of being an egalitarian, I felt her Godguided strength. This imprinted upon me in a formidable way. I was also greatly supported by my father and two brothers, and I grew up in a church that had women in leadership roles. Nothing is perfect, but I think the visual example of women occupying certain spaces, coupled with my experience in my family, gave me the confidence to see myself in terms of who I am rather than on the terms of those who are biased in whatever way.

More experienced egalitarians can help those emerging in their process of advocacy by modeling patience integrated with passion. Wrestling with the complicated communal and individual aspects that are necessary in the work of egalitarianism takes a lot of patience. In my experience, it is those who have walked this path for a longer

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period of time who have learned to better cultivate the marriage of patience and passion with grace and resilience. They negotiate the waters of this tension between angst and hope from a place of firsthand knowledge that I appreciate and wish to emulate. It’s not that younger or emerging egalitarians cannot do this, but some things are more profoundly learned across a period of time and seasons.

Not to make too broad of a statement, but younger egalitarians have grown up with a perspective that is more comfortable operating in a global community. So, in some ways I feel like that perspective has allowed the younger generation to be less likely to operate in silos.

I think one of the greatest challenges to any kind of intergenerational work is intentional striving towards empathy from all sides. Seemingly competing viewpoints and angles can decrease empathy. Empathy is work that begins internally, allowing for a person’s capacity and desire to work alongside others with empathy to be a priority that impacts the community.

Sometimes institutional or even cultural structures are designed to create a hierarchy that is a barrier to empathy, even amongst people who are working toward a shared goal. Continually weaving inroads of empathy within the process is vital. It can be difficult, but it is worthwhile and vital.

If we could change anything about egalitarian advocacy, it would be to have a Bible translation that is genderaccurate. So many problems would be solved! Another change would be for people to understand that if a practice based on tradition is excluding a people group, it should be changed.

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I’ve learned that the path forward is often revealed in the sharing of our stories. Before the work of discovering and implementing solutions, I believe we need the shared connection of our stories reflected in the eyes of others, to be seen and heard by others.

The constant challenge to see the other and listen to the other, and to stay open to the process of learning from expected and unexpected avenues, is arduous.

The searching of self—as individuals and as a body—is meant to be an ever-present process.

I would love for there to be an overtly shared viewpoint that the goal is not to find the “one way” to create egalitarian spaces. There are many contexts, and there is not one “fix” that will allow for these contexts to feel secure in claiming their God-given space. Many people feel and operate in this way, but I have experienced that the overarching narrative is not always formed in this way.

LAMOS FAMILY Chris and Barbara Lamos—Mother and Daughter We have become advocates for egalitarianism through studying Scripture, materials from CBE, and books, especially Equal to Serve: Women and Men Working Together Revealing the Gospel by Gretchen Gaebelein Hull. Older egalitarians have so much wisdom to share with younger, emerging egalitarians. Because of their life experiences, older egalitarians can share their unique experiences by applying them to specific situations in the younger person’s life. The older I (Barbara) get, the more I treasure the wisdom of the previous generation, especially the knowledge and wisdom my mom (Chris) has shared with me.

Younger egalitarians also have strength and determination. They are forging ahead, building on the foundation already laid. They have much more material and support and are using their energy to share the truth of egalitarianism in many facets of the church. They are not timid in standing up for truth and find it unacceptable when situations not in accord with Scripture continue to exist; they take action. It is refreshing to see the younger generation’s creative applications of living an egalitarian life.

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Barbara & Chris Lamos

It is so important that we are intentional in working intergenerationally. We need to support each other.

We need to be intentional about meeting together intergenerationally. CBE conferences are an example of seeing this concept in action. We need to pray for each other. We need to educate each other, and we need to glean as much as we can from each other. We are all in this together.

Even though swimming against the tide is extremely draining, we hope that advocates would not weary in doing good.

We have found that to become an egalitarian advocate, no matter one’s age, one must pray and pray and pray. We pray for wisdom, for the words to say, for the hearts and minds of those listening to what we say to really hear. One must do the work to be well-prepared. Study Scripture and know the facts. Know your audience. Don’t ever back down. You always have your best Advocate with you—the Holy Spirit.

If we could change anything about egalitarian advocacy, it would be to have a Bible translation that is gender-accurate. So many problems would be solved!

Another change would be for people to understand that if a practice based on tradition is excluding a people group, it should be changed. There is a huge difference between practices based on Scripture and practices based on tradition.

We hope that the excitement and drive of egalitarian advocacy never disappears. Even though swimming bookstore :

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against the tide is extremely draining, we hope that advocates would not weary in doing good. We pray for God’s blessing on Mimi Haddad, the staff, and the board of CBE. Under the Holy Spirit’s guidance, may CBE continue to be an advocate for egalitarianism and a resource to support all advocates for egalitarianism as we all work for our Lord.

DIXON FAMILY Rob Dixon—Father I was fortunate to have a good number of egalitarian influences early on. First, I grew up in a church setting where women served on the pastoral team and preached occasionally. Second, the women in my family modeled a robust faith, including both of my grandmothers and my mom. Third, one of my early youth group mentors was a woman. While I wouldn’t say I grew up in an overtly egalitarian context, I am grateful that my upbringing provided the raw materials for me to develop into such a person.

Early on in my ministry career, I thought of myself as an egalitarian advocate, but my convictions were not yet tested. One day, I walked into the campus cafeteria for a meeting about gender equality with one of our students, only to realize that that student had brought his complementarian pastor along with him. Over the next hour, that pastor proceeded to eviscerate my arguments as he repeatedly labeled me a “false teacher” for allowing women to speak in our fellowship meetings.

That experience challenged my view of myself. If it meant I would be personally attacked, was I really going to be an egalitarian advocate? I’ve learned that you’re not really an advocate until you’ve experienced pushback because of your attempts to advocate.

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and the crowds I encounter love seeing me walk through the door with my child.

Without question, what our movement needs is more egalitarian advocates! A growing part of my ministry is about developing more advocates, and that’s also true in our own home. I’m desperate for my kids to experience a different version of church, one where women are free to fully use their gifts alongside their brothers. As egalitarian advocates, our foundation is God’s Word.

We hold the conviction that the Bible’s message is for the full equality between women and men. I hope that conviction only grows and becomes more compelling over time.

