Momentum, the Weekly Newsletter from the Middle East Council of Churches

In the new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Middle East Council of Churches, Communication and Public Relations Department, you can find the statement issued by MECC following the earthquake that hit the north of the Middle East, in which the Council calls on the international community for emergency aid and urges for lifting the sanctions on Syria. As for the weekly message of the MECC Secretary General, Dr. Abs, which title is  “Listen, Little Creature!”, he stresses the repercussions of the catastrophe that struck Syria following the earthquake and the suffering of the Syrian people due to the blockade. He also mentioned