text: The one problem I have with your comment is that you have left out the historical fact that our church, in the 2nd thru 6th centuries, and even beyond, destroyed, intentionally, any & all documents, which evidenced practices the church no longer wanted people to continue, in the future.  It is more likely, than not, that we ordained women priests and deacons and possibly even bishops since there is some evidence, as late as the 1200s, women abbesses may have ordained male priests in their abbys.  
  
  If any organization has been on record for destroying possibly 5 times the amount of its current scriptures and/or historical documents, as our church is on record for having done, then the past is not known so no one can honestly claim we have based our current practices on the early church's practices.  Our history, in many areas, especially those areas of women's church leadership, were destroyed & therefor are unknowable.  
  
  For ex. There is no proof Jesus existed but still he did exist.