Church of the Redeemer-Arabic Speaking Congregation
Church of the Redeemer-Arabic Speaking-Jerusalem
One of four congregations who call our Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem home, the Arabic-speaking congregation hails from all over East Jerusalem, including the Old City, Beit Hanina, Shu'fat, and more.
Sunday worship for the Arabic-Speaking Congregation is held at 9:00 a.m. in the large, cathedral-like sanctuary of the Redeemer church. The service is entirely in Arabic, with occasional English to help visitors find the hymns and Scripture texts.
Using a formal Lutheran liturgy and hymns in the Arabic language, the congregation sings and participates with energy and joy. The familiar cadence of the Lutheran Liturgy enables non-Arabic speakers to recognize, for instance, the Nicene Creed and Lord’s Prayer, and participate in his or her own language. It is an experience recommended for all non-Arabic speakers who visit the Holy Land!
During the spring and summer months, the Arabic-speaking congregation worships one Sunday each month at the Lutheran Church of the Ascension, located adjacent to the Augusta Victoria Hospital on the Lutheran World Federation Jerusalem campus on the Mount of Olives. This beautiful space is more accessible to our members with mobility constraints.
During the week, church meetings and activities are held at the church center located in the neighborhood of Beit Hanina, a few miles north of the Old City, toward Ramallah. The center is a remodeled house on the main road to Ramallah, a location that is more convenient for many church members. Women’s group meetings are held weekly in the center, as are youth groups, children’s activities, and administrative meetings. Unfortunately, a large percentage of the Arabic-speaking Redeemer congregation now live on the opposite side of the Separation Wall between Jerusalem and the West Bank, so even this secondary location can not solve the obstacles of gathering as a congregation in Jerusalem.
Service Times
Sunday: 9:00 a.m.
Pastor Rodny Said
Reverend Rodny Said grew up in Jerusalem, and completed his seminary at Wilfred Laurier and Martin Luther University College in Ontario, Canada. Reverend Said was a vicar in our Beit Sahour church, and was ordained in June of 2020. He first served as Pastor of the Church of Hope in Ramallah as well as the School of Hope. In 2025 he was called to be Pastor of the Arabic-speaking congregation at the Church of the Redeemer. He also as the Youth Pastor to the ELCJHL Youth program. Pastor Rodny is husband to Mrs. Sally Dawoud and father to one daughter, Mila.
Email: rod-ny@hotmail.com
Pastor Sally Azar
Pastor Sally was born and raised in Jerusalem. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Theology from the Near East School of Theology in Beirut, Lebanon, which she received in 2019. In 2022 she finished her Masters of International Theology from the Georg-August-Universität in Göttingen and Hermannsburg, Germany. She continued in her internship until December of 2022 during which she served at the Evangelische Johanneskirche Frohnau in Germany.
Sally is very involved in the international Lutheran community, serving as a Council Member of the Lutheran World Federation, and and on the board of ACT Alliance.
Reverend Sally is the first Palestinian woman to serve as an ordained pastor in Palestine/the Holy Land.
Email: sallyazar96@gmail.com
Contact Information
Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Redeemer
P.O. Box 14076,
Jerusalem 91140
Phone: +972(0)2-626-6851
Fax: +972-(0)2-628-5764
E-mail: rod-ny@hotmail.com