Riad Aziz Kassis

Revd Dr Riad Aziz Kassis was born in Tripoli, Lebanon, and was raised in a devout Presbyterian home. He is a citizen of Lebanon, Syria and the USA.

Riad obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Economics in Damascus, Syria and his Master of Nonprofit Management from Regis University in Denver, Colorado.

He went on to obtain his Master of Divinity from the Alliance Biblical Seminary in Manila, Philippines, and a Master of Theology from Regent College, Canada. Riad received his Doctor of Philosophy in Old Testament as a Langham scholar from The University of Nottingham, UK.

Riad has served in several ministerial, leadership and higher education capacities. He is an ordained minister of Word and Sacrament at the National Evangelical Church of Beirut (the first Arabic-speaking reformed evangelical church in the region). Riad was Dean of the Program for Theological Education by Extension in Syria and Lebanon, and the Executive Director and Chaplain for the J. L. Schneller Institute in West Beqaa, Lebanon. He was Assistant Professor of Old Testament Studies at Arab Baptist Theological Seminary and the Near East School of Theology, Beirut, Lebanon. Riad is a board member of the International board of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES), and served as the chairperson of the Board of LIVF (IFES, Lebanon).

From 2006 until recently, Riad was Overseas Council’s International Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa and Central Europe. Also, until recently, Riad was the International Director of the International Council for Evangelical Theological Education (ICETE). Since 2012, Riad has served as the International Director of Langham Scholars Ministry (formerly John Stott Ministries).

Riad has written numerous articles and several publications in English and Arabic. These include The Book of Proverbs and Arabic Proverbial Works (English - Leiden: Brill, 1999), “The Most Beautiful Names of God in Islam and in the Book of Genesis,” in The Origins of the World and Humanity: A Contemporary Reading of the Book of Genesis (Beirut/Cairo/Tunisia: Dar al-Jeel, 2001), pp. 95-103 [Arabic], Why We Do Not Read The Book That Christ Read? Towards A Better Understanding Of The Old Testament (Arabic - Beirut: Clarion, 2008), and The Secret of Successful Governance with Dr. Nabil Qusta (Arabic - Beirut: Dar Manhal al-Hayat, 2011). His most recent books include Frustrated with God: A Syrian Theologian's Reflections on Habakkuk (English and French- Amazon, 2016) and Intellect or Blasphemy? A reading in the Theory of Evolution (Arabic - Science and Faith series, Dar Manhal al-Hayat, 2020).

Riad and his wife Izdihar live in Zahle, Lebanon and have a grown son Timothy and grown daughter Trivina.