Do you have questions about biblical equality?
We’ve been in your shoes and have asked the same questions. It may feel like you can't move forward in your faith until you understand what God wants from you.
You are not alone! Since 2013, we have talked to hundreds of women, and worked with colleges, denominations, and churches to teach egalitarian theology, equip women, and resource the Church. We are ready to walk with you in your journey.
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What is Biblical Equality?
Biblical equality is the biblical teaching that God created men and women to be equal partners in ministry and marriage, and that God does not limit a believer’s roles or responsibilities in the Church or home according to their gender.
Biblical equality is also known as Christian egalitarianism, and is the position of evangelical denominations like the Free Methodist Church, the Wesleyan Church, the Church of the Nazarene, Church of God Anderson, the Salvation Army, and many Pentecostal and mainline Protestant denominations.
Why does Biblical Equality matter?
We believe Biblical Equality is one of the most important topics for the Church today. Data from the Barna Group shows that women are leaving the church in record numbers and in percentages higher than men. Women make up a greater percentage of the “nones” (people who do not claim any religious affiliation) and the “dones” (people who used to attend church but have left).
We need to reclaim Jesus’ Good News for women!
Jesus taught that there was no hierarchy in God’s Kingdom (Matthew 20). This is good news for women if the Church can learn to live out this truth and can get on with being a priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:4-10) and a new community without distinctions based on ethnicity, class, or gender (Galatians 3:28).
If you are new to this conversation these posts are a good place to start.
Who Was Junia?
Junia was a female apostle commended by Paul in Romans 16:7. “Greet Andronicus and Junia,my relatives who were in prison with me; they are prominent among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.” For centuries the fact that Junia was a woman was concealed by an “S'' added to her name to make it masculine, presumably because the translators could not imagine there had been a woman apostle.
The marginalization of Junia is typical of the way women in the Bible and church history have often been treated. We want to change the narrative for Junia and for women in the Church today!
Posts on Biblical Equality from our blog
The Bible and the Undoing of Patriarchy
Editor’s Note: On January 25, 2022, we came across this remarkable Twitter thread summarizing the biblical argument against patriarchy. The author, Dr. Beth…
Power Dynamics Between Jesus and the Canaanite Woman in Matthew 15
In a reversal of pattern, it’s the Canaanite woman, not Jesus, who delivers the final punch line. And her counterargument flips the script.…
Using Peter and Paul Against Mary? Patriarchy and Slavery in New Testament Letters
In the context of Ephesians 3, Colossians 3, and 1 Peter 2-3, instructions to wives and to slaves are inextricable from one another.…
Why I Support Women in Church Leadership – in 30 Seconds
I was recently asked to summarize why I support women in church leadership in thirty seconds or less. This was my response… Deborah…
Wives and Husbands in 1 Peter: Who is the Weaker Vessel?
Certain passages in 1 Peter are sometimes used to support the idea of hierarchy in Christian marriage, but a closer look reveals that…
10 Ways Men Can Fight Sexism
Are you a man who is discontent with just believing women should be treated fairly? Are you ready to do something? Here are…
Let My People Go: The Impact of Patriarchy in the Church
Patriarchy is an oppressive cultural norm with a history that predates Christianity. Fortunately, it is fading from our global community. Unfortunately, it persists…
No Middle Ground for Women in the Church
There was a time I tried to keep both a hierarchical view of authority in the church and a freedom for women to…
Why I am a Feminist and an Egalitarian (And Why They Aren’t the Same Thing)
Feminism vs Egalitarianism I am both a feminist and a biblical egalitarian. These two are not the same. In fact, I believe that…
5 Ways to Avoid Undermining Your Theology of Gender
I was a complementarian for more than 20 years. I believed that women should not serve as church elders or senior pastors, that…
Perception and Gender Roles
It's probably true that nobody disagrees that men and women are different. It's how these differences are perceived that becomes a potential source…
The Incomplete Gospel of Biblical Womanhood
I am a single Christian woman who is working to support myself. What does the complementarian message say to someone like me?”
Confessions of a Former Complementarian
“The church has not been kind to women.” That is perhaps the most profound understatement I have ever made about any subject in…
Three Ways Patriarchy is Bad for Men
Here are some of my thoughts about why patriarchy is bad for men, two related to the church and the last related to…
Response to a Complementarian View of Women
Every few weeks we get a comment protesting that the claims we make about the complementarian view are not what most complementarians believe,…
Fierce and Feminine
Fierce and feminine. Despite widespread perception, deeply embedded associations and centuries of conditioning, these two words are not mutually exclusive. Rather, they are…
The Origins of Sexism in the Church
Is the doctrine of male authority in the church “God-ordained,” or does it have a more human origin? To answer this question, I’d…
How to Preach to Women
Here are some things to take into account as we think about the question “What are some things to keep in mind when…
When Women are Invisible in the Church
In some churches, women are not even allowed to read the Bible from behind the pulpit, allegedly because the pulpit is a sign…
Becoming an Egalitarian in Greek Class
You're in for a treat today as Junia Project blogger Meredith and her husband Curtis share the story of how he came to…
A Complementarian View of Justice?
Last week, I attended The Justice Conference that was held here in Los Angeles. I have to say up front that it was…