Toongabbie Presbyterian Church
Arabic Evangelical
Presbyterian Church
To Love Christ
To Know Christ
To Serve Christ
Sunday Service
10 AM
Arabic, English, Sunday Schools.
The service is followed by fellowship over tea, coffee and sweets in the hall in a pleasant and blessed family atmosphere.
We also participate in the Lord’s Supper on the first Sunday of every month.
Family Service and Bible Study
Fridays 7pm
Prayer meeting
Wednesdays 6pm
Bible Studies
Senior Ladies Study: Every Tuesday in the Church’s hall at 10am. For more information, please contact Najwa Daniel.
Wednesday Bible Study: Open for men and women: every Wednesday at 10am. For more information, please contact Rev. Nabil Zakhary.
English Bible Study: Every Monday at 7pm in a different home (during school terms). For details of location of the Bible study, please contact Pastor John Rhee.
Men’s fellowship – First Saturday of the month in the church’s hall. For more information, please contact Elder Dr. Nasser Sidrak
Sunday school & Creche
Sunday school
Sunday school is for ages 4-12 divided into two classes: 4-8 years old and 9-12 years.
Creche is for 1 year old to 3 years old at the same time of the service.
There is a kids program every Friday family service at 7pm.
Holiday club: a few days during the school holidays. Exact dates are to be confirmed.
Youth Group
Youth Group is part of the English service every Friday at 7.30pm. for high school children 13-18 years old during school terms. For more information, please contact Pastor John Rhee.
Safe Ministry
We follow Breaking The Silence
The safe ministry policy and procedures of the Presbyterian Church in NSW, the ACT, Tasmania and WA.
GIVE
As Christians, we have been shown grace upon grace. We are to have generous hearts that reflect the generous heart of our heavenly Father, and we are to set those hearts on the things of God.
We encourage all our members to generously support their church with their finances.
If you’d like to know more about what a financial partnership with Toongabbie Presbyterian Church looks like, Please get in contact with us.
Bank Details
Bank: St George Bank
BSB: 112-897
Account Number 44-258-6141
Online Giving
Online giving is now even easier. We’d love you to support our church ministry and mission by making whatever donation you are able to.
Watch Our Sermons Online
Catch up on powerful, faith-building messages anytime. Watch our latest sermons on YouTube and stay encouraged wherever you are.
- Elder Atif Eid: Chairman
- Peter Nabhan: Secretary
- Elder Ibrahim Jalek: Session Clerk and Treasurer
- Magdi Khalil
- Nidal Jbarat
- Sami George
- Marcel El-Chalouhi
- Ramy Nakhil
- Worship Team. Please contact Dima Daher
- Media Team. Please contact Loreen
- Visitation Team. Please contact Rev. Nabil Zakhary.
- Welcoming Team. Please contact Magdi Louka
We have an outreach team that goes out to different suburbs every second Saturday. For more information, please contact Elder Dr Philip Hanna.
We have a free food ministry that serves the needy in Toongabbie and any other. If you know someone who needs food, please contact Nabil Sadaka.
Rev. Nabil Zakhary
Senior Minister
Rev Nabil Zakhary, the Senior Minister, is from an Egyptian background, married to Najah, who's from Syrian background.
They both have 4 adult children, 2 daughters, 2 sons, and one granddaughter.
He received his calling for full-time pastoral ministry in 2000. He then completed his Theological Studies at Christ College - Sydney.
Nabil's professional background was in teaching and language translation, while Najah's is in accounting.
They both live to enjoy the love and grace of the Lord Jesus and strive to make him known to others.
0425279005
Nmzakhary@hotmail.com
Ramy Nakhil
Assistant to the Minister
Born in Alexandira (the city of the great Athanasius), Egypt.
Was a manager to one of the two bookshops to the Bible Society of Egypt in Alexandria 1999-2004.
Moved to Australia in 2004.
After a few years in the hospitality industry, he became a member of the Australian Defence Force for 18 years, with four military medals. He jumped the military ranks until he became a commissioned officer.
Executive assistant to the National Party Whip’s office, and assistant political advisor to the federal minister for Resources and Northern Australia for almost two years in the Australian Parliament
Studied at Alexandria University with a Bachelor’s degree majoring in Political Sciences.
Master’s of International Relations, Macquarie University, Sydney.
Graduate Diploma of Teaching and Learning, University of Southern Queensland.
Studied at the Evangelical Theological Seminary, Egypt – Alexandria Branch.
In his last year of Master’s of Divinity at Christ College (Presbyterian Theological Seminary)
Was the assistant to the minister at St Andrews Presbyterian Church, Canberra 2021-2022.
Married to Grace with four children: William, Rose, Anna and George.
0404 360 744
Ramy.nakhil@gmail.com
Elder: Ibrahim (Bob) Jalek
Session Clerk, and Treasurer.
Has been in the Toongabbie Church for more than 40 years.
Born in Lebanon.
Migrated to Australia in 1988
Married to Rima with three daughters: Rose, Karen, and Patricia.
0425268 268
Ibrahimjalek@hotmail.com
Elder: Atif Eid
Chairman of the Committee of Management
Born in Sudan. Came to the Lord in 1992. Migrated to Australia in 1999. Became an elder in 2023. Professional and licensed painter. Married to Genet with three daughters: Rose, Ruby and Rihanna.
