L E A D E R S H I P
At City Bible Church, we believe there is a precedent set in the Bible for churches to follow in how they are led. Ultimately we believe that Jesus is the head of the church; we belong to Him. We believe the clear pattern in Scripture is that the local church is not to be led by one man, but by a plurality of elders -- who are equal in their leadership but often distinct in their function.
For more information on what we believe about pastoral leadership, please refer to our Statement of Faith.
Marwan Aboul-Zelof
Pastor | Elder
Anwar Sawaya
Pastor | Elder
Marwan Aboul-Zelof was born in the Middle East, and has family roots throughout the region. Due to war in his birth country, his family moved to the US when he was a child. While in university, Marwan's desire grew to return to the Middle East for the sake of the gospel. Prior to planting City Bible Church, he served as a pastoral intern and church planting resident with Redeemer Church of Dubai.
Marwan is married to Marci and they have two young boys, Noah and Shaya. He loves to spend time with his family, is a self-proclaimed foodie and coffee connsoisseur, and loves walking around and exploring Beirut.
--Click HERE to read articles written by Pastor Marwan--
Anwar Sawaya was born in Dhour Choueir, Lebanon to a Roman Catholic family. In 1982, due to the Civil War, Anwar emigrated to the US. It was there, four years later, that he repented of his sins and trusted in Jesus Christ as his Saviour and Lord.
In 1996, he and his wife Julene moved to Abu Dhabi. They immediately joined the Evangelical Community Church of Abu Dhabi, and over the years they served the church in a variety of ways. Most recently Anwar served as an elder.
In 2021, after 25 years of living in Abu Dhabi, Anwar and Julene sensed a strong calling to move to Lebanon and serve the Lord full-time. In God's sovereignty, the Lord directed them to City Bible Church and they moved to Beirut in September 2022.
Anwar and Julene have three adult children. Jared (married to Chelsea); Eric (married to Caitlin); and Jessica.