The CBE Scroll

Where can you find music, poetry, food, camping, tattoos, workshops, and venders all in one location? Hosted by Jesus People USA, the Cornerstone Festival in Bushnell, Illinois attracted thousands of people who were ready not only to hear their favorite bands, but also to engage in dialogue at the various workshops held during the festival.

Christians for Biblical Equality also hosted a tent at the festival. For three days (June 28-30) we offered lectures at our tent covering topics such as women leaders in church history, mutuality in marriages, eating disorders in the church, Christian dating, overcoming sexual violence, modesty, the Trinity, the image of God, why women in the church are drawn to Wicca, what psychology teaches us about gender, and what happens when men and women do not fit into ‘gender roles.’ We began each day with a Celtic worship service from the Iona community of Scotland.

We were very well-received at this event and the environment was encouraging, uplifting, and supportive. The lectures sparked a lot of dialogue. The people who came to our tent were passionate about their Christian faith and genuinely wanted to learn more about issues pertaining to biblical equality. Some approached our table and asked how they could get started. Some people continuously came back to our tent and we were able to develop relationships with them. We invited attendees to join us for meals so that we could dialogue and develop relationships further.

Many people approached us and expressed how grateful they were to see us at Cornerstone and how they were encouraged by our presence. Some needed to see that they were not alone in their egalitarian convictions. Some shared with us how they came from communities without other egalitarian support, and our presence was a reminder that they are not alone in this cause.

Our bookstore at the tent was flooded with people checking out our resources. We ended up taking many book orders because we sold out of many of the books we brought with us. Some of our books were sold out before the end of the first day! We also provided many people with free articles and information on CBE. Some of the attendees also signed up for CBE membership!

Overall, the experience at Cornerstone was very uplifting and encouraging, both for us at CBE and for those who visited our tent. The dialogue was engaging, relationships were formed, many left with CBE resources, some began their path to biblical equality, and others were strengthened and encouraged in their egalitarian beliefs. It is clear that CBE’s presence at Cornerstone is a ministry opportunity that must continue.