Grace Al-Zoughbi Arteen is the Assistant Professor of Theological Education at Arab Baptist Theological Seminary in Lebanon. She is also a Langham Scholar! Grace graduated with her PhD in 2023.
Personal faith formed in faithful origins
Grace’s desire for ministry and a life of knowing and loving God’s Word formed early. She reflects, “At the age of 13, I told God I wanted to give him my very best. I remember that I thought particularly of God’s words – ‘That I consider everything else a loss for the sake of knowing Christ and knowing Him intimately’ (Philippians 3). So following completion of high school with outstanding results and contrary to what many recommended, I chose to devote myself to studying the Living Word of God.”
Born in Bethlehem in Palestine, Grace grew up within walking distance of the place where it is historically believed Jesus as man was born. Reflecting on growing up there she says, “I love reflecting on the fact that Jesus walked in our streets, that it is the very place he proclaimed miracles, signs, and wonders, and that he is the same today.”
Sadly as we see now and also throughout history, conflict, hardship and devastation continue to abound in Bethlehem and throughout the Middle East. Grace sees her experience as formative in her faith. She shares, “Today, I believe that I’m stronger and more mature in my faith and trust in God because of the difficult experiences of growing up in a place like Bethlehem.”
Her passion for seeing God known, loved and lived for in her context is very evident! Despite the challenges of her context, Grace sees a vision for how God can transform the church and its relationship to women.
A PhD on women in theological education
Grace did her PhD through the London School of Theology on the theological education of Arab women in the Middle East. As a Langham Scholar, she received both financial and pastoral support.
Grace shares, “It was a challenging experience, but I was so grateful to the Lord for enabling me to pursue a higher degree.”
In her thesis, she considered the dialogue of Eastern Christian Traditions as a Protestant. She also looked at what is going on within Muslim circles through the focus of the women’s mosque movement. Her research made clear the need for women to be a part of the study and discipline of ecclesiology – the study of all aspects of the church including its purpose, structure, ordinances and more (like how women are involved).
Grace explains, “My research on women is positive that within this ecclesiastical context, within this context of Protestant presence and mission in the Middle East, there is a need to develop ideas and participate in ecclesiology. But also to encourage women to make a contribution to theological education. So that their voices would be heard within the church and their God-given skills and talent and gifts would be of benefit to theological education in the Middle East and beyond.”
Now having finished her PhD, it’s exciting to see how Grace is able to apply her research and continue to be influential, as a highly educated woman and teacher of theology.
Seeing the future for Christian Arab women
While historical and even contemporary contexts have meant that Arab women have not been able to make the contribution Grace has found is essential, she sees a turning point in progress where more people are seeing this important need to resource women to contribute to theology within this distinct ecclesial context.
Grace says, “The church needs to develop a theology that includes women equally with men in theological education. Women should soon be participants in theological education. And of course, this will only materialise when we have big hearts, minds, and [believe in the] rights of dedicated women of God, but also supported by men of God in the face of cultural constraints.”
For Christian women in her context and those she studied, Grace encourages them that their voice is valued and needed. She says:
“I would really encourage all women to acknowledge God’s call on their lives and to seek for themselves what God is calling them to do. But also to not…shy away from God’s calling. It’s important that we know that God is able to use all of us in His kingdom.
There are so many biblical women in the Old Testament and New Testament who have fulfilled God’s call on their lives. But thinking of Arab women in particular, even as they remain deeply rooted in their own local culture, they have a missionary role within their church, and there’s a message for every woman that they do have a voice.”
Understanding from the global church
As much of the global church looks in without understanding the context of the Middle East for Christians, Grace asks for awareness and consideration.
She shares, “I wish the global church understood what it’s like to be a Christian [in the Middle East.] How difficult that is, and some of the struggles that people have to identify and cope with on a day-to-day basis. Like how people sometimes have to give up everything they have to follow Jesus. If they come from a different background, they have to give up their jobs. Sometimes their families. So there are some really harsh realities that I think the global church needs to be aware of.”
Please pray for Grace, her family and her ministry. Pray for the Middle East. And also thank God for how he is at work through his people in hard places.
Some quotes and information in this story were taken from Grace’s recent interview with The Lausanne Movement. Watch the full interview here.