Rev. Emmanuel Benjamin Gharib: The First Arab Pastor in Gulf

Christian missionaries around the world work tirelessly to spread the faith and provide spiritual services to believers. Many Christian ministers from the Gulf countries and other regions are actively engaged in such efforts.

One such Christian pastor who has dedicated his life to evangelical work in the Gulf region is Rev. Emmanuel Benjamin Gharib from Kuwait. He is recognized as the first Arab Christian pastor in the Gulf and has been serving in this role for over 25 years.

Rev. Gharib oversees the spiritual needs of church members across more than 100 countries as the Chairman of the Fellowship of Churches in the Gulf and the National Evangelical Church of Kuwait (NECK).

Born on January 9, 1950, in Kuwait, Rev. Gharib pursued his early education locally and later earned a degree in Geology and Chemistry from Kuwait University. He began his career at the Ministry of Oil.

While continuing his job, he actively participated in the activities of NECK. Later, he obtained a degree in Theology from the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo, after which he took on the mission of evangelism alongside his official responsibilities.

Between 1971 and 1999, Rev. Gharib served as a member and vice president of the church council and later as the Administration/Finance Director. In 1996, he voluntarily retired from his job to dedicate his time entirely to NECK. He was ordained as a pastor on January 8, 1999, and subsequently became the President of NECK.

Rev. Gharib’s tenure as Chairman of NECK is often described as a golden era, marked by his invaluable contributions to the church. He played a significant role in strengthening coordination between Arab-Christian church representatives and various government ministries. His efforts to foster a strong relationship with the Amiri Diwan Office are particularly noteworthy. On occasions like Easter and Christmas, prominent figures, including ministers from the Amiri Diwan, often visit NECK.

When Rev. Gharib took up the role of pastor 26 years ago, he was the only Arab national in this position in the region. Subsequently, two more individuals from Bahrain joined this group after 2000. Among them were Hani Aziz, a priest, and Camilo Ballan, a bishop of the Catholic Church, who passed away five years ago.

The Fellowship of Churches in the Gulf is a collective of churches from various denominations. Rev. Gharib is a member of this group, which includes Christian churches in Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, UAE, and Bahrain, though Saudi Arabia does not have any Christian churches. Mass migration from the Gulf to countries like Europe and the United States often impacts church activities in the Middle East. However, Rev. Gharib remains optimistic, citing divine grace as the sustaining force.

In the early 19th century, American missionaries established the American Medical Hospital in Kuwait City, which later became the center for NECK. Although the hospital was taken over by the government in 1967 due to resource limitations, the premises were leased to NECK for prayers.

NECK organizes services on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, attracting approximately 25,000 believers across various sessions. Services are conducted in English, Filipino, Arabic, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, and Goan languages. Orthodox, Jacobite, Marthoma, and Pentecostal congregations also use the premises for scheduled prayer sessions.

According to the Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI), there are about 230 Christian Kuwaiti citizens, most of whom gained citizenship under the 1959 nationality law. The Christian population in Kuwait, comprising various denominations, exceeds 800,000, with Catholic Christians forming the majority.

The first visit of Rev. Gharib to Kerala was in 1993, when he was invited to the Maramon Convention. He has since been invited to several conventions and church events in Kerala. He also contributed to the relief efforts during the 2018 Kerala floods.

Rev. Gharib was honored by the Kuwait Town Malayali Christian Congregation (KTMCC) on Clergy Day for completing 25 years of priestly service as Chairman of NECK.