Final answer:
True. Women played significant and sometimes leadership roles in Early Christianity, including in Paul's churches; though their roles varied and were influenced by broader societal norms.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question of whether women had a major role in Paul's churches is grounded in the study of Early Christianity and its societal context. Within the early Christian communities, there is evidence that women did indeed play significant roles, which can be seen in the mentions of female leaders in early church orders and the narrative of Thecla in the Acts of Paul and Thecla. Moreover, the role of women was not uniform across all regions and churches, as evidenced by the existence of deaconesses and the leadership positions taken by women like Nannie Helen Burroughs and Virginia Broughton in women's conventions. Nevertheless, the debate on women's roles within the church was influenced by contemporary societal norms, where there was greater patriarchal control over religious life, similar to what was seen in other religions of the period, such as Judaism and Roman polytheism.
With these considerations in mind, the answer to the student's question is that true, women did have significant, though varied, roles within Paul's churches and the broader early Christian movement. Their participation has been recognized in religious texts and historical accounts, implying an active and sometimes leadership-oriented presence.