MECC Presidents Meeting

And a New Date for the Twelfth General Assembly

This news is also available in Arabic.

Following the invitation of the Middle East Council of Churches Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, the MECC Presidents held an online meeting, on Thursday, July 8, 2021. The meeting aimed at discussing administrative matters and various topics, in order to develop the work mechanisms and enhance the communication with the various churches in the region, so the MECC achieve the desired goals and consolidate its Ecumenical and humanitarian mission.

The meeting was attended by the Patriarch of Babylon for Chaldeans and President of the Council for the Catholic Family His Beatitude Cardinal Mar Louis Raphael Sako, the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church who is the President of the Council for the Eastern Orthodox Family His Holiness Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, the President of the National Evangelical Union in Lebanon and President of the Council for the Evangelical family HE Reverend Dr. Habib Badr. The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and President of the Council for the Eastern Family His Beatitude John X was absent due to travel.

The meeting was also joined by the Associate Secretaries General Reverend Rifaat Fikry from the Coptic Evangelical Family, Father Nicolas Bustros from the Catholic family and Mr. Adel Syryany from the Eastern Orthodox family, in addition to the Secretary General’s Executive Assistant Mrs. Seta Hadeshian.

The attendees discussed the issue of the 12th MECC General Assembly’s date and the challenges facing the mechanisms of its implementation in the light of the current circumstances and the developments of the Coronavirus outbreak and its new variants. Noting that the date of the General Assembly was decided from 16 to 19 September 2021 during the MECC Executive Committee meeting held in Bkerke last September.

Accordingly, the participants agreed to raise the issue of the next General Assembly to the Executive Committee at its next meeting in August 2021.

During the meeting, the Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs presented a brief overview about the MECC General Secretariat’s work and discussed ways to develop the policies used to achieve the expected tasks. As well as the programs that have been implemented and the projects to be achieved at all the levels, theological, service, and humanitarian, in addition to programs related to migrants and refugees, Women Empowerment, the role of youth, and diversity in citizenship. They also discussed administrative matters and issues related to the structure of the Council and the responsibilities of its departments.