Weir and her husband, Benjamin Weir, shared the Hewlett Professor of Evangelism and Mission chair from 1987-95, at San Francisco Theological Seminary, after having served as Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) missionaries in Lebanon for nearly 30 years.
While the Weirs were living in Lebanon, Ben Weir was kidnapped off the streets of Beirut in 1984 by the Islamic fundamentalist group, Islamic Jihad. He was held captive for 16 months before his release in exchange for U.S. anti-tank weapons as part of the Iran-Contra Affair. The book Hostage Bound Hostage Free tells the story of Ben Weir’s captivity from his perspective as well as Carol’s. During the time her husband was held captive in Lebanon, Carol worked tirelessly for his release.
Carol Weir’s long experience as a Christian educator at American University of Beirut led her to develop the Christian education curriculum at SFTS. Along with Ben Weir, she was instrumental in establishing a global emphasis on Christian life and ministry at SFTS.