earticle

영어

The early churches, as the successor of Jesus’ ministry, could be a model or prototype for today’s church ministry. Reviewing the early churches’ view of women’s ministry is able to teach the today’s church significantly. An effective criterion to review the women’s ministry in
the early churches is the time of institutionalization of the church. Around during first and second centuries, churches were not fully institutionalized and their women’s ministries were as equal as men’s in most ministerial areas. Women actively served the churches as disciples, apostles, prophetesses, and teachers. During the third and fourth centuries, Christian churches went through the process of institutionalization deeply and the churches tried to fit themselves into
the Roman society in which women were very discriminated. Regardless enormous prejudicial obstacles, women ministers served the churches as deaconess, widows), virgins, teachers, and martyrs. Women’s ministry in the early churches gives the following valuable lessons for today’s Evangelical churches in Korea. First, according to the Bible and good early churches’ traditions, Korean Evangelical churches need to remove the several sexual discriminations for women ministers. Secondly, Korean women ministers need to develop their unique ministerial areas very hard. Thirdly, educational institutions in theology should provide the appropriate education for women students in both theoretical and practical areas.