Hi, I grew up in a Church which elevated men as spiritual leaders and silenced women. A series of events forced me to search out for myself the message of the Bible. God made men and women equal and made Jesus our ultimate spiritual leader. Perhaps my most exciting discovery was the realization that the Gospels were attributed to men by Church fathers such as Irenaeus. The Fourth Gospel identifies Mary Magdalene as it’s author – identified at the foot of the cross. To realize that a woman wrote the Fourth gospel, that God approved of Deborah judging Israel, Huldah being a prophetess and women being disciples, apostles and Deacons in the New Testament has been very encouraging.