The Biblical Role of the Pastor's wife - South African Theological ...

many commitments, indicating a wide range of responsibilities required of the
wife. Bellan-Boyer (2003:52) says that,
Women lived their lives in the tension between social standards
that required women to stay indoors and hidden away as the
coveted symbols of honor and shame-based cultural systems;
and economic forces driving them out an into the fields and the
streets of the city.
The Hellenistic woman of the day had no authority outside of her home
and was not able to exercise any of the leadership responsibilities; thus her
ministry was limited to ministering to other women (Torjesen, 1997).
MacDonald (1996:213) points out references made concerning married
women, widows and virgins found in historical documents of that time
indicates “fluidity with respect to the roles adopted by women.” Both Bellan-
Boyer (2003:55) and MacDonald (1996:215) explain that many Christian
women found houses together in order to escape marriage to a pagan. These
women often did great work within the church. Widows were reassigned the
responsibility of ministering to women within the congregation and to share
the truth with pagan women. These widows were to train up the younger
women, teaching them to be good wives, support the poor and provide for the
sick. However, we learn from Karras (2005:96-116) that the female diaconate
eventually ended. However, Karras goes on to explain, due to the various
needs of the community of believing women during the Byzantine period
(tenth through thirteenth centuries), the church had to recognise the need for
women’s ministries and therefore a few women would carry out prescribed
pastoral and liturgical functions.
In summing up this brief look at women in the early church, it is
important to note that women were involved actively within the life of the
church, specifically widows and deaconesses. It has been established that the
wife, within early church settings, was not a predominant figure in the church
due to her responsibilities at home, as well as, societal restrictions. It is not
evident from historical resources that the wife belonging to the elder or
leadership of the church was actively involved in church ministry; however,
this may be debated from a Scriptural context.
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