Gracie Dixon—Daughter

Rob & Gracie Dixon Older egalitarians need to be regularly and intentionally teaching the Scriptures. All the research on the up-andcoming generation (called Gen Z or iGen) shows that they are fundamentally inclusive. I see that in the college students I work with, and I see that in my kids. Egalitarian advocacy should come naturally for them, but it’s our job to help these upcoming generations understand that their default inclusive setting is affirmed in the Scriptures. For instance, it’s not uncommon for Gracie to be outraged by the misogyny she sees around her, and when I process that with her, I try hard to link it to Scripture. Of course she should be outraged, God is too!

Older egalitarians also need to model the full and equal partnership of women and men in ministry. I grew up with few models for what healthy ministry partnerships could look like, and so we need to provide those for emerging egalitarians. I have made it a goal to bring my kids with me when I teach and train on egalitarian topics. For instance, I’ve often invited one or more of our children to come with me when I speak. I remember driving two hours with our son Josh to speak on gender equality at a college campus, practicing my talk the entire drive. He heard my talk probably five times that day!

Whenever I’ve brought the kids with me, it benefits our relationship, their egalitarian convictions get solidified, 16 M U T U A L I T Y | Spring 2020

I wouldn’t say I’m an advocate for egalitarianism yet, but I believe I am on my way to becoming one. My family has taught me from a young age what it means to be egalitarian and how to advocate for what you believe in. I think older egalitarians, like my parents, can teach younger egalitarians like me the history of the movement and how the church has evolved. Egalitarianism has always been ingrained in my brain, so to know how it got there would be helpful. The older generation grew up with men having privileges, and that was normal, while my generation has grown up expecting equality.

I hope that men and women will continue to fight for equality, and that it will not just be women working to make sure that we are respected for our gifts and ideas on the same level as men. When I was at the CBE conference last August, I learned that I need to use my voice to speak up for women. Recently, both the boys’ and girls’ soccer teams at my school won league championships, but when the office announced the results on the intercom, they only mentioned the boys! I immediately noticed and mentioned it to my classmates. I’m learning to pay attention to things like this as I think about becoming an egalitarian advocate.

Ellen Richard Vosburg is an editor for CBE International. She has earned degrees in biblical languages and exegesis from Oklahoma Baptist University and Wheaton College. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and their beloved schnauzer, and she loves to read, talk about books, and cross stitch.

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W

Listening to Our Preaching Foremothers A Rhetorical History

By Sa rah Kornf iel d

omen have been preaching in the United States since before the states were united— indeed, since before there were states. Anne Hutchinson pastored a church in her home in 1636 in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

During the 1790s, Sarah Townsend preached in Long Island, New York, at the New Light Baptist Church.

Harriet Livermore received a calling to preach in 1821 and began a long, celebrated ministry—preaching four times to Congress during the next two decades.

Zilpha Elaw preached from 1827– 1840 throughout the South, despite the threat of enslavement she faced as a free African American. Similarly, Maria Stewart—also a free African American—preached abolitionist and women’s rights sermons during the 1830s; her ministry predates the work of the white sisters Angelina and Sarah Grimké, who began preaching when they joined the abolitionist movement. Rebecca Jackson traveled as a free African American itinerant preacher during the 1840s, and then in 1859 she founded a black Shaker community in Philadelphia.

From 1915–1944, Aimee Semple McPherson led a revivalist ministry; in 1923 she built her ministry’s headquarters and worship hall, the Angelus Temple, which is still an active church. These women were joined by a host of preaching sisters, many whose names are lost to history. These preachers had different experiences: some were welcomed in their communities and had long and fruitful ministries, some were reviled

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and ridiculed, some were exiled, and some were murdered.1 Rhetoric is the study of how people use words, visuals, and other symbols to intreat, inform, and persuade one another in public. I offer here a history of preaching rhetoric with the hope of encouraging women

that their authority—and the words they preached—came from God. Situating themselves as God’s messengers helped these women sidestep accusations of preaching because they wanted attention or power. It also helped them sidestep accusations that they were rejecting (men’s) authority and gave these

Women began preaching, teaching, and politicking when this was not permitted. Women continue preaching, teaching, and politicking even though our communities often seek to silence us. Speaking in these conditions is tricky at best and dangerous at worst. But women have adapted to these conditions by using rhetorical strategies to make ourselves heard. whose calling is the pulpit. We will explore how women have proven their preaching authority and constructed their sermons across time. Indeed, I hope to offer not only the encouragement of our rich history and its current trajectory, but also the rhetorical resources— the argumentation and speaking styles—these preaching foremothers employed and role-modeled for us.

Our Preaching Foremothers Michael Casey analyzed women’s sermons prior to 1840 and identified four trends these preachers relied upon when arguing for their own authority as preachers. First, women claimed prophetic roles, arguing

women authority as speakers that they otherwise lacked without being ordained by a church. These preaching foremothers often cited Acts 2:17–18 to claim their prophetic role: “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy . . . even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit.”

Second, these women’s sermons centered on Scriptures that depicted women leaders, like Deborah, Mary Magdalene, Priscilla, and Junia.

Third, these sermons identified patriarchy and racism as sins and argued that the church was guilty of these sins. Here, these preaching foremothers contrasted the church

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at the time with the early church described in Scripture, arguing that Scripture presents a clear picture of egalitarianism, and thus the church’s system of domination was sinful— not God’s design for his bride.

Finally, these women preached in vernacular styles. Instead of reading from a transcript like most male preachers at that time who favored a classical rhetorical style, these women engaged the audience as they spoke in a more approachable, conversational manner.

When I first learned how these women preached from 1636 to 1840, I was actually disheartened rather than encouraged. Their sermons are masterpieces (brilliant argumentation, strong Scriptural evidence, eloquent presentations, approachable styles), and yet significant portions of the US church remain patriarchal and are complicit in racist attitudes and policies. Despite our preaching, a spirit of domination suffuses the church. In learning how our foremothers preached, I realized that women have left no stone unturned; across the generations, we have been consummate preachers.

Historically, women have had considerably more access to the revival tent’s podium than a church pulpit.

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Here, I like to imagine that the ancient Greek rhetorician Aristotle might commend women preachers for using every available

Women have left no stone unturned; across the generations, we have been consummate preachers.

Sounding Like a Woman

means of persuasion even though many audiences (denominations, congregations) are unmoved. While Aristotle might be happy enough, I am not. This analysis worries me because it suggests that culture (the audience itself) has to change rather than suggesting that a new or additional preaching strategy will finally succeed in convincing people of the truth. Essentially, if our preaching foremothers had been bad at their callings, we might imagine that a new generation of preachers will succeed where they failed. Instead, their rhetorical brilliance—which they ascribed to the LORD, claiming they received their words from God—is evidenced as women and men continue to use the same strategies and cite the same passages of Scripture across multiple generations as we make the case for egalitarianism.

