Evangelical & Ecumenical
Women’s Caucus
Other
Ministry Profiles on our site:
American Bible Society -
Ten Thousand Villages
- SERRV International -
Prison Fellowship
-
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
- L'arches
-
Christians for Biblical Equality
-
One Great Hour of Sharing
-
Habitat for Humanity
-
Bread for the World
-
Covenant House
Evangelical & Ecumenical Women’s Caucus (EEWC) is an organization of women and men who support, educate, and celebrate Christian feminists from many traditions. It has a three-fold purpose:
(1) to encourage and advocate the use of women’s gifts in all forms of Christian vocation;
(2) to provide educational opportunities for Christian feminists to grow in their belief and understanding;
(3) to promote networking and mutual encouragement within the Christian community.
International conferences, held every two years, EEWC Update (a quarterly newsletter of articles, interviews, and reviews) and a website are the primary educational outlets. Chapters exist across North America.
EEWC began as an offshoot of Evangelicals for Social Action (ESA), whose formational gathering was held in Chicago in 1973. Women concerned about the inferior status of women in church and society called upon ESA to consider from a Christian perspective various issues related to sexism. They raised issues around the Equal Rights Amendment, inclusive language in Bible translation and Christian publications, ordination of women, and hiring policies in Christian institutions. The Evangelical Women’s Caucus emerged in 1974.
To reflect the increasingly inclusive nature of a membership coming from various Christian traditions, the name was changed in 1990 to Evangelical & Ecumenical Women’s Caucus. Members include those from Presbyterian, Assembly of God, Baptist, Episcopalian and Roman Catholic traditions as well as various charismatic groups. Some members consider EEWC their primary faith community and no longer attend the evangelical churches in which they were raised.
EEWC offers a community of safety for all who have experienced abuse, marginalization, or exclusion by Christian churches. It extends its welcome to individuals of any gender, race, ethnicity, color, creed, marital status, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, age, political party, parental status, economic class, or disability, and to women who may not identify with the word "feminist" but are uncomfortable with teachings about women’s roles in their local churches.
At the local level, the work of EEWC is carried out by chapters and individual members. In churches, EEWC provides support for women pastors, lay leaders, and office staff; encourages men and women to share in teaching church school and preparing church meals; and works for language in worship services to move beyond an exclusive view of God as male.
Many women pastors in EEWC have encountered the "glass ceiling"--difficulty in moving up from youth or assistant pastor to senior pastor. Another concern is the "part-time employment" of women in ministries while giving them full-time work loads. EEWC supports these women through prayer and networking. Seminary and Christian colleges libraries are provided EEWC newsletters to let students know their availability to help with women’s concerns. As alumni of these schools, we help institutions move toward more equality for women.
Christian feminism, says EEWC, is rooted in Bible passages such as Paul’s letter to the Galatians: "There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:28, NRSV). Consequently, EEWC affirms that the Bible supports the equality of the sexes, and stresses the following values:
* We believe that our society and churches have irresponsibly encouraged men to domination and women to passivity.
* We proclaim God’s redemptive word on mutuality and active discipleship.
* We value inclusive images and language for God.
* We advocate ordination of women and full expression of women’s leadership and spiritual gifts.
EWC’s first international conference, "Women in Transition: A Biblical Approach to Feminism", in 1975, attracted over 360 women to Washington, D.C., from 36 states and Canada. Since then international conferences have been held in Chicago; Pasadena, San Francisco, and Fresno, California; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Saratoga Springs, New York; Seattle, Washington; Wellesley, Massachusetts; and Norfolk, Virginia. The 2002 conference, with the theme, "Wonderfully Made: Celebrating our Creation in the Image of God" will be held July 11-14 in Indianapolis.
(Thanks to Anne Eggebroten and Linda Bieze, EEWC Executive Council Members, for providing this information.)
For additional information:
EEWC, P.O. Box 3415, Wichita, KS 67201.
|
|