There is a recurring question that has been coming up as Covenant Brethren Church leaders travel around to churches offering information about the CBC. The question is, “Does the CBC prevent women from serving in leadership?” The short answer is no. There is nothing in CBC polity or policy that keeps a woman from serving in leadership in the CBC. The truth is there are already women serving in leadership on several of the sub-committees. Christy Cosner serves on our Annual Meeting Planning Committee. Camille Howard serves on our Public Relations Committee. Ruth Swonger serves on the Adult and Youth Fellowship Committee. Elisabeth Harold also consults on that committee. There are two more vacant positions at the National Executive Board sub-committee level which the board intends to fill with women. There is no prohibition on women serving in local church leadership, regional leadership, or national leadership. There are individual churches in the CBC that have made a decision not to have women serve in leadership within their local church, but that is a local church decision which each local church is free to make. It is not a denominational policy.
Opponents of the CBC are busy spreading misinformation about this and other issues, saying the CBC will mandate dress codes and require certain levels of giving in order to stay within the denomination. Other misinformation includes the suggestion that there is some large payment required to join the CBC, and that the CBC will lay claim to a church’s property once they join. All of these things are untrue. We do not want your property, there is no cost to join, and there is no assessment made by the CBC on giving. Because of these inaccurate statements some congregations may have been turned away from becoming part of the CBC.
The best thing for a church to do that is seeking to find out what the CBC is all about is to call our national office and ask for a representative from the CBC to come and meet with your church. Ask all the questions you want to ask, and let us share with you what the CBC stands for. You can reach us at 304-534-8010 or email us at contactcbc@covenantbrethren.org. Don’t allow misinformation to direct your thinking. Get the facts.
CBC Publications Committee – Craig Howard, Chair
