Rev. Sally Azar was ordained on January 22 as the first Palestinian Christian woman to serve in this role in the Holy Land.
Azar’s ordination—marking a historic milestone for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and for all Christians in Palestine—was held at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, Old City Jerusalem.
In a congratulatory letter, World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay celebrated her ordination. "We rejoice with the Lutheran Church and, in particular, with the people of the Middle East and the Holy Land on this important consecration of your spiritual and ecclesial leadership," Pillay wrote. “For us, you are a daughter, a sister, but also a mentor, a leader, contributing to the life and mission of our churches.”
Born and raised in Jerusalem, Azar earned a bachelor's degree in theology from the Near East School of Theology in Beirut, Lebanon, in 2019. In 2022, she finished her master's in International Theology at the Georg-August-Universität in Göttingen and Hermannsburg, Germany.
She also served at the Evangelische Johanneskirche Frohnau in Germany and is very involved in the international Lutheran community, serving as a council member of the Lutheran World Federation and on the board of ACT Alliance.
Originally from the Website: "oikoumene.org"
CCD reprinted with permission
