Happy Birthday: Now We are Four! -- By: Susan T. McCoubrie

Journal: Priscilla Papers
Volume: PP 05:3 (Summer 1991)
Article: Happy Birthday: Now We are Four!
Author: Susan T. McCoubrie


Happy Birthday: Now We are Four!

Susan T. McCoubrie

A Brief History of Christians for Biblical Equality

The national organization of Christians for Biblical Equality began in the summer of 1987 when Catherine Clark Kroeger called together a group of people to pray and examine the need for evangelicals to be informed about the basic biblical teachings regarding equality of men and women of all races, ages, and economic classes.

Prior to this gathering, in the winter of 1987 Catherine and Richard Kroeger had begun publishing a journal, Priscilla Papers, as an extension of a study center based in their home in St. Paul, Minnesota. In addition, egalitarian-minded persons in the Twin Cities area were already meeting under the name Christians for Biblical Equality. At the suggestion of Catherine Kroeger and with the encouragement of Alvera Mickelsen and Kari Malcolm, this Minnesota group sponsored a weekend conference (March 1987) featuring Elaine Storkey, author of What’s Right with Feminism and one of the leaders of an international organization known as Men, Women, and God. Then in early August of 1987, Catherine Kroeger and Gretchen Gaebelein Hull visited with other leaders of Men, Women, and God at its headquarters in London, England, to gather information and to explore the possibility of some sort of American alliance with MWG.

Upon her return from England, Catherine Kroeger and her husband hosted two days of prayer, discussion, planning, document drafting, and fellowshipping at their summer home in Brewster, MA. Present were James Beck, Diane Chynoweth, Betty Kroeger Elliott, the Kroegers, Deborah Olsoe Lunde, Faith Martin, Alice Mathews, Susan McCoubrie, Alvera and Berkeley Mickelsen, Nancy Graf Peters, and Betty Shunk. They concluded that a national organization was needed in America to provide education, support, and leadership about biblical equality, and thus on August 28, 1987, Men, Women and God: Christians for Biblical Equality became a reality. A Mission Statement, Faith Statement, and Constitution were drawn up. The first governing Board consisted of Catherine Kroeger, President, and James Alsdurf, James Beck, Gretchen Gaebelein Hull, Deborah Olsoe Lunde, Faith Martin, Alvera and Berkeley Mickelsen, and Nancy Graf Peters. Susan McCoubrie was appointed Secretary and Ruth Davis Hall was appointed Treasurer, with the first office of MWG:CBE set up in Susan McCoubrie’s home in Rosemount, Minnesota. Helen Tews Johnson handled the book service, and later on succeeded Ruth Hall as Treasurer.

After a few months, it became apparent that not only was Men, Women, and God: Christians for Biblical Equality a very cumbersome name, but also we could not be an extension of a British group if we were to q...

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