There is, however, significant cause for optimism. The rhetorical culture within Christian communities—the

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way we expect sermons to sound— has changed in the last generation or two, opening the pulpit to women in entirely new ways. To explain this cause for optimism, I first need to explain how US audiences expect women to speak and how women have preached as evangelists during revivals.

Women began preaching, teaching, and politicking when this was not permitted. Women continue preaching, teaching, and politicking even though our communities often seek to silence us. Speaking in these conditions is tricky at best and dangerous at worst. But women have adapted to these conditions by using rhetorical strategies to make ourselves heard. The rhetorical scholar Karlyn Kohrs Campbell named these strategies the “feminine rhetorical style.”2 By using the feminine rhetorical style, women can make themselves heard while still sounding the way audiences expect women to sound. Indeed, by using these rhetorical strategies, women sound nonthreatening.

The feminine rhetorical style includes the following distinctive traits. First, the speaker enacts a feminine role (like wife or mother) or an ungendered role (like prophet or mediator) and uses persuasive appeals and stylistic devices that are associated with women (like domestic metaphors). The speaker then tells personal stories, uses an intimate tone, and encourages audience participation. Finally, the speaker presents story-based

Their rhetorical brilliance—which they ascribed to the LORD, claiming they received their words from God—is evidenced as women and men continue to use the same strategies and cite the same passages of Scripture across multiple generations as we make the case for egalitarianism. evidence that relies on inductive logic and avoids coarse language or direct confrontation. The speaker organizes and develops the speech in such a way that the audience realizes the conclusion before the speaker delivers it. Michelle Obama’s speaking style is a classic example of the feminine rhetorical style; she speaks in a way that sounds like audiences expect women to sound.

In contrast, the “masculine rhetorical style” is clear and direct, and the speaker is positioned as an authority. It presents a linear argument and relies on three-

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Here I see great cause for optimism. The style in which women have so powerfully preached throughout US history has embedded itself in the psyche of the Christian church. We’ve been preaching so eloquently for so long we’ve carved our sermons into the church’s imagination. Audiences love stories and long to share intimacy with a speaker. part deduction, where the speaker presents a universal proposition, provides evidence, and renders a conclusion. This style directly engages in refutation and debate by explicitly counterarguing another person’s ideas. Hillary Clinton is an excellent example of the masculine rhetorical style; she speaks in a way that sounds like audiences expect men to sound.

Throughout US history, sermons have traditionally been spoken in this masculine style as the (usually, male) pastor authoritatively imparts eternal truths to the congregation.

As such, when women occupy the pulpit, they have historically faced a difficult choice. A woman could use the feminine rhetorical style and thus sound the way the audience expects a woman to sound but deliver a sermon that does not sound the way audiences expect sermons to sound. Or, a woman could use the masculine rhetorical style and deliver a sermon that sounds the way audiences expect sermons to sound, but “sound like a man” while she preaches. Historically, women have found it safer to use the feminine rhetorical style (indeed, our preaching foremothers typically used this style), but this has meant

that their sermons did not “sound like sermons” to their congregants.

Historically, women have had considerably more access to the revival tent’s podium than a church pulpit. In part, this can be explained by the less formal setting of the revival meeting and the temporary nature of a revivalist speaker. Listening to a woman preach once is quite different from accepting a woman as a church’s pastor. Yet it is also explained through the clear spiritual giftings in evangelism of these women— such as Aimee Semple McPherson who preached during the Second Great Awakening.

Moreover, evangelists tend to preach in a way that sounds different from the standard church sermon yet overlaps considerably with the feminine rhetorical style.

Evangelists present themselves as prophets who deliver God’s words.

They share “good news” so that their sermons sound positive and inviting.

They also feature stories, both from Scripture and real life, and perform those stories in embodied ways that draw the audience into the Christian narrative with their hearts. Where women have been

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both doctrinally and stylistically shut out of church pulpits, they continued preaching throughout US history in revival settings.3

Carving the Church’s Imagination Here I see great cause for optimism.

The style in which women have so powerfully preached throughout US history has embedded itself in the psyche of the Christian church. We’ve been preaching so eloquently for so long we’ve carved our sermons into the church’s imagination. Audiences love stories and long to share intimacy with a speaker.

Simultaneously, in generation or two,

the last US male

When women occupy the pulpit, they have historically faced a difficult choice.

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politicians started occasionally using the feminine rhetorical style when they speak. Ronald Reagan was famous for his personal, intimate tone, his storytelling and his audience engagement—all strategies straight out of the feminine rhetorical style’s playbook. Male politicians adopted this style as their speeches became increasingly televised. 4 Television close-ups brought their faces directly into our living spaces, so they adopted more intimate, personal styles to match the intimacy of how viewers experienced them.

preachers to use inductive reasoning to engage the audience and capture their imagination through storytelling and to preach in a personal tone. Craddock identified this preaching style as preaching “without authority.” I identify this preaching style as the feminine rhetorical style. Over the last fifty years, this preaching style has grown increasingly popular across various denominations.

Essentially, Christian culture has changed in ways that open the pulpit to women who “sound like women” when they preach.

In 1971, Fred Craddock published a new preaching textbook, As One Without Authority: Essays on Inductive Preaching. This manual teaches preaching

Throughout many generations, women have preached the word of God. Women developed and used the feminine rhetorical style largely as a response to the closed

doors and hostile audiences they encountered. Yet, the feminine rhetorical style is so creatively resourceful, and women have been so steadfast in fulfilling their callings to preach despite opposition that we have worn a rhetorical groove that stretches from the revival tent to the pulpit.

Now when we preach, we can sound the way audiences expect women to sound while delivering a sermon that not only engages the congregants’ hearts and minds but also sounds like a sermon.

Over the last fifty years, this preaching style has grown increasingly popular across various denominations. Essentially, Christian culture has changed in ways that open the pulpit to women who “sound like women” when they preach.

1. Michael Casey, “The First Female Public Speakers in America (1630-1840): Searching for Egalitarian Christian Primitivism,” The Journal of Communication and Religion 23.1 (2000); Leland Spencer, Women Bishops and Rhetorics of Shalom, (Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2017); Kristy Maddux, “The Foursquare Gospel of Aimee Semple McPherson,” Rhetoric & Public Affairs 14.2 (2011).

2. Karlyn Kohrs Campbell, “The Discursive Performance of Femininity: Hating Hillary,” Rhetoric and Public Affairs 1.1 (1998).

