Danvers Statement
The Danvers Statement was prepared by the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood in 1987 to affirm biblical complementarianism. It outlines affirmations and denials about the roles of men and women in the church, home, and society.
Affirmations and Denials:
Both Adam and Eve were created in God's image, equal before God as persons, yet distinct in their manhood and womanhood.
Distinctions in masculine and feminine roles are ordained by God as part of the created order, and should find an echo in every human heart.
Adam’s headship in marriage was established by God before the Fall, and was not a result of sin.
The Fall introduced distortions into the relationships between men and women.
The Old Testament, as well as the New Testament, manifests the equally high value and dignity which God attached to the roles of both men and women.
Redemption in Christ aims at removing the distortions introduced by the curse.
In all of life Christ is the supreme authority and guide for men and women, so that no earthly submission (domestic, religious, or civil) ever implies a mandate to follow a human authority into sin.
In both men and women a heartfelt sense of call to ministry should never be used to set aside biblical criteria for particular ministries.
With half the world’s population outside the reach of indigenous evangelism, no man or woman who feels a passion from God to make His grace known should be denied training.
We are convinced that a denial or neglect of these principles will lead to increasingly destructive consequences in our families, our churches, and the culture at large.
(For the full statement with expanded commentary, see the official CBMW publication.)