title: Samuel Azariah
text: # Samuel Azariah
  
  Samuel Sammy Robert Azariah (born Gujarat, 31 August 1949) is a Protestant Pakistani bishop in the Church of Pakistan, a united Protestant denomination that holds membership in the Anglican Communion, World Methodist Council and World Communion of Reformed Churches. He is married to Khushnud and they have three daughters.
  
  ## Early life
  
  Azariah studied at St. Paul's High School Karachi and at St. Patrick's College, in Karachi. He completed his Honours in Sociology at the University of Karachi, in 1971.
  
  ## Ecclesiastical career
  
  In 1979, he was ordained a deacon of the Church of Pakistan, a united Protestant denomination that holds membership in the Anglican Communion, World Methodist Council and World Communion of Reformed Churches; he was ordained as a priest in 1980. He served first as curate at St. Andrew's Church, in Karachi, to serve mainly his small English language congregation. He later became Rector, which he was until 1987. He taught during this time at the Church of Pakistan Seminary, now known as St. Thomas' Seminary. He was elected the youngest Bishop of the Diocese of Raiwind in 1987. He first served as the Moderator of the Church of Pakistan, from 1997 to 2002, and served once again from 2009 to 2017. He also serves on the executive committee of the World Council of Churches.
  
  In 2017, he was awarded the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
  
  