Union says it will allow women to teach at all its events 'without exception' following outrage over internal email

This article is more than 7 years old

This article is more than 7 years old

A university Christian union that came under attack for not allowing women to teach at its main meetings has now said it will allow both sexes to preach at all events.

Bristol University Christian Union (BUCU) is being investigated after a memo emerged revealing women could not teach at its weekly meetings, and could only teach in some other settings with a husband.

On Tuesday night it put out a statement saying it would now allow women to teach at all its events.

It said: "The executive committee now wish to make clear that we will extend speaker invitations to both women and men, to all BUCU events, without exception. BUCU is utterly committed to reflecting the core biblical truth of the fundamental equality of women and men."

The statement added it was "well known" that Christian churches differed on the question of women's ministry. It said: "BUCU is not a church, but a student society, so it has never had a formal policy on women's ministry.

"In recent months, the executive committee have been exploring ways in which BUCU can best accommodate members with divergent and strongly held convictions, while expressing our unity as Christian believers."

The university's students' union (UBU) launched an investigation after the emergence of the email.

It said: "An investigation is being led by the UBU full-time elected officers to gather evidence and examine the appropriate route forward with reference to sanctions made available in the code of conduct."