The Rev. Sally Azar Ordained
in Jerusalem on January 22nd

22 January 2023, Jerusalem, Palestine: Rev. Sally Azar, ordained minutes earlier as pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, presides over Holy Communion at the conclusion of her ordination service at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in the Jerusalem Old City. Photo: Albin Hillert/LWF

~ from a post dated January 23, 2023 on the World Council of Churches’ website

Azar’s ordination — marking an 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 with the people of the Middle East and of the Holy Land in particular on this important consecration of your spiritual and ecclesial leadership,” wrote Pillay.  “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 masters of International Theology from 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.

An article posted on the Lutheran World Federation’s website on January 18th, provides more information including her responses when she spoke with the Lutheran World Federation prior to her ordination.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land provided this photo gallery of the Rev. Sally Azar’s ordination.