FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Mimi Haddad, President
Christians for Biblical Equality
Phone 612-872-6898 Fax 612-872-6891
cbe@cbeinternational.org
www.cbeinternational.org
 
MINNEAPOLIS – July 2005

Awards Ceremony to Honor Sacrifices Made by Gender Equality Advocates

Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that a person could stake his life on it a thousand times. –Martin Luther

On July 29th, 2005, Eastern University in St. Davids, Pennsylvania, will host the Priscilla and Aquila Awards as part of the 9th annual international conference of Christians for Biblical Equality (CBE), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the biblical basis for equality of people regardless of gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic class.

Named after the biblical Priscilla and Aquila—the wife and husband team who taught and worked alongside the apostle Paul at great personal cost—these awards will be presented to: Baptist World Alliance (BWA) for its dedication to building global alliances and Christian unity, upholding human dignity, challenging global oppression, despite being de-funded by the Southern Baptist Convention for partnering with the egalitarian Cooperative Baptist Fellowship; and Women’s Missionary Union of Virginia (WMU), which, in the face of both financial and social pressure from the Southern Baptist Convention, remained dedicated to the biblical premise that God gives gifts to women and men, and God expects all people to use these gifts in advancing Christ’s kingdom.

BWA and WMU represent a growing number of Christian organizations and individuals who oppose hierarchical interpretations of the Bible and seek to reclaim the biblical, theological, and historical heritage of Jesus’ radical message of equality.

Mimi Haddad, President of CBE, will also honor individuals who have promoted the biblical basis for gender equality, often at extreme cost. Some have lost jobs at prestigious seminaries or have been asked to leave prominent Christian organizations. Yet for each recipient, the freedom for all people to serve God based on their giftedness and not their gender is worth the price.

Laura McDaniel, the assistant executive director for WMU, writes: “I am truly humbled that CBE would bestow its highest award in recognition of the Declaration of the Dignity of Women, and we remain committed to boldly proclaiming the Biblical Leadership of women.”

Christians for Biblical Equality is a non-profit organization of Christian men and women from nearly 100 denominations who believe that the Bible, properly interpreted, teaches the fundamental equality of men and women of all ethnicities, all economic classes, and all ages. CBE has been equipping churches, scholars, and laypersons since 1987. For a press kit or for more information about the organization and its conference, visit its Web site at http://www.cbeinternational.org or call 612-872-6898.