0425 218 184
Elder: John Rhee
English Congregation
John is a Korean-born Australian who has grown up in Sydney Australia.
Bachelor’s of Psychology (UNSW, 2005) Master’s of Divinity (Morling College, 2010)
John serves our English congregation and is married to Amy and has two boys, Roi and Evan.
0407 000 990
j.john.rhee@gmail.com
Pastor Masoud Askri
Persian Congregation
My native language is Persian, and I came to faith in Christ in 2016.
In 2019, I joined the Arabic and Elder ministry of Toongabbie Church, and in 2020, we established Faez Persian Church in Blacktown, Sydney.
I started my theological education at University of Seven, continued at the local Iranian university “Hayat-e-No”, and from 2021 to 2025 studied at Trinity University, receiving my Bachelor of Theology from Dr. Edwin Saleh in 2025.
In 2024, I was ordained as one of the elders of Toongabbie Church, and in 2025, I was ordained as the shepherd of the Persian-speaking Iranian congregation in Toongabbie, with my ministry primarily focused on Persian speakers. This church was initially active in Blacktown but has been operating in Toongabbie since 2022.
Married to Makila with four sons:
Amirhossein, Amin-Reza, Benjamin, and Michael.
0451 242 021
masoudaskari81@gmail.com
Elder Dr Philip Hanna
Place of birth: Khartoum, Sudan, to pious and faithful parents who guided me to faith from an early age. I graduated from the Faculty of Dentistry at Alexandria University in 1981. I married the virtuous Nida Munir Sadiq in 1987 in Sudan, and we had a son, Victor, and a daughter, Phoebe. We migrated to Australia in 1993, and the Lord gave us another daughter, Sarah. In 2022, the Lord chose my blessed wife to precede us into paradise. The Lord granted me ministry service in Sudan and Lebanon, and in the last three years in South Sudan.
0411 401 217
Philiph_58@outlook.com
Elder Dr Nasser Sidrak
Born in Alexandria, Egypt.
I was born again in year 12 at school.
I served God in youth ministry in Egypt and in Australia for more than 12 years.
I am primarily interested in Discipleship ministry in small groups.
Married to Heba with two children and two grandchildren.
0402 873 441
nassersidrak@gmail.com
Elders Emeritus
Elder Emeritus Razzouk Nabhan
It is an honour to me to have served alongside Godly servants who have been chosen by God. This church has been a church to many wonderful people who have served God faithfully in their lives. As Apostle Paul says in the scriptures " I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" 2 Timothy 4:7. I have been a faithful servant to Toongabbie Presbyterian Church for many years and have lived by this scripture throughout my time serving the church. Throughout my time I have seen Gods hand over our church and in my recent retirement from eldership God continues to show he is sovereign over everything. My hope is that all the good work that has been done until now will be passed onto the faithful ones. My encouragement to all current, past and new members of Toongabbie Church is to be faithful, committed, and resilient. May God bless you all.
The church expresses special thanks and appreciation to Elder Razzouk and his family, whom the Lord used to purchase the land and church building in Toongabbie in 1995.
May the Lord bless them according to His riches in glory.
Elder Emeritus Wajih Daniel
Elder Wajih was born in Lebanon. He migrated to Australia in 1970 at the age of 21.
He became part of Toongabbie Church since 1985.
Before retirement, he was bus driver. He is married Lolo, and have three children: Steven, Morris, and Cindy. God has blessed him with 12 grandchildren so far!
A special acknowledgment is given to Elder Wajih and his family, who faithfully and selflessly gave of themselves in the construction of the building of the English church. May God bless them abundantly. To God be the glory.
We also remember those who are asleep in the Lord
Elder Kamal Mikhael
Our history
The church was established fifty years ago. Over the years, the Lord has preserved the ministry as the church moved across several locations throughout Sydney, until the Lord honoured us by purchasing the current building thirty years ago in the suburb of Toongabbie.
Over time, four other churches joined us in the ministry of the gospel at this location in a practical partnership: the Persian Church, the South Sudanese Church, the Chinese Church, and the Indian Church.
As a church by the grace of the Lord, we strive to reflect Christ’s unlimited and unconditional love toward one another and toward others. Coming from a variety of Arab and Eastern backgrounds (10 Middle Eastern ethnicities), we do not differentiate between one person and another. What unites us all is the rich grace of Christ, the bond of peace through the Holy Spirit, and the living Word of God.
The church is characterised by the simplicity and the love we have in Christ within a warm family atmosphere, for both adults and children.
The church also has an English section in the other hall where full family services are held in English. It also includes several Arab, European, Asian, and other nationalities, and serves all ages.
Pastor Elias Hamo
The church was established -by God's grace- under the leadership of Pastor Elias Hammo, who's from Iraqi origin. He was married Mary, his Jordanian wife, and had his theology education in Lebanon. They had a daughter and a son. They first started a church in Punchbowl (Sydney) and then moved to a number of locations. When Pastor Elias retired the congregation continued until the Lord called Pastor Nabil Zakhary to pastoral ministry. In 1995, the Lord provided the congregation with the building in Toongabbie. The church was able to invite other cross-cultural congregations to partner with us, and together, we continue in reaching out to our community with the gospel.