Women Slave Pastors
Women slaves were some of the early leaders and pastors of the church.
One of the seismic shifts that Jesus made was when he tore down the Roman hierarchy and class system by making EVERYONE equal. The lowest person of Roman society in the first century would have been a female slave. So, when female slaves heard the gospel message that Jesus died for everyone and that anyone could follow him and be his disciple… women slaves flocked to the local house churches.
In about 100 AD (roughly 70 years after Jesus was crucified) Roman Emperor Trajan and Roman Governor Plenty wrote letters back and fourth about the problems they were facing and the subsequent policy they were writing and enforcing. They wrote one of their longest letters about the problem of the Christian’s in the Roman Empire. They stated a few key things about the early church:
2 Women, most likely slaves, are mentioned as “deaconesses” and were the leaders of the church Governor Plenty was disciplining (the leaders would be the ones brought before the governor - the two women)
The Christians believed Jesus was God and were punished for NOT denying Christ and worshiping the Emperor or the Roman gods.
They met early and sang hymns
They made oaths to follow the 10 commandments (not stealing, committing adultery, etc.)
They had a meal together and shared communion together
The early church was spreading very rapidly in large cites and in rural villages
To be clear both sexes were becoming Christians (female and male) However, many scholars say that 2/3 of the early church were women.
I encourage you to read the letter between Trajan and Plenty yourself here:
http://www.attalus.org/old/pliny10b.html#96
Some important observations about women in the first century & early church:
In the Gospels, women were Jesus’s most devoted followers. They cared for his needs and they were the faithful ones at the cross when he was being crucified. Why? Because Jesus valued women and he made a place for them.
Women were allowed to follow Jesus and a women gave the first Easter sermon. In Mark 16:9-10, Mary Magdalene preached the first Easter message by telling everyone about Jesus’s resurrection
In Paul’s writings, he has many scripture verses for and against women being in church leadership. Why? Could it be that SOME women were teaching wrong things and Paul wanted that to stop in some churches? Look at the Context of 1 Timothy chapter 1 and 2 to see that women were being deceived by false teachers and then spreading heresy and lies. Paul telling women not to speak or teach a man makes a lot more sense in context of the early church and scripture - 1 Timothy 2:11-12.
We would not be here without courageous women who supported Christs minsitry and then led the early church. Let’s put some respect back on women and honor them they way Jesus and the Apostle Paul honored women.
Paul called Junia and apostle - Romans 16:7 (an apostle is the highest rank in the church - which is weird to say because Jesus tore down the hierarchy ;) He called Priscilla a pastor - Acts 18:18; Romans 16:3; 2 Timothy 4:19. He said that Euodia and Syntyche have the same mind as Christ himself - Phil 4:2-3.
Jesus’s radical Kingdom included everyone who would follow him no matter their past, status, race, age and gender. Maybe it’s time to actually be like Jesus… and to empower the amazing women around us to find there rightful place in leadership. What if the norm was women and men pastors; co-equal and co-existing together?