How the Church Got Here · Chapter 4
Who are the women who carried the faith, and why do their stories matter?
The first person to see the risen Jesus was a woman, and she was sent to tell the others. Women have led, taught, and carried the faith from the beginning. Today you'll meet some of them.
Start this chapterWomen of faith
Miriam led God's people in song after they crossed the sea (Exodus 15). Deborah was a judge and prophet who led Israel (Judges 4).
Mary Magdalene was the first to see the risen Jesus, and he sent her to tell the disciples (John 20). Paul calls Phoebe a deacon of the church (Romans 16), and Priscilla taught a preacher named Apollos (Acts 18).
Katharina von Bora left a convent and married Martin Luther in 1525. She ran their large household, a farm, and a brewery, and cared for students, guests, and the sick.
In 1970, two of the churches that later formed the ELCA ordained their first women pastors. In 2013, the ELCA chose Elizabeth Eaton as its first woman presiding bishop.
Read it in your Bible
- John 20:18. Mary Magdalene goes to the disciples and tells them she has seen the risen Lord.
Words to know
- Miriam. The prophet who led God's people in song after crossing the sea. One of the oldest songs in the Bible is hers. Worship leaders follow in her steps.
- Deborah. A judge and prophet who led Israel in the book of Judges. People came to her for wisdom and justice. She led when others were afraid.
- Magdalene. Mary, the first to see the risen Jesus and tell the disciples. The good news of Easter first came through her. Some call her the apostle to the apostles.
- Phoebe. The woman Paul calls a deacon of the church in Romans 16. She likely carried Paul's letter to Rome, one of the most important letters he wrote.
- Katharina. Katharina von Bora, who married Martin Luther in 1525 and ran their household. Luther called her “my lord Katie.” She kept the Reformation's busiest home running.