3. Kristy Maddux, “The Foursquare Gospel of Aimee Semple McPherson,” Rhetoric & Public Affairs 14.2 (2011).

4. Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Eloquence in an Electronic Age (Oxford University Press, 1988).

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Sarah Kornfield is an associate professor of Communication and Women’s & Gender Studies at Hope College, where she teaches courses in rhetoric, media, and feminist theory. Along with her spouse and sons, Dr. Kornfield is a member of the dually affiliated Pillar Church, which participates in both the Reformed Church of America (RCA) and the Christian Reformed Church (CRC).

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It’s Not

Only Woman’s Work

By David Hart As I am writing this, I can hear an emergency siren cry like a grieving mother in the night air. I am in the middle of preparing a sermon series on women of the Bible, and I have taken a break to listen.

Maybe the sirens are crying because there is another unarmed black child who has been killed in my neighborhood. Maybe they are crying for the woman of color who was beaten so badly by her intimate partner that she has skull fractures.

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Or maybe they cry for the young men I coached in football who are now suspects in a burglary.

paid less for the work they do, and relegated to the margins of our world.

Whatever it is, the siren cries.

I have seen our world call women to be patient and practice restraint in response to this oppression. That’s all beautiful. It really is. But what concerns me are the calls for women to learn ways they can stop themselves from being oppressed and victimized. This assumes a great deal. It erroneously assumes that women can stop a movie producer, a beloved television father, a news anchor, or any other man from abusing them. It assumes that somehow women alone are responsible for and can stop their oppression. The only way to stop oppression is to end the oppressor mindset. Women can’t do that by dressing modestly or being friendlier, even though that is what they have been told for years. That duty begins and ends with the oppressor. Men.

On my desk, which is in reality our dining room table, are worn books, speeches, and other texts from thinkers I respect. Thinkers I adore. Thinkers with whom history fell in love because they were charismatic and brilliant.

The kind of thinkers who need no last names. These thinkers are all black women.

Zora. bell. Angela. Toni. Sonia. Nikki. Kimberlé. Alice.

Frances. Lani.

The weight of their words presses down heavy on the table and keeps it steady as I write. As I listen to the siren in the distance, my mind wanders. I think about what made and makes these thinkers great. Some of them died before their time. Some of them “died” and were reborn while serving time. And some of them simply thought ahead of their time. And at no time did they ever succumb to platitudes about time, like “it’s not your time,” “time for everyone to just get along,” or “it’s time for you to stop this.”

Every thinker represented on my table has used everything within them to fight against oppression— against the oppression of women, against the oppression of racial and economic minorities, against the oppression of the marginalized. Many of them did more for the poor and marginalized before they were forty years old than the rest of the world has done in their entire collective lives. They wanted to end oppression. They wanted to end racism and sexism. They all wanted peace and harmony here on earth.

Verily, the world is beginning to respect and value the agency of women for the first time ever, and this is certainly because of the labors, words, efforts, and prayers of the women represented on my table. But, in addition to that work of women, men have had to do some work as well—simply put, they have had to stop oppressing women. In other words, women are not the only ones responsible for ending sexism and oppressive treatment toward them. Men must work with women.

This is what I mean. Women in this world have done nothing to deserve the mistreatment they regularly experience at the hands of men. Yet, they are objectified, bookstore :

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As I write my sermon, it occurs to me that the church environment mirrors the world environment in this instance. Sexism and the oppression of women have roots in the church, and women of faith have been fighting this battle for many years. While women are and have been the undercurrent of the development of the church, there has been a concerted effort to silence women of faith and degrade them with ungodly characteristics.

During Jesus’ public ministry, many women— all of whom we know were women of color—were instrumental in spreading the gospel. Luke 8:1–3 says that Joanna, Susanna, Mary Magdalene, and certain other women supported Jesus and the Twelve “out of their own means,” while Jesus preached the gospel, cast out unclean spirits, and healed people. At the time, Jewish women, especially married ones, would have been held with suspicion for following a rabbi.

Paul’s letters include and name women who were not only in leadership positions in Paul’s churches, but they also preached the gospel and supported Paul’s mission

We must get ourselves past the patriarchal clichés that have prevented us from being useful . . .

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The fact that God allowed humanity and truth to enter into this world only by way of women illustrates that God values women and has an interest in ending oppression against them. trips financially (see Rom. 16, especially). They had names and stories. They were important to Jesus.

But, some of the early church fathers did what they could to minimize the impact of these women by branding some as sexually permissive, others as mentally unstable, and minimizing or omitting the contributions of the rest. This led to centuries of women relegated to ancillary roles in the church. The old adage that women should be seen and not heard set up camp in the sanctuary of the church and grew up in the pews.

However, the church has moved forward to honor the service of women. From 1853 when the first woman in the United States was ordained, the church has made only glacial progress expanding leadership roles within the church to women. And yes, it is largely due to women pushing and demanding that their voices be heard in the church. Women represent somewhere between 55 and 69 percent of the church attending population.

Women generally, and women of color specifically, also represent the most educated demographic in church. These women have skillfully created leadership opportunities for themselves and other women.

I have read more essays and articles from outside the church than I care to count regarding the importance of men helping to end the oppression of women. They make assertions that most people can agree with: women represent a large segment our society and its workforce, so we must listen to this influential and sizable constituency. Or these pieces argue convincingly that gender diversity is a virtue our culture should value and a measurable benefit to all groups and organizations.

Certainly, all of that is true. And more importantly, it is all true within the Christian context as well. But, among God’s people, men should be eager to help end the systematic oppression of women within and outside the church for additional reasons that should almost go without saying. Simply put, joining the fight to end the oppression of women is a fight that God is not 24 M U T U A L I T Y | Spring 2020

only actively engaged in, but expects men to be as well.

God sent Jesus to this world to fight against oppression completely, and specifically Jesus has a special call to fight against the oppression of women.

We see proof of this in at least two places—Mark 5:24–34 and John 4:1–42. In the first-century Roman Empire in which women had very few rights and no voice in the community, we see Jesus standing on the side of women.

In Mark 5, Jesus takes a woman with a bleeding disorder, who has been marginalized by the community, and he not only heals her, but publicly stands with the woman by calling her his “daughter” (Mark 5:34).

Similarly, in John 4, we find Jesus in a conversation with a woman at the well outside of town. This encounter has two cultural strikes against it: one, Jewish rabbis didn’t discuss theology with women, and two, Jews and Samaritans were not supposed to interact. But Jesus engages this Samaritan woman in a theological conversation, and he treats her with humanity and dignity in the conversation. She then preaches the gospel to her whole town.

Above this, the fact that God allowed humanity and truth to enter into this world only by way of women illustrates that God values women and has an interest in ending oppression against them.

