Women play a vital role in the community and church. The role of women in church is seen to be different today than it was in traditional times. Traditionally women were kept from church, but thanks to the feminist movement, we now provide equality at churches. Churches acknowledge that both men and women need to attend church to serve God’s commandments.

Everyone receives equal opportunity to seek praise from the Lord. Christian women are not just seen as wives and mothers, but also play an important role in the church movement. In this article, we look at the role of women in church and how women can help the church.

The History of Women in Church

The Old Testament stated that men and women were created equally in the image of God (Genesis 1). Spiritual texts claimed that both were made in God’s image. The testament saw men and women as equals and with this comes equality for women in the church.

Genesis 2 took a similar stance in stating that Adam and Eve were created equally, however, stating that God created Adam first and Eve after to be Adam’s helper. Some took the view that the Testaments indicated that wives should submit to their husbands. The term “helper” however can be rather seen as a positive indicator as the word is used positively throughout Christian history. One example was God being described as the helper of Israel (Deut. 33:7; Ps. 33:20).

The First Books of The Bible

Equality of men and women was highlighted in many circumstances within the first books of the Bible.

An example is Exodus 21:15 which states condemn violence against men and females. The old books were written by men, however, Isaiah 3:12 stated that God allowed women to rule as part of His judgment.

In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve were cursed after disobeying God which led to some confusion over the male and female roles in relationships. It can be said, however, that God made them have equal leadership over the earth stating that they should be fruitful and multiply, to fill the earth, and rule over it (Gen. 1:28).

Women were seen throughout history in the Old Testament, but not as leaders. Priests and rulers were generally male. The male-dominated church however changed as the world changed.

Jesus and Women in History

Throughout history, Jesus was shown to have respect for women. Jesus showed love to all human beings, regardless of gender. In fact, Jesus was shown to include women in his teachings and spirituality during a time in which women were not included in church activities or discussions. While women were seen to be inferior by cultural groups, it was said that Jesus saw them as equals in the eyes of God (Matt. 10:34ff.). Jesus’ images, illustrations, and teachings were all examples of how women were treated equally and loved by Him.

Some of these examples include:

• John 4 in which Jesus discusses important topics of worship with a Samaritan woman. 
• Luke 10:38, a time when Jesus teaches Mary the importance of staying true to her spirituality (regardless of female given duties at the time). 
• Mark 5:25ff is an example of when Jesus heals women. 
• Luke 8:1–3 emphasized a moment when Jesus allowed women to be a part of his spiritual journey.
• John 20:1–18 was possibly one of the most notorious appearances in the Bible that emphasizes Jesus’s love and respect for women. It indicated His resurrection and when Jesus chose to appear to Magdalene. He put his trust in her and sent her to announce the resurrection to his disciples at the time. To further add to the importance of this event, women at the time were not allowed in Jewish courts.