Watch | Meet Palestine’s first woman pastor

Meet Palestine’s first woman pastor

Meet Sally Azar, the first woman pastor from Palestine.

Her landmark ordination in January took place at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, which is in the heart of Jerusalem’s Old City

It is very near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where Jesus Christ is believed to have been crucified, buried and resurrected

She spent years preparing for that day and took inspiration from the biblical women who wanted to change something in the society.

The Lutheran Church is part of the Protestant movement which permits women pastors, unlike the Catholic or Orthodox branches of Christianity

There are just 3,000 Lutheran worshippers across the Holy Land and neighbouring Jordan.

Sally says she aims to inspire women globally to seek positions of high office, such as within political parties or in government.

She hopes more women would study theology and be ordained as well.

She warns that Jerusalem’s Christian community was getting smaller by number every day.

And a lot of people are leaving due to the political situation, and more young people are studying abroad and not coming back.

Despite facing some opposition to her ordination, she pledged to use her work to show why it’s important.

Voiceover: Gopika K P

Production: Reenu Cyriac