So, how can men be allies in ending the oppression of women? First, we must get ourselves past the patriarchal clichés that have prevented us from being useful like, “women are naturally good at nurturing, while men are good at thinking,” or “women are too emotional to lead or be cerebral,” or “boys will be boys.” These clichés, perpetuated on sitcoms, in the workplace, and in churches for years, are inaccurate and bolster sexism.

Next, if we see something, we have to say something.

When men hear off-color jokes about women, or macroaggressions about women, or anything that feels and sounds oppressive to women, we have to say something.

For instance, as a prosecutor during the day, I practice in a court with two other women attorneys. On many website :

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occasions, other male attorneys will come into court for a proceeding, and they will only address me and not acknowledge my women colleagues. Or they will make some offensive, sexist joke expecting the men to laugh.

I demand that these male attorneys acknowledge my women colleagues. I also make sure these men know that the jokes they are making are unacceptable.

Also, men have to drop the fragility. Women have been oppressed by men for centuries. Naturally, everything they have to say about us is not going to sound like rainbows and unicorns. Our job is to listen, be humble, and truly seek to learn and change.

I have a friend who is a black woman and an activist. On a few occasions, she has said that, “men are trash” on social media or in discussions on gender. First, on some level she is right. We live in a world where women, when asked on Twitter what their deepest desire would be if there were no men around at night, said that they would simply take a walk. For women to feel so victimized by men in this society that they most deeply desire to take a walk outside at night if no men are present is garbage.

But, every time my friend has made this statement, men immediately get offended and argue from a place of hurt. Imagine how much we could accomplish as a society if men humbly listened to what my friend has to say about men and oppression and began a robust dialogue to heal those wounds.

In sum, the only way oppression and sexism can end, inside of the church or out, is when men divest themselves of the oppressive mindset they have honed through the years—the one that got us to this place in our world. positions of privilege whenever possible. When there are opportunities to mentor women, or welcome them in leadership positions, we have to be serious about making that happen. This is simply a remedial step to address past oppression. In my church, women occupy most of the key leadership positions, and I’m thrilled about it. I say from the pulpit that I want women to serve and lead with me. I use inclusive language for our God because we know our God is bigger than pronouns and wants everyone, including women, to see themselves within the image of God.

If we see something, we have to say something.

In sum, the only way oppression and sexism can end, inside of the church or out, is when men divest themselves of the oppressive mindset they have honed through the years— the one that got us to this place in our world.

What is more, men must acknowledge that women need safe spaces. And we must be able to support and respect them. In churches I have served, there has almost always been a men’s group and a women’s group. When I tell the congregations that there really is no need for a men’s group, because the world allows men to gather and be supported everywhere and all the time, I get blank stares. But it is true. Men do not have the same need as women, who are maneuvering through past and current discrimination and oppression, to have a safe space to gather and support each other. Acknowledging that women need this space while men do not is a key way men can help end oppression.

As I finished writing my sermon, the siren passed by and faded into the distance. I took another glance at the stack of words from wise women that were holding the table down. And I thought to myself, in the final analysis, it is the weight and wisdom of their lives and words that holds our society together.

Finally, we have to walk the walk. What I mean is we have to help end oppression by advocating for women from our bookstore :

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As men, we would be wise to serve under them too.

David Hart is a practicing attorney and lead pastor of a growing church in Madison, Wisconsin. His mom says he’s special on the inside.

M U T U A L I T Y | ”What Holds Us Together: Hope that Spans Generations” 25

Book Review

The Gospel According to Eve: A History of Women’s Interpretation

by Amanda W. Benckhuysen

By Kurty Darling I am a woman, I work in biblical interpretation, and I am not alone. This is the gripping truth presented in Amanda Benckhuysen’s book The Gospel According to Eve. She opens her work with the claim, “In the history of the church, there have always been those who have questioned notions of women’s inferiority and who have believed that the Bible intends woman’s full emancipation and equality” (1–2). The book then outlines the overwhelming historical testament of women interpreting the Bible, and specifically interpreting the figure of Eve, since the beginning of the church.

While many today diminish arguments for women’s leadership in the church by claiming that they are an innovation born of the twentieth-century women’s rights movements, Benckhuysen’s work traces the roots for women’s full equality back to the fourth century. For these interpreters, “the Bible, when interpreted correctly, is woman’s greatest advocate, encouraging women to embrace in Christ their full humanity as image bearers of God” (2). But this stream of voices has often been silenced or left in the margins. Benckhuysen sets out to “trace the history of this alternative reading of Scripture, reflected in the voices of women and their interaction with Genesis 1–3.”

The book is arranged thematically, emphasizing the dynamic activity of women’s voices and thought despite the barriers present to them. Beginning in chapter 2, Benckhuysen introduces women interpreters who used Eve to defend the worth of women. Women have long

26 M U T U A L I T Y | Spring 2020

been represented negatively through media, art, and literature. During the early fifteenth century amidst the cultural awakening in Europe, the massive resurgence of Greek texts brought with it strongly misogynistic representations of women. Benckhuysen introduces us to Christine de Pizan (1363–c. 1430) who recognized that the representation of women in popular literature did not fit with her own experiences and would have a negative impact on her daughters, sisters, and friends.

Christine was first to argue that Adam was meant to love Eve, rather than dominate her, because she was made from his side, a position of intimacy, mutuality, and equality. Benckhuysen then highlights six other women’s writings during the thirteenth to seventeenth centuries. These women interpreted Eve as a beacon of hope, redemption, and spiritual power, thus combating the cultural stereotypes that women were weak, foolish, dangerous, and irrational.

Chapter 3 focuses on women’s education. Women used Genesis 1–3 as a way to associate classical education with the cultivation of virtue, and more virtuous women would be beneficial for all society. This chapter includes summaries from Lucrezia Tornabuoni, Anne Wheathill, Marie de Gournay, Anna Maria van Schurman, Bathsua Makin, and Mary Chudleigh.

Chapter 4 groups writers who focused on marriage, wives, and mothers. The first writer highlighted is Mary Astell, who wrote bluntly about the reality of marriage during the eighteenth century. She believed that wifely

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submission was not one of divine prescription but rather a prediction based on the patriarchal culture of ancient Israel. This chapter also introduces Lucy Hutton and her theology of sex, Elizabeth Clinton engaging with mothers and breastfeeding, and Hannah More on female philanthropy.

Chapter 5 is about women as preachers and teachers.

