Arab World's First Female Pastor Rola Sleiman Breaks Bread – And Tradition
In a patriarchal society, one would not expect women to take the lead, especially in matters of religion and spirituality. One woman, however, has broken the mold by being the first ever female ordained pastor in the Arab world.
Rola Sleiman, 37, made history by being the first ever ordained female pastor in a Middle Eastern Church, the Huffington Post reported. She was ordained in her hometown of Tripoli in Lebanon on February 26, 2017.
Sleiman, ordained for a role that only men usually play in this part of the world, said she didn't actually expect to be given that role.
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"I didn't really have it in my head to become a pastor," she told Al Jazeera. "I think it was God's will to make this statement."
A walk to ministry
Sleiman, daughter to a Syrian father and Lebanese mother, started her walk to ministry at a young age. At age 17, she applied to be adopted by the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon. She eventually pursued a degree in Theology and Christian education with the support of the Synod.
After graduating, she decided to go back to serve in Tripoli because she felt there was something she needed to do in it.
Having received formal theological training, Sleiman was now eligible for work in ministry. Her chance to serve by leading Sunday services came when George Bitar, pastor of the church she used to attend, left the country. Sleiman led the congregation temporarily in Bitar's absence.
Bitar returned after six months, but left the country again for good. With the church having need for a pastor to shepherd the flock, Sleiman continued serving as interim pastor, growing in her relationship with church members.
A steady rise
Sleiman's rise to being appointed as official pastor carrying the name "Reverend" didn't come as a surprise.
"Things just happened automatically," she told Al-Akhbar in 2012.
Before being ordained, she served as a licensed preacher in her church for some time and had already been doing pastoral work such as officiating marriage and conducting funeral services in lieu of the church's pastor, albeit with a male pastor present. She was, however, restricted from officiating baptism and communion.
Even with Sleiman taking on the pastor's work, Tripoli's National Evangelist Presbyterian Church still needed an official pastor. The Synod needed to make a choice, but when the church itself was asked, the obvious choice was just there: Sleiman herself.
"My church was used to me," Sleiman said. "They didn't think of me in terms of gender, as a woman or a man."
"I served them, doing visitations, preaching well, and I convinced them through my service," she added.
Now that Rev. Sleiman is given full authority over her congregation, she is able to officiate the sacraments without the need to have a male pastor present in the ceremonies.
Being the first female pastor in the Middle East, Sleiman says she does face pressure from the people around her, and it makes her feel as if these people are waiting for her to either succeed or fail.
