"...bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh." (Gen. 2:23a, TNIV)
 

New Endorsement!

The Reverend Dr. Judy Mbugua had this to say about CBE; "CBE is a ministry in the 'right time and season', especially for the men and women in Africa, most of whom need to be Christians in Africa, rather than African Christians! This would liberate them from some traditions and culture that hinder Christian growth."

Rev. Dr. Judy W. Mbugua is a broadcaster with weekly programs for Women of Global Action, Pan African Christian Women Alliance, and Ladies Homecare Spiritual Fellowship. She is also Team Leader of The Association of Evangelicals in Africa.

To read other endorsements click here.

Lorry Lutz speaking on "Lessons in Leadership: A Biblical Study of Women in Ministry" at the Toronto Conference!

Lorry Lutz is the former director of the international AD2000 Women's Track and author of nine books including Women as Risk Takers for God. She served as a missionary in South Africa for 22 years before working with Partners International as Director of Communications.

Lorry shared with us her reason for coming to the Toronto conference. "One of the highlights of the conference is to meet women in leadership in many different kinds of ministries. Listening to them speak, participate in panels, or simply around the meal tables, I am encouraged and stimulated to take advantage of opportunities to serve the Lord where He’s placed me."

For information about the Toronto conference, click here.

To register for the Toronto conference, click here or contact Rachel at 612-872-6898.

Women Bishops Appointed In Australia!

Friday April 11 2008, Kay Goldsworthy was the first woman to be appointed  a bishop in Australia. The Anglican Communion News Service quotes the Archbishop of Perth, the Most Reverend Roger Herft, as saying "In making this announcement I am delighted that we in the church of Perth continue our unwavering commitment to Christ's gospel by recognising women and men as equal partners in the world." She will be consecrated on May 22 at Saint George's Cathedral in Perth. Reverend Canon Barbara Darling is the second woman in Australia to be appointed a bishop. Appointed April 24, 2008, she will be the Assistant Bishop for the Diocese of Melbourne and she will be consecrated Saturday May 31 at Saint Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne. Congratulations!

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Translation of Words by JLP

The Ideal Egalitarian Church? by Guest

Have something to say? Please consider either posting or commenting on The CBE Scroll. Questions? Email Liz and Trevor at onesykes(at)bigpond(dot)com.

Equality Depot has some new resources! The selection includes books addressing women's experience in church, a compilation of calendars illustrating evidence for numerous women presbyters in the early church, MP3 recordings by evangelical scholars, and fiction.

To browse our new resources, click here

Are Women Fully Human?

If you spend time with 20 and 30 year olds, you realize one of the most important topics on their minds, understandably, is dating and marriage. Young men and women are eager to discover gender differences, awakening powerfully in them; to understand and interact with the opposite sex in ways that please God and nurture their own maturity. It is a very exciting time in life, and their questions are healthy and God-given. Yet a powerful industry has developed to address gender in ways that are at odds with the biblical account.

According to Jackson Katz (author of The Macho Paradox: Why Some Men Hurt Women and How All Men Can Help ), secular culture depicts male action heroes as muscular, forceful and dominant, while females are imaged as frail beauties, dependent on dominant males. Look at Barbie or female heroes in Disney movies for example. Sadly, the same message on gender appears in much Christian literature. Here women are depicted as captivating, waiting for rescue by Mr. Wild-at-Heart, who longs to fight battles and rescue beauties.

How different is the Genesis story! What are the first words out of Adam's mouth when he meets Eve? Adam does not proclaim his difference from Eve, but his likeness to her. With joy Adam exclaims, “‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman’, for she was taken out of man.’ For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:23-24, TNIV) The Bible emphasizes not the difference between Adam and Eve but their oneness of substance; they share the same bones and flesh, foreshadowing their union as man and wife.

Adam’s aloneness (the only “not good” in a perfect world) is met not by a weak, waif-like, dependent creature, but by Eve whom God created as a “helper corresponding to him” in Genesis 2:18, NASB. (See Man and Woman in Biblical Unity). A corresponding help, or ezer kenegdo in Hebrew, not only emphasizes Eve’s likeness to Adam, but also her strength! Eve is a vigorous and strong help or ezer. This word is used in the Old Testament 21 times, 16 of which refers to God’s help. Psalm 121:1-2 reads, “I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help (ezer) comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Adam was not waiting for a frail beauty to rescue. His aloneness was met by a strong help, a partner, found only in Eve, who like Adam was created in God’s image for the shared dominion of Eden!

Friends, join CBE in declaring the good news of Scripture, which celebrates not the frailty and dependence of women, but their strength in working beside men, building Christ’s kingdom!
 

Mimi Haddad, President