Christians for Biblical Equality

Christians for Biblical Equality (CBE) is a Minneapolis-based Christian organization that promotes Christian egalitarianism, the view that women and men are equally called and gifted for leadership and ministry. Its work is directed particularly toward churches, Christian educators, pastors, scholars, congregations, and activists seeking theological and practical resources on gender, the Bible, and social justice. CBE describes Scripture as its authoritative guide for faith, life, and practice, while arguing that the Bible reflects patriarchal cultures without presenting male dominance as God's intended model for human relationships. The organization maintains that restrictions on women's use of their spiritual gifts constitute an injustice because they limit freedom, dignity, leadership, and participation in the Christian community. Its theological position supports the ordination of women and shared authority in marriage and church life. CBE also emphasizes that Christian relationships should be characterized by mutual submission and service rather than gender-based hierarchy. Its stated framework includes faithful heterosexual marriage, celibate singleness, and mutuality among believers. The organization emerged from divisions within the evangelical feminist movement during the 1980s. After the Evangelical Women's Caucus adopted a resolution supporting its lesbian minority and civil rights for homosexual people in 1986, a number of evangelical egalitarians sought a separate organization that would continue advocating women's full participation in ministry while maintaining a more conservative theological identity on sexuality. Catherine Clark Kroeger and several other evangelical leaders assembled in 1987 to develop a scholarly journal and establish a national educational ministry. CBE was formally established on January 2, 1988, with Kroeger as its first president. CBE's best-known intellectual statement is “Men, Women, and Biblical Equality,” a declaration presenting biblical arguments for women's participation at every level of ministry and for mutuality in marriage. The statement was circulated widely in 1990 and has been translated into 15 languages. The organization also publishes journals and magazines, operates a website and blog, distributes a weekly electronic newsletter, maintains an online bookstore, and supports local chapters. Its scholarly journal, Priscilla Papers, and its ministry publication, Mutuality, have received publishing recognition. These publications address biblical interpretation, theology, church practice, domestic abuse, leadership, missions, and the experiences of women and men in Christian communities. CBE has developed an international network that includes members from more than 100 denominations and 65 countries. It has organized three-day international conferences in numerous North American cities and held overseas events in countries including England, India, Kenya, Colombia, and Australia. An Australian chapter was established in Melbourne in 2005 and later expanded to chapters in Sydney and Perth. CBE operates within a wider evangelical debate over egalitarianism and complementarianism. Complementarian organizations generally affirm the equal worth of women and men while reserving certain forms of authority in the home or church for men. CBE rejects compulsory male spiritual authority, although some of its members may use the word “complementarian” to describe gender complementarity without hierarchy. The organization has occasionally engaged representatives of the complementarian movement, including a 1994 discussion concerning a proposed joint statement on abuse in marriage. CBE ultimately declined to issue the statement jointly, explaining that its position on abuse was inseparable from its broader theological understanding of gender and authority. CBE remains an active educational ministry whose principal “offerings” are publications, conferences, research resources, training, advocacy, and local-chapter support rather than consumer goods. Its present identity is closely associated with biblical scholarship, women's ordination, gender equality in Christian institutions, and opposition to patriarchal practices that it regards as harmful or unjust.

Christians for Biblical Equality developed from evangelical debates about women's ministry, biblical interpretation, and the relationship between gender equality and other social issues. During the 1980s, many evangelical Christians who supported women's full participation in church leadership were associated with the Evangelical Women's Caucus. In 1986, that organization adopted a resolution recognizing its lesbian members and supporting civil rights protections for homosexual people. Some evangelical egalitarians disagreed with that direction and left the organization. Among them was Catherine Clark Kroeger, who became a central figure in organizing a new body focused on biblical equality within a more conservative evangelical framework. In 1987, Kroeger and a group of evangelical scholars and ministry leaders, including Gilbert Bilezikian, W. Ward Gasque, Stanley Gundry, Gretchen Gaebelein Hull, Jo Anne Lyon, Alvera Mickelsen, and Roger Nicole, assembled to develop resources supporting their understanding of gender and Scripture. Their initial work included the creation of Priscilla Papers, a scholarly journal intended to provide biblical, theological, and historical arguments for women's participation in ministry. The group concluded that a national organization was needed to provide education, leadership, and support to churches and individuals committed to the same position. Christians for Biblical Equality was formally established on January 2, 1988, with Kroeger serving as its first president. The organization subsequently developed a statement titled “Men, Women, and Biblical Equality.” The statement presents the Bible as authoritative while arguing that patriarchal structures are consequences of sin and historical culture rather than a divine mandate for relationships between women and men. It advocates equal access to ministry, shared authority in marriage, and the unrestricted use of women's spiritual gifts. The statement was broadly publicized in 1990, including through major Christian periodicals, and was later translated and distributed in 15 languages. CBE expanded beyond its original scholarly and advocacy focus into a broader educational ministry. It published Priscilla Papers, developed the ministry magazine Mutuality, operated a website and blog, distributed a weekly electronic newsletter, and maintained an online bookstore featuring books and other resources on gender and the Bible from an egalitarian perspective. It also supported grassroots chapters, enabling local groups to organize educational events and build networks within different denominational settings. The organization reports members from more than 100 denominations and 65 countries. The organization's development took place alongside the rise of the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, founded in 1987 to defend a complementarian interpretation of gender roles. The two movements became prominent participants in evangelical debates over women's ordination, authority in marriage, biblical hermeneutics, and church leadership. In 1994, representatives associated with CBE and the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood met in Chicago to explore areas of agreement. They discussed a possible joint statement condemning abuse in marriage. Although a draft was prepared with input from CBE representatives, CBE's board declined to participate in a joint public release, concluding that a shared statement with an organization holding fundamentally different views about gender and authority could create confusion for both constituencies. The proposed statement was later published independently by the complementarian organization. Beginning in 1989, CBE organized recurring international conferences. These events combined plenary addresses, workshops, theological discussion, and ministry training. Conferences were held in cities across the United States and Canada, including Saint Paul, Cape Cod, Winter Park, Wheaton, San Diego, Orlando, Dallas, Portland, Denver, Toronto, St. Louis, Houston, Seattle, Chicago, and Pittsburgh. CBE also developed an international conference presence through events in Durham, Bangalore, Limuru, Medellín, and Australia. In Australia, a chapter established in Melbourne in October 2005 later expanded to include Sydney and Perth. Kroeger was succeeded as president by Mimi Haddad, who began serving in 2001. Under its continuing educational-ministry model, CBE has remained focused on biblical scholarship, publishing, conferences, chapter development, and advocacy for women's equal participation in Christian life and leadership. Its historical significance lies in its role within evangelical egalitarianism and in its effort to connect academic biblical interpretation with practical reform of church, family, and ministry structures.

