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US DENOMINATIONS AND
THEIR STANCE ON WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP
Compiled by CBE
Staff and Volunteers
We are excited to publish the first installment of the
denominations project! We have been anticipating introducing CBE
friends to this updated project for
several months. Much
staff and volunteer effort went into compiling the
list, and the process has been quite
illuminating.
Please know that
this is an incomplete list. If you feel
your denomination is misrepresented, we sincerely apologize and
hope you will assist us in clarifying the position before the
final draft. Please also note that this research is based on
written statements and does not necessarily reflect what actually happens in
practice within any particular denomination listed.
How is this research
organized?
Source of
Information and Quotes
The majority of our
research comes from the particular denomination's website. We
made an effort to pull quotes and summarize findings from
official statements on the issue. In some cases, we use
information from phone or email correspondence, again asking for
the denomination's official stance. You will see the
website or source of the information listed across from the
denomination name.
The quotes are taken
directly from the website or correspondence with representatives
of the denomination.
Categories
The denominations
are organized first under one of three categories: Affirming of
Women in Leadership, Undetermined Stance on Women in Leadership, or
Excluding of Women in Leadership. The affirming category most
often refers to the issue of ordination, but the denomination's
stance is clarified from the quote listed from the website or
correspondence.
The undetermined
category could refer to a variety of issues, but most often
means that the information we were looking for was not available
on the website and we have not yet had contact with
representatives from the denomination. In a few other cases,
denominations were classified as undetermined if they have
decided not to take an official stance. Those denominations will
be clear based on the quote listed from the website or
correspondence.
Finally, the
excluding category is comprised of denominations that do not
ordain women. These denominations do not necessarily deny women
any kind of leadership—many allow women to serve as
Sunday school teachers, musicians, youth workers, or ministry
leaders to women only. A denomination was placed in this
category if it does not recognize women as elders, deacons,
pastors, ministers, and/or directors.
Within each of the
three categories, denominations are listed alphabetically first
by their affiliation and then by their name.
The Research
Download the first
installment of research
here (PDF):
What is the next
step?
We are committed to exploring, through
research and conversation,
denominations' stances
on women in leadership and advocating for the full equality of
women in churches across the country and around the world.
We also are committed to exploring
denominations' stances on women in the home and are hoping to
include this information in the final draft.
You’re invited! We are looking for volunteers to continue the
first steps of this project. Here are some
ways you can help:
Find your denomination on this list:
where does you church officially stand on this issue?
Do you have a clarification or revision for
us? Please contact us with your revisions at
cbe@cbeinternational.org with "denominations project" in the
subject line.
Volunteer:
If your denomination isn’t listed, consider volunteering a few
hours a week researching your own
denomination and others so that we can provide complete
information. For more information, please contact
cbe@cbeinternational.org with "denominations project" in the
subject line.
Interested in what you find? If your experience within
your own denomination has been different then their expressed
statement, or you are wondering how you can address the issue
of gender to your denominational leaders, consider
taking these action steps. Here are
a few ideas:
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Meet with your pastor or denomination's leaders
to discuss how and why the official stance was taken
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Consider forming discussion groups or committees
with members of your congregation or denomination to discuss
the issue of gender
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Present CBE resources to the decision-making
board of your denomination
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Consider assisting other egalitarians in
denominations who do not affirm women
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Consider sponsoring someone from your church
leadership to attend a
CBE conference
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Consider giving your pastor a
CBE membership with subscriptions
to our journals
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Consider starting a
CBE chapter in your area. We can give you help in
launching a grass roots chapter that advocates for biblical
equality
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Consider becoming a
regular donor to advance biblical equality around
the world
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