“There were several women who had never heard that the Bible says they can be leaders. It brings me to tears every time… more women have been freed by the truth to join God’s mission! Praise God!”
We rejoice in this hopeful observation from a long-time CBE member, donor, and volunteer. Her words represent the heartfelt wish of the CBE community—to see women freed to join God’s mission as empowered leaders. CBE labors toward that beautiful vision of biblical gender equality every single day.
30 years ago, CBE had no staff, no furniture, and no bank account. In fact, we didn’t even have an office! Since that time, God has taken our resources and multiplied them beyond anything we could have imagined.
Today, we have much to be thankful for—starting with you. Your steadfast commitment to biblical gender equality is changing the world.
Because of your faithful support, CBE has reached many groups and individuals. These new friends and partners have expressed so much gratitude for the message of biblical gender equality. And we, in turn, want to thank you for making that work, and our upcoming projects, possible.
So, in this season of giving, let us, as a community, reflect on the ways God has blessed us. This year, many new people all over the world joined hands with CBE, maximizing our global impact. We have engaged more people in more places than at any other time since we began this ministry in 1987.
Here are a few of our 2016 highlights:
- The 2016 “Truth Be Told” international conferences in Africa were attended by over 3,500 people from a dozen different countries, all focused on ending gender-based violence. What’s more, they laid the groundwork for continued impact in the form of pastoral training, Bible studies, and local chapters.
- A strong, egalitarian voice was present at several major Christian conferences around the US, with a combined attendance of over 20,000 academics, church leaders, students, and other world-changers.
- Still Side by Side is now available in 20 languages representing dozens of countries worldwide and is free to download. It’s a concise remedy to the gender prejudice that weakens the global church’s ministry.
- By the end of the year, nearly 10,000 journals, books, and DVDs will be in the hands of Christians exploring gender, authority, and the Bible. About half of these resources are supporting ministry partners in Africa.
Such impact is possible only through your faithful commitment to the cause. In honor of 30 years of loyal support from the CBE community, and to spread the Bible’s mandate for gender equality even further, CBE is proclaiming a Year of Jubilee!
In 2017, all digital issues of Priscilla Papers and Mutuality will be free on our website, no membership fees will be charged, and all existing memberships will extend one full year.* Everyone, worldwide, will have access to CBE’s award-winning content!
So please, join hands with us in 2017. Visit cbeinternational.org, read up, and help celebrate CBE’s Year of Jubilee by sharing your favorite articles with friends and family. We want to celebrate you during this season and we’re hoping that you’ll want to partner and celebrate with us too.
Tuesday, November 29, is Giving Tuesday, a global day of giving when everyone is encouraged to take a break from Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping to give back. We invite you to help us bridge the budget gap left by no membership fees by making a gift on Giving Tuesday. Or make a Giving Tuesday gift now—it’s never too early to kick off the giving season.
Thank you for the vital role you play in expanding the conversation around gender equality and in furthering CBE’s ministry. Thank you for linking your passion with ours to advocate for gender justice.
Rejoice with us—God is making all things new (Revelation 21:5).
*Normally, only CBE members have access to the most current three years of journal issues. The Year of Jubilee means that no renewal membership fees will be charged in 2017. Any membership that is current as of January 1, 2017 will be extended one full year. Members who have paid for printed journal copies will continue to receive them. Organizational memberships and subscriptions are not affected by the Year of Jubilee and will continue as always.
