One question with which many believers, churches and ministries wrestle is how we understand and interpret the bible’s teaching on men and women. Crosslands’ stance on the roles of women and men in ministry reflects a conviction rooted in Scripture that men and women are created equal yet different. Whilst holding that the role of elder in a local church is open only to suitably qualified men, we also affirm the essential place of women in ministry including teaching in a range of forums, since all Christians are to be involved in teaching and encouraging one another. We recognise that this may be worked out differently in different contexts. We reject any use of authority which is oppressive or abusive.
Crosslands trustees, leadership and faculty hold to this view and will reflect it in their lives and teaching. It does not carry the same weight as our Statement of Faith, and we do not require our students to affirm this view. Occasionally guest speakers may not hold to this view but will have affirmed that they understand our ethos and will not teach explicitly against it. We do expect all members of our learning community to engage with one another with love and respect, including where we may disagree on this or other issues.