Minneapolis, MN (PRWEB) March 30, 2016
Christians for Biblical Equality (CBE) is proud to announce the speaker lineup for its 2016 international conference, “Truth be Told: Speaking out against Gender Based Violence,” to be held September 14-17 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The conference is a collaboration between CBE International, CBE–South Africa, and Gender Equality Matters in Africa.
The twenty-two speakers hail from several countries and bring a variety of experience and expertise to bear on the challenges of gender-based violence. This diversity is exactly what is needed, according to Dr. Mimi Haddad, CBE’s president and one of the conference speakers. “Often, we simply work to address the symptoms of gender-based violence, but rarely do we get to the root of the problem—a misreading of Scripture. In many communities, the heart of the problem is patriarchy, portrayed as a religious ideal. This gives religious justification for power imbalances and hierarchies between men and women, which in turn create conditions ripe for violence against women and girls. By bringing together educators, NGO development and aid professionals, pastors, and theologians, we have an opportunity to develop a holistic approach to the problem.”
Among the speakers are several high-profile leaders with backgrounds in civil, church, educational, and nonprofit work. Speakers include:
Keketso Maema is the CEO of the Commission for Gender Equality in South Africa, formerly worked for UNICEF, and is a member of South Africa’s Constitutional Court and Supreme Court of Appeals.
Maclean Dlodlo is the senior advisor for faith and gender in development with World Vision, where he provides leadership in the development and implementation of strategies to enhance World Vision’s partnership with faith communities in planned and sustained response to gender injustice. Dlodlo’s leadership at “Truth be Told” is the latest in a series of partnerships between CBE and World Vision, as they strive to address gender-based violence from a Christian perspective.
Pelham Lessing is the pastor of Crossover Community Church in Turffontein, South Africa and serves as a full-time lecturer at the South African Theological Seminary in Rivonia, South Africa.
Pastor Rethie (Margeretha) van Niekerk is a pastor at the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) in Summerstrand, Port Elizabeth, South Africa and a leader in South Africa’s Dutch Reformed Church.
Miranda Pillay is a senior lecturer in New Testament studies and ethics at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and is co-director of the UWC chapter of Circle of Concern African Women Theologians.
All of the speakers and their full bios can be found on CBE’s website.
In its effort to advance a biblical foundation for gift-based rather than gender-based ministry and service, CBE sponsors annual conferences, facilitates local chapters, hosts an online bookstore, and publishes two award-winning journals. For more information, visit http://www.cbeinternational.org.