MECC Eastern Orthodox Family President & Acting Secretary General Attend Global Christian Forum’s Third Global Gathering

MECC President for the Eastern Orthodox Family, His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, and MECC Acting Secretary General, Dr. Souraya Bechealany, attended the Global Christian Forum’s Third Global Gathering in Bogotá, Colombia April 24-27, 2018.

His Holiness, Mor Aphrem II, who addressed attendees on the opening night about the plight of Christians in the Middle East, also presented a touching video dedicated to the two Syrian Archbishops from Aleppo — Syriac Orthodox Archbishop, His Eminence Metropolitan Mor Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim, and Greek Orthodox Archbishop, His Eminence the Most Reverend Metropolitan Paul Yazigi — who were kidnapped while negotiating the release of fellow priests in 2013 and have yet to be released or heard from. The video was part of larger tribute at the Gathering, which marked the fifth anniversary of the disappearance of the archbishops.

MECC Acting Secretary General, Dr. Bechealany, also gave an intervention on the final day of the Gathering, Friday, 27 April. Her presentation was part of a panel addressing the topic of Facing Common Challenges Together With Hope.

The Global Christian Forum’s Third Global Gathering brought together 251 church leaders from 55 countries around the theme Let Mutual Love Continue (Hebrews 13:1). The diversity of God’s church was celebrated as attendees prayed, sang and worshipped together as one body of Christ. In its closing message, the Gathering called on Christians “to take up together the challenges of peace, unity and costly discipleship”.

For more information and images from the Third Global Gathering, visit the Global Christian Forum’s website.