Advocates for women in these positions have been left in the margins, but they have been active since the beginning. Margaret Fell believed that preaching was the responsibility of all Christians, a belief that became foundational in the Quaker movement. Other women highlighted in this section are Antoinette Bourignon, M. Marsin, Rebecca Jackson, Deborah Peirce, Harriet Livermore, Catherine Booth, and Frances Willard.

Benckhuysen expertly covers the breadth of this debate and shows us that there have been traditions all along who have celebrated women in the pulpit as enriching to the Christian tradition.

Chapter 6 is on forming the character of children. It highlights eight women and their writings, including Sarah Hale, who is largely known for advocating for Thanksgiving as a national holiday. This chapter highlights the shift in women taking control of teaching children about the various elements of faith. As such these women had a great impact on the future generations of both men and women who grew up under their influence.

Chapter 7 highlights women advocating for social reform.

This chapter illustrates the interconnectedness of human rights and women’s rights, especially in the abolitionist movement, the women’s suffrage movement, and labor reform of the nineteenth century. This chapter celebrates that the first wave of the women’s rights movement was started by Christian women as they rediscovered a new identity in God through Eve. Their advocacy for real social and moral reform moved the country towards impactful legislative change in combatting racism and sexism.

Finally, chapter 8 examines the formation of gender ideologies in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

These women interpreters shared the assumption that being created equal to man necessitated social equality.

Based on their study of Scripture, women pursued increases in women’s rights, protections, and freedoms.

As women were admitted to universities and increasingly able to study the Bible for themselves, the rush of scholarship around equality led to new areas of research bookstore :

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such as feminist interpretation. The increasing access to scholarship in the majority world also brings the global voices of Teresa Okure from Nigeria, Aruna Ananadason from India, Filipino scholar Elizabeth Dominguez, and Latina theologian Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz.

From Benckhuysen’s work, it is clear to see that egalitarian interpretations of Genesis 1–3 are not simply a cultural response to our current historical context, but rather lie at the heart of the creation story and are a key element in what it means for humanity to have been created equally in the image of God. The fact that women throughout time and history, largely undereducated and disconnected from one another, have come to similar conclusions only strengthens her argument. These women offered interpretations focused on equality and dignity in times and places where patriarchy was the rule of law.

Each chapter can be read alone or in a group, and discussion questions are provided in an appendix. This book is a good choice for Sunday school classes, churchrelated book clubs, or other reading groups interested in studying historical theology. The research is robust and scholarly, lending itself for use in the classroom, but it is also accessible to those with a beginner’s knowledge of theology who are looking to increase their depth and breadth on this topic.

This work is an important piece of the continued quest to uncover the historical voices of women. What The Gospel According to Eve shows us is that throughout the entire history of the church, individuals have been fighting to show that female subordination cannot be supported by Scripture. When the church succumbs to the limitations of roles based on gender, they are perpetuating patriarchal values which have no place among God’s people, who are marked by equality, justice, and mercy. The historical evidence presented in Benckhuysen’s work is enough to make every church reexamine their own doctrines and the historical developments that led to them. For anyone who has been told that equality of the genders is not biblically or historically based, you will find a great cloud of witnesses who have been highlighting the alternative view for centuries.

Kurty Darling holds an MA in Narrative Theology from United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. She serves as an adjunct instructor at Bethel University and is working to complete her PhD. She is an avid reader, board game player, coffee drinker, and camper.

M U T U A L I T Y | ”What Holds Us Together: Hope that Spans Generations” 27

Ministry News

MEET CBE’S NEW TEAM MEMBERS

Annie Annie Mercado joined CBE part-time as an administrative assistant. She is an opera singer completing her Master’s in Music at the University of Minnesota, where last fall, some of the CBE team had the privilege of watching her perform Micaëla in Carmen.

While Annie has been singing for many years, she also has administrative experience in several different organizational settings.

As a young Christian woman, CBE’s mission encourages Annie to more clearly see gender bias, both faith-related and in the wider world. She’s proud to be a part of an organization like CBE and hopes to continue strengthening her professional skills through her work here.

Julene

Margaret If you’ve noticed a change in CBE’s look, that’s Margaret’s influence. Margaret Lawrence came to CBE in October as the graphic designer and marketing technology coordinator. She brings over a decade of print and digital experience. Having always worked in commerical design, Margaret is thrilled to be part of the nonprofit community. She shares, “It’s great to contribute to an organization breaking down age-old barriers and building new opportunites for so many.”

In her spare time Margaret enjoys reading, horseback riding, and playing with her one-year-old daughter, Autumn.

28 M U T U A L I T Y | Spring 2020

Julene Holt took over development from Mary Lou Wiley, who is now handling CBE’s marketing communications. Julene is a certified fundraiser with a BS in Business and a Master's in Organizational Leadership. She brings 25 years of experience to CBE, including fundraising for Christian radio, Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge, and other nonprofits. She understands the struggles of being a woman in leadership because she has been in leadership roles since the early 1990s and is the current chairperson of her church.

Julene is blessed to have an egalitarian husband and believes the work of CBE is instrumental in securing equality for her own three daughters and three granddaughters. She is excited to work with CBE staff and its partners to help equip and educate people so we can all contribute our gifts to the work and glory of God.

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Praise and Prayer

Praise

Prayer

•

CBE finalized details of the 2020 conference, including a fantastic venue—the London School of Theology— and a schedule of amazing speakers. Attendees from twelve countries have registered, and we’re already more than halfway to our attendance goal.

•

CBE’s new website is nearly complete, but the search function takes a bit too long. Please pray that the developers can address this issue quickly and effectively.

Pray that God uses our website to reach many more around the world who can benefit from CBE’s mission.

•

Sponsored by a Christian outreach at Denver University, CBE's president, Dr. Mimi Haddad, joined a panel addressing global concerns and root causes of abuse.

Content is available online. While in Colorado Mimi also met with CBE supporters and spoke on #MeToo at Centennial Convenant Church and CBE's Colorado Springs chapter.

•

•

As CBE finishes its fiscal year, we are thankful for the generous donors who advance our mission and help us meet our year-end budget goals.

Created to Thrive: A Holistic Approach to Cultivating Gender Equality in the Church, CBE’s resource on preventing abuse, is entering the design stage. Please pray that the final details progress smoothly, and that our marketing efforts enable this new resource to reach as many church leaders as possible. (We’d love your input. If you would like to review a proof copy, email bookstore@cbeinternational.org.)

•

Mimi will lecture at the MacArthur School of Leadership at Palm Beach Atlantic University late in March and at Bethlehem Bible College in June. Please pray for safe travel, wisdom, and impactful connections for Mimi and for all who hear her message.

