The Rev. Dr. Niveen Ibrahim Sarras is the first Palestinian woman ordained in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Her passion for Scripture began at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation and its school in Bethlehem. She earned a Master of Divinity degree from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in Old Testament Studies from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.
Rev. Dr. Sarras has taught Old Testament, feminist, womanist, and mujerista theology in the ELCA East-Central Synod of Wisconsin and has served as an instructor in the Continuing Education Program of the University of Wisconsin–Wausau Extension, offering courses in feminist theology and interfaith studies. She has published several scholarly articles and has presented at both national and international biblical conferences.
Outside academia, Rev. Dr. Sarras enjoys hiking, biking, canning food, watching documentaries, and reading about politics, faith, and Scripture. As both pastor and scholar, she is committed to fostering critical thinking, meaningful dialogue, and a deeper understanding of faith.