St Paul’s Church in Agra names first female priest of city

A mechanical engineer by profession  Rev Jyoti Samuel Singh has been elected to handle the charge of the St Paul's Church, which is governed by the Church of North India (CNI).

Rev Jyoti Samuel Singh is the first woman to be handling the charge of a church in the city and is the third priest in the diocese of Agra.

Rev Jyoti Samuel Singh is among the handful of women presbyters (priests) serving under the Agra diocese of CNI, after storming male bastion of the priesthood.

While another woman priest is present in Meerut Rev Rinvi Noel which is also under Agra diocese and another woman pastor is in Mussoorie.

Rev Jyoti Singh is the new priest at St Paul's Church. She got the calling to serve mankind after finishing her graduation in 2004. The thirty-year old, claimed that she was not welcomed by her counterparts when she was given a chance to become the head priest at the church.

"Though we are highly educated, we have to work harder than men for the congregation to accept us. But, once we prove ourselves, the people realize that we are as good as men. A pastor is a pastor. We don't see whether it is a man or woman," said Singh.

Having read about Hinduism and Islam other than Christianity during her theological studies which ended in 2010, she claimed that all the religions in India have same place for both men and women, but vested interests use and manipulate religion for their personal gains.

Under the supervision of the bishop, the diocese is running schools in Agra, Aligarh, Mathura, Meerut, Kanpur, Ghaziabad, Etah, Kasganj, Bareilly, Bulandshahr, Farukhabad, Moradabad, Sambhal, Mainpuri, Nainital, Dehradun, Saharanpur, Mussoorie and Uttarakhand.