Jesus’ first followers took his commandment to ‘go and make disciples of ALL peoples’ seriously. Right from the start, they began teaching men and women together in the temple courts and in homes. Justin Martyr (AD 150) formed schools in Ephesus and Rome, places where education had originally been reserved for men only. These early schools were open to men and women, slaves and free.
Several women leaders are also mentioned in the Bible. This is strongly counter-cultural and a true testament of faith, because mentioning a woman’s leadership in that day would have discredited the movement in the eyes of many. But Paul doesn’t let that stop him from including them. Consider these women of varying leadership roles from the New Testament: Lydia, Pricilla, Julia, Phoebe, and Junia (a name for a man or woman).