The Middle East at the WCC 11th General Assembly
Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs: The Church is Being a Leader and Role Model in Defending Humanity
Our role in the region, the Cradle of Christianity, Is Very Important, and Love Is Essential for the Salvation of Societies
The 11th General Assembly of the World Council of Churches is being held today, at a time the world is witnessing dangerous human, social, health and climate challenges… The Assembly is taking place in Karlsruhe, Germany, from 31 August to 8 September 2022, under the theme "Christ's love moves the world to reconciliation and unity." It dedicated a special session for the issues of the Middle East region, as part of a series of regional meetings and discussions.
The Middle East meeting was moderated by the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel Abs, on Friday 2 September 2022, with the presence of more than 50 participants and specialists. Dr. Abs presented a detailed lecture on the circumstances of the Middle East and its ongoing challenges based on a Church perspective. Noting that the Church organizations are concerned with the neediest groups and affected people due the difficult living conditions. They are responsible in accompanying them, regardless their religious, ethnic and political affiliations…
From a historical background, Dr. Abs mentioned that the same crises and tragedies identified 100 years ago in the “King-Crane” report, are still threatening our societies today. He also noted that over several decades, regional unity has been destructed, and many minority groups were created and became isolated from one another. But Dr. Abs also mentioned that much positive initiatives were also made in order to restore and strengthen a spirit of unity in the region, through the creation of many Christian agencies, schools and hospitals.
As a conclusion, Dr. Abs asked, Does History repeat itself? He said that the region is in the wake of a new difficult era and is going towards a divided Middle East, politically, religiously, and ethnically... Thus, challenges will be exacerbated.
Within this context, Dr. Abs tackled the importance of the Church’s role in accompanying its children and defending them amidst all the crises. He added that the Church is being a leader and a role model for so many dimensions, especially on a societal level, and through an anti-discriminatory behavior. As well as, Dr. Abs considered that Church organizations, including MECC, are advanced warning and defense institutions for society and humans. Their work aims at defending humans’ rights and preserving dignity, crossing towards a path for a new social contract between the different groups of our societies.
At the end of his approach, Dr. Abs stressed the need to carry-on in our tasks, on the basis of our Christian faith, from which we draw our strength and values, towards serving societies with excellence. He also emphasized that our role in the region, the Cradle of Christianity, is very important, and our love is essential for the salvation of our societies.
In addition, the meeting included a session for discussion. Participants exchanged point of views, experiences and common concerns on Middle Eastern issues in the context of the WCC General Assembly, challenges faced by the Eastern Churches on the international ecumenical framework, and how to accompany the children and Christians of the region despite all the difficulties.
It should be noted that the Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs is participating in the WCC 11th General Assembly at the head of a delegation from the General Secretariat including the Director of the Theological and Ecumenical Department Father Dr. Antoine El Ahmar, the Director of the Communication and Public Relations Department Mrs. Huguette Salameh, and the Executive Assistant to the Secretary General Mrs. Seta Hadeshian.