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Pray for CBE’s ministry partners in Cameroon, Kenya, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, as they plan to serve their communities over the next twelve months. Please pray for CBE, as we discern how best to come alongside them in their work.

•

CBE's Alvera Mickelsen Memorial Scholoarship application for the 2020–2021 academic year is open!

CBE is beyond grateful to be able to help women answer their call to ministry. To date, we are just $3,150 short of our goal to award three more scholoarships this summer.

Reflect With Us

by H. Edgar Hix

To a Woman in Ministry from the Grandmothers in Her Church

You are doing what we could not do because we did what we could. bookstore :

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M U T U A L I T Y | ”What Holds Us Together: Hope that Spans Generations” 29

President’s Message

by Mimi Haddad

Setting a Movement Aflame: The Power of CBE’s Founders Who am I? What is my life’s purpose? Where is my community? How do I find them? These questions filled my prayers, my conscious thoughts, and my seeking spirit throughout my twenties. In answering these questions, an attentiveness to my spirit as it quickened around people and ideas proved a faithful guide.

For example, I felt compelled to engage those who used Scripture to “other” women in a way that limited their dignity and agency or shamed their gifts and calling. The energy that burst in me in these all too frequent occurrences drove me to search for resources and colleagues who were equally energized. Imagine my delight when I discovered their books and finally met CBE’s founders, Catherine Clark Kroeger (Cathie), Alvera Mickelsen, and Gretchen Gaebelein Hull. Here’s what happened and why I was hooked.

As a student at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, I was in student government working to double the number of women faculty from one to two. Cathie was the logical choice. A respected classics scholar, the student government negotiated a summer class on women in the early church on her behalf. Unsurprisingly, Cathie’s “witness” was a game changer and the seminary continued to give her teaching opportunities. She not only cast vision for women seminarians vocationally, but she also challenged, biblically and by example, the dominance and impunity (unintentionally as it was) of a male-dominated faculty. Her lectures were so captivating that the Chair of Christian Thought began attending. I was grateful to overhear him ask her after attending several classes: “Would you have additional readings for boneheads like me?”

Stunningly, Cathie’s performance in the classroom included jumping up and leaving her lectern to help a pregnant student who had fainted in class. Holding the student’s hand, Cathie instructed someone to call her husband, while telling the collapsed woman, “Dear, 30 M U T U A L I T Y | Spring 2020

you may have low blood sugar. Don’t worry! I’ve had five children and know how easy it is to become lightheaded when pregnant.” Once she recovered, Cathie walked back to her notes and finished her lecture! A mother of five and foster mother to many more, Cathie demonstrated that women can serve the needs of people and also lead the church theologically. Cathie also began giving students like me leadership opportunities in the egalitarian movement, and we began to sense the delight in our spirits as we worked. It was through Cathie that I met our beloved Alvera Mickelsen.

A people’s theologian and organizational pragmatist, Alvera’s giggle often diffused the tension in any room.

She was a professor of journalism, and her shrewd mind uncluttered the real issues behind theological problems and organizational conflict. Her humble persistence gracefully unmasked assumptions without giving offense. Beside Alvera was Berkeley Mickelsen, her brilliant husband and a respected New Testament scholar. Together they modeled a compelling mutuality that challenged the pink and blue assumptions embedded in evangelical thought and practice. They had nothing to prove! Authentically, they created safe places at the table for others to explore CBE’s mission. Unsurprisingly, they earned the respect of those who agreed and disagreed with CBE’s mission. Alvera jumped right into my heart from our first meeting, and I’m one of thousands who have cherished her wisdom.

On the early board with Cathie and Alvera, Gretchen Gaebelein Hull served as editor of CBE’s first publication, Priscilla Papers—our academic journal which today garners over 100,000 online hits each quarter. To CBE, Gretchen brought a deep biblical passion for social justice. Theologically joined to firstwave feminists, Gretchen distinguished CBE from the second wave by noting that CBE locates women’s leadership and mutuality within Scripture, an obligation that secular feminists ignore. Her book Equal to Serve: website :

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Women and Men Working Together to Reveal the Gospel was an immediate best seller beside the Kroegers’ I Suffer Not a Woman: Rethinking 1 Timothy 2:11–15 in Light of Ancient Evidence and the Mickelsens’ Studies on Biblical Equality.

All in their sixties, Gretchen, Cathie, and Alvera invested their extraordinary talent, time, and treasure not only in incorporating CBE as a nonprofit but also in their oversight of its mission, bylaws, finances, publications, events, and staff. Their leadership challenged both male dominance and impunity in a biblical way.

They consistently modeled mutuality with their lives, demonstrating the logic for men and women sharing authority. Alvera, for instance, taught many classes helping women learn to manage household funds, since women often outlive their husbands by many years.

While this may not seem extraordinary, she saved many families from financial ruin!

God gave our founders the talent, strength, and wisdom they needed to promote mutuality in compelling ways, especially among those who believed affirming women’s leadership ignored the teachings of Scripture.

Realizing they faced not only biblical critics but also a history of suspicion for their views, our founders instinctively used the principles of diffusion to make a case for an egalitarian worldview. In crossing cultural lines among evangelicals, CBE founders demonstrated that marginalizing women’s gifts and calling was itself a terrible misreading of Scripture with devastating consequences. So, they pressed on to: 1. Model the Message: With every opportunity, they showed the power and logic of mutuality by modeling it personally.

2. Use accessible language: Reaching scholars, Cathie wrote our earliest technical book, and Gretchen edited our academic journal, but Alvera

God gave our founders the talent, strength, and wisdom they needed to promote mutuality in compelling ways, especially among those who believed affirming women’s leadership ignored the teachings of Scripture.

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made these ideas accessible. Imminently practical, she ensured our messaging was theologically precise, yet accessible for a ninth grader—hard to do!

3. Show the Relative Advantage: Mutuality is not only biblical it is also sensible for everyone.

Since neither leaders nor husbands possess every needed talent, and because no one knows what the future holds, sharing knowledge, authority, and responsibility is best for everyone. Since the beginning, CBE has shown the personal advantages of shared leadership. Today, it is commonly understood that spouses who share authority, housework, and childcare are happier; their sons are less likely to posture unhealthy masculinity, and their daughters have healthier relationships with men and have more successful careers. What is more, some experts are even saying that husbands who share in housework live longer.

4. Connect to Shared Values: Because our critics misrepresented egalitarians as secular feminists dressed in biblical clothes, Cathie provided the exegetical work demonstrating CBE’s high regard for Scripture, while Gretchen proved how CBE’s mission shared the values of first-wave feminists who did not divorce evangelism from social activism.

