Trailblazing pastor discusses church twinning and life in the Middle East

A trailblazing pastor who became the first woman in the Middle East ever to be ordained has spoken of the special relationship she has built with the Church of Scotland through twinning.

Rev Rola Sleiman, who has been the leader at Tripoli Church in Lebanon since 2008, recently visited Edinburgh and her partner congregation in Earlston in the Scottish Borders.

Referring to the current heightened tensions in the Middle East, as well as the economic difficulties in Lebanon, Rev Sleiman said: "The Church of Scotland is not far away from what we're going through.

"They are the organisation that best understands what's happening to us because of the partnership."

She also joked that you should "never try and feed a Lebanese-Christian minister haggis" after tasting it for the first time on a visit to the General Assembly in 2017.

Developing a connection

Tom Burnham, an elder at Earlston Parish Church, explained how the connection with Tripoli Church developed after a member of staff from the church offices gave a presentation on Faith Share.

"The minister and I were told by the Kirk Session to get on and choose somewhere.

"We ended up with a couple of interested people in Lebanon so we went to Tripoli.

"When Rola turned up I experienced the Holy Spirit more strongly than I've ever experienced Her before.

"It was like Rola and me being enveloped in a mosquito net made of shimmering gossamer – it's the only way I can describe it.

"As far as I was concerned it was let's do it.

"We've reached the point now where a couple of congregations in Tweeddale are keen to have a further twinning with Rola's neighbour about 40 minutes' drive away.

"Lebanon is now part of our landscape and relations are getting happier and happier – particularly after Rola's recent visit," Mr Burnam reflected.

"For me it's changed my life.

"We met the Holy Spirit – and she's a woman."

Similarities

Perhaps surprisingly, Rev Sleiman sees the two congregation as sharing much in common.

"Tripoli Church is quite similar to Earlston Church," she said.

"We are a small church, around 80 members, on a good Sunday around 40 people.

"Most of the people are elderly, but we have around 14 youth members.

"The church is like a family, it's tight.

"We have a peaceful, loving church."

A calling

Rev Sleiman, who first felt a religious calling around the age of 13 and eventually served her church for nearly a decade before the tense vote that led to her ordination, spoke of the current challenges in her home country having "snowballed" over the last few years.

In spite of these difficulties she was enthusiastic about how positive interfaith relations have supported her church.

"We are minority amongst a minority," she said.

"Tripoli Church has great connections with our Muslim neighbours which helps us to be stronger – we feel protected.

One of my colleagues said if it didn't start with me it's just not going to start. It opened the doors for many women being ordained – today we have five in total with four in Lebanon and one in Syria... before choosing a church I loved the person and the character of Christ".

Rev Rola Sleiman

"Christians feel they are caught in the storm.

"We don't want to be part of this war – we want a stable life.

"Over the last five years we've had the revolution, Covid, the collapse of the economy, the earthquake and the events after 7 October.

"People are sometimes losing hope.

"You're in a situation where it's not actually war but it's war and you can't live as if there's nothing happening.

"It's very tense."

Opening doors

Today Rev Sleiman is proud of having pursued a life of service leading to her ordination in 2017 against the odds.

"One of my colleagues said if it didn't start with me it's just not going to start.

"It opened the doors for many women being ordained – today we have five in total with four in Lebanon and one in Syria," she adds.

Above all, "before choosing a church I loved the person and the character of Christ".

"I fell in love with Him.

"He was the person who I should look forward to meeting him, knowing about Him.

"He has a magical combination of being so humble but having all of this authority.

"Having the freedom to rule the whole world but laying down His life for us.

"This religion of love attracted me."

This interview was conducted at the start of August and may not reflect the most recent developments in Lebanon.