• 2005

  Australian chapter established

  [1]Christians for Biblical Equalityen.wikipedia.org

  An Australian CBE chapter was established in Melbourne and later expanded to Sydney and Perth.

• 2001

  Mimi Haddad becomes president

  [1]Christians for Biblical Equalityen.wikipedia.org

  Mimi Haddad succeeded Catherine Clark Kroeger as CBE's president.

• 1994

  Dialogue over a proposed abuse statement

  [1]Christians for Biblical Equalityen.wikipedia.org

  CBE representatives met with leaders associated with the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood to discuss a possible joint statement condemning abuse in marriage. CBE ultimately declined joint publication.

• 1990

  Biblical equality statement receives broad circulation

  [1]Christians for Biblical Equalityen.wikipedia.org

  The “Men, Women, and Biblical Equality” statement was published and promoted through national Christian forums, later reaching readers in multiple languages.

• 1989

  International conference program begins

  [1]Christians for Biblical Equalityen.wikipedia.org

  CBE began presenting recurring three-day international conferences featuring plenary sessions and workshops on biblical equality and ministry.

• 1988

  CBE formally established

  [1]Christians for Biblical Equalityen.wikipedia.org

  Christians for Biblical Equality was established on January 2, with Catherine Clark Kroeger as its first president.

• 1987

  Foundational scholarly and organizational meetings

  [1]Christians for Biblical Equalityen.wikipedia.org

  Catherine Clark Kroeger and other evangelical leaders assembled to develop Priscilla Papers and plan a national organization devoted to biblical equality.

• 1986

  Division within the Evangelical Women's Caucus

  [1]Christians for Biblical Equalityen.wikipedia.org

  A resolution concerning the organization's lesbian members and civil rights for homosexual people contributed to the departure of several evangelical egalitarians who later helped form CBE.

A Christian egalitarian educational and advocacy ministry that combines evangelical biblical scholarship with support for women's ordination, shared leadership, mutuality in marriage, and opposition to gender-based injustice.

• Scholarly journal · 1987

  Priscilla Papers

  CBE's scholarly journal addresses biblical interpretation, theology, church history, ministry, and gender from a Christian egalitarian perspective. It was developed during the organization's formative period as a vehicle for research and argument supporting women's full participation in church leadership. The publication has received recognition in religious publishing and remains one of CBE's principal intellectual resources.

• Christian ministry magazine

  Mutuality

  Mutuality is CBE's ministry-oriented magazine, presenting accessible discussion of biblical equality, Christian leadership, marriage, discipleship, abuse prevention, and the practical implications of egalitarian theology. It complements the more academic orientation of Priscilla Papers by connecting theological arguments with congregational and personal ministry contexts.

• Theological statement · 1990

  Men, Women, and Biblical Equality

  This foundational statement summarizes CBE's biblical and theological case for equal participation by women and men in ministry, leadership, marriage, and Christian community. It argues that patriarchy is not the biblical ideal, that women should be free to exercise their spiritual gifts, and that authority in Christian relationships should be mutual rather than based on gender. The statement has been translated and disseminated internationally.

• Conference and training program · 1989

  CBE International Conferences

  CBE's international conferences are multi-day gatherings featuring plenary presentations, workshops, scholarly discussion, and ministry training. They bring together church leaders, academics, advocates, and members to examine biblical equality and related issues affecting Christian institutions and communities. Events have been held in North America and at overseas locations in Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Australia.

• 1990Men, Women, and Biblical Equality dissemination

  United States · International

  CBE promoted its theological statement through Christian publications and wider church networks to explain its case for equal ministry participation and mutuality in marriage.

  Outcome. The statement was translated and distributed in 15 languages.

  Source
• 1989International conference program

  United States · Canada · International

  CBE began using recurring international conferences as a principal method for teaching, networking, and mobilizing support for women's equal participation in Christian ministry and leadership.

  Outcome. The program expanded across multiple North American cities and later included conferences in England, India, Kenya, Colombia, and Australia.

  Source

• 1994

  Declining joint publication of a marriage-abuse statementOther

  Background

  CBE and the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood explored whether they could jointly condemn abuse in marriage despite their major disagreement over gender roles and authority.

  Action taken

  After discussions and preparation of a draft statement, CBE's board decided not to participate in a joint press conference or joint release, saying that the shared document could send mixed signals because the organizations grounded their positions in different theological frameworks.

  Aftermath

  The statement was later published independently by the complementarian organization. The episode illustrated both limited common ground and the difficulty of cooperation between the two movements.

  • Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood — Wayne Grudem expressed regret that CBE declined to join the statement and questioned whether further constructive dialogue would be possible.

  Source

1. 1Christians for Biblical Equalityen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Christians for Biblical Equality official websitecbeinternational.org