The Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME): 2nd meeting in Egypt giving momentum to its re-launch

The Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East held its second regular meeting on the 18th and 19th of October 2019, hosted by the Great Coptic Catholic Patriarchal Seminary in Maadi, Cairo.

The Association gathered for the first time in May 2019 after having suspended its activities for 10 years. Deans, directors and representatives of the Faculties and Institutes of Theology from Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq met at the St. Augustine Center in Lebanon.

The meeting started with a welcome speech given by Patriarch Anba Ibrahim Ishaq, Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria, followed by the speech of the Middle East Council of Churches, given by Rev. Rifaat Fekri Said, Co-Secretary-General and representative of the Secretary General Dr. Souraya Bechealany, then by the speech of Father Bishoy Helmi, the Association's Co-Executive Secretary (Egypt), and by the welcome speech of Father Bishoy Rasmi, Dean of the Faculty of Maadi. The opening session ended with the speeches of Father Tanios Khalil and Father Edgar Al-Haybe who are the Association's President and Executive Secretary respectively.

The participants discussed, over the course of two days, the bylaws of the Association, the preparations for the General Assembly and other organizational matters. The following decisions have been taken:

First: Adopting the amendments relevant to most of the bylaws provisions, especially those related to the Association's identity, its objectives, its membership conditions, its structure, its finances and its relationship with the Middle East Council of Churches; and regarding the last item mentioned, the Secretary-General of the Council will do the follow up in light of the Council’s system, its objectives and its working mechanisms.

Second: Setting the general meetings calendar for 2020:

-        Relaunch of the Student Committee of ATIME as of November 2019.

-        Launch of regional programs for ATIME in Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq.

-        Organizing an intellectual workshop in July 2020 to help teachers exchange their experiences in theological education as part of the ecumenical approach adopted by the churches.

-        Organizing a meeting to gather the students and the representatives of all the institutes and faculties that are members in the Association (two from each faculty) over a period of five days in July 2020.

-        Holding a regular meeting for the Association from the 15th to the 18th of October 2020 in Lebanon.

-        Approving the budget and working on securing the financial resources for the Association's activities and mission.

The participants also visited the Coptic Theological and Clerical College, the Institute of Coptic Studies, the Institute of Pastoral Care and Education at the Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in the Abbassia district and the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo. During these visits, they reflected on and prayed for the ecumenical spirit in the Middle East.