Founders Panel
Some of the individuals who helped found the Christians for Biblical Equality organization participated in a panel that discussed the beginning days. Participating were James Beck, Gilbert Bilezikian, Gretchen Gaebelein Hull, Nancy Graf Peters, Cathie Kroeger, and Alvera Mickelsen.
Question: What led you into the egalitarian way?
A: I watched how the church treated my wife.
A: I heard a great women preacher.
A: My parents.
A: We established a new church and saw it work.
Q: What book was most influential?
A: I read God’s Plan for Women.
A: I read Basic Youth Conference by Bill Gothard (scripture can be misused).
A: The Bible.
Q: What’s the story of CBE?
A: Cathie Kroger had the dream; the first meeting was in her living room.
A: The challenge in starting CBE was to clarify the audience and then stick to it.
A: We dealt with the Danvers Statement, which had no scripture references by developing a carefully worded CBE statement; since some traditions don’t ordain, we avoided the issue of ordination.
A: We hope to be a witness in ever widening circles.
Q: What are the group’s important contributions?
A: We encouraged and nurtured books on the subject.
A: It happened in a little under 20 years.
A: It encouraged women in scholarly efforts and degrees.
Q: What are your hopes for the future?
A: More men at conferences.
Q: What was the importance of the split from Evangelical Women’s Caucus?
A: We state what we’re for, not against.
A: We stick to Biblical values in the home: marriage.
A: Not many original founders had been members of EWC; only some.
Q: Where are the opportunities today for women?
A: Create your own.
A: Chaplaincies.
Q: Why did CBE think it was necessary to create itself?
A: The laborers are few; divide by two.
A: No one gives up power easily.
A: Empathy for women.
Q: What else does CBE do besides the annual conference and publishing journals?
A: Conferences on marriage
A: Conferences on abuse.
Q: Secular vs religious – who’s influencing whom?
A: We’re in a post-denominational era; religious influences in a person’s life come from more than just a single denomination.
A: They influence each other.