5. Provide Safe Opportunities: To take their first steps as egalitarians, Alvera and Berkeley not only modeled ways to live out mutuality through giftedness rather than gender but they also offered churches and individuals a range of ways men and women could share authority in everyday life.

From the first day I met Cathie to the day I heard Alvera say “amen” as we prayed our last prayer together, I consider it the highest honor to have worked beside three pioneers who brought needed biblical and social reform to churches, denominations, and individuals.

Cathie alone housed so many abused women that I can only imagine the many lives she must have saved throughout her ministry. Yes, their leadership quickened my spirit, fueled my energy, and directed my vocation.

For one soul on fire lights a spark in countless hearts, setting aflame a movement that gives light in the night, renewing the church. May God quicken your spirit in discernable ways that direct where your talents, time, and energies are needed most.

M U T U A L I T Y | ”What Holds Us Together: Hope that Spans Generations” 31

CBE

1988 Christians for Biblical Equality is established, with Catherine Clark Kroeger serving as president and Alvera Mickelsen chairing the board of directors

THROUGH

1989 CBE publishes the "Statement on Men, Women, and Biblical Equality" and hosts its first conference in St. Paul, MN

1994 The first issue of Mutuality is published

THE YEARS

1998 CBE launches its first website, making resources widely available

1999 CBE grows to include members from every state 2003 CBE publishes its first book, God's Word to Women

2013 The first international ministry partnership is established

2017 The Year of Jubliee makes all online resources free for everyone

32  M U T U A L I T Y | Spring 2020

1987 Evangelical leaders assemble to publish their biblical perspective in a new scholarly journal, Priscilla Papers, edited by Gretchen Gaebelein Hull

2004 CBE's first international conference is hosted in Durham, England

2002 Mimi Haddad becomes president of CBE

2014 Christians for Biblical Equality becomes CBE International, reflecting its expanding global influence www.

2019 CBE's website visits top 1 million

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cbeBookstore

providing quality resources on biblical gender equality

R ECO M M E N D E D R E S O U RC E S F RO M C B E !

The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World, Melinda Gates In this candid and inspiring book, Gates traces her awakening to the link between women’s empowerment and the health of societies.

She shows some of the tremendous opportunities that exist right now to “turbo-charge” change.

And she provides simple and effective ways each one of us can make a difference.

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From Risk to Resilience: How Empowering Young Women Can Change Everything, Jenny Rae Armstrong

What Is a Girl Worth?

My Story of Breaking the Silence and Exposing the Truth about Larry Nassar and USA Gymnastics, Rachael Denhollander

Educating women is the most effective way to combat extreme poverty, slash child mortality rates, and build healthy communities. But first a girl must navigate the minefields of childhood and adolescence. Drawing on resources from the gender justice movement and from heroines of the Bible, Armstrong offers a stirring call to action, with practical ways that churches and individuals can help girls around the globe thrive.

The first victim to publicly accuse Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics team doctor who sexually abused hundreds of young athletes, Denhollander now reveals her full story for the first time. This deeply personal and compelling narrative shines a spotlight on the physical and emotional impact of abuse, why so many survivors are reluctant to speak out, what it means to be believed, the extraordinary power of faith and forgiveness, and how we can learn to do what’s right in the moments that matter most.

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Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership: Seeking God in the Crucible of Ministry, Ruth Haley Barton Weaving together contemporary illustrations with penetrating insight from the life of Moses, Barton invites us to an honest exploration of what happens when spiritual leaders lose track of their souls. This expanded edition includes the popular “How Is It with Your Soul?” assessment for leaders and a flexible six- or twelve-week guided experience for groups.

M U T U A L I T Y | ”What Holds Us Together: Hope that Spans Generations” 33

Giving Opportunities We Need Your Help to Bring More People into the Conversation!

“CBE’s conference was a historical moment in my life. My scope of understanding was incredibly widened.

Now I can engage others from a biblical foundation thanks to the conference.”

At CBE’s 2020 conference in London, we will be working with an international team to explore the biblical case for women’s full leadership in Christian nonprofits, churches, and seminaries.

It is important that we provide scholarships to those who cannot afford to attend the CBE conference in July. It is critical that they receive encouragement and resources so they can use their God-given talents to lead and serve.

Research shows that including women in all levels of decision-making spurs economic and social development and improves quality of life for everyone.

Our goal is to raise over $20,000 in scholarships so that those who can really make a difference in their communities will be able to attend, including NGO leaders and ministry partners in East Africa.

I am a single woman, who lives alone. I make $11 per hour and anticipate making $14,000 this year. I desire to attend the CBE conference because on my campus this year, I will pursue the advancement of women in academics by creating networking opportunities and speaking with individual departments about actively mentoring women.

I hope the CBE conference will equip me to advocate strongly for the students I represent and to engage in conversations in which I can communicate persuasively and passionately my views on the role of women in the church and in seminary.

Scholarship applicant

Please send a gift today to provide scholarships for those who need your help.

Give securely online at cbe.today/conscholarships, mail a check with “conf scholar” noted in the memo, or call us at 612-872-6898

Thank You!

Your gift will bring more international participation to the 2020 conference and help women from around the world enter the conversation.

34 M U T U A L I T Y | Spring 2020

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CBE INTERNATIONAL

CBE SUBSCRIPTION / MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

Mission Statement CBE exists to promote the biblical message that God calls women and men of all cultures, races, and classes to share authority equally in service and leadership in the home, church, and world. CBE’s mission is to eliminate the power imbalance between men and women resulting from theological patriarchy.

• We believe in one God, creator and sustainer of the universe, eternally existing as three persons equal in power and glory.

• We believe in the full deity and the full humanity of Jesus Christ.

• We believe that eternal salvation and restored relationships are only possible through faith in Jesus Christ who died for us, rose from the dead, and is coming again. This salvation is offered to all people.

• We believe the Holy Spirit equips us for service and sanctifies us from sin.

• We believe the Bible is the inspired word of God, is reliable, and is the final authority for faith and practice.

• We believe that women and men are equally created in God’s image and given equal authority and stewardship of God’s creation.

• We believe that men and women are equally responsible for and distorted by sin, resulting in shattered relationships with God, self, and others.

To learn more about CBE’s values, history, and ministry, visit cbe.today/info.

CONNECT WITH CBE Connect with CBE online to learn more about us, enjoy the resources we offer, and take part in our ministry.

Visit our website, cbeinternational.org, to find thousands of free resources—articles, book reviews, and video and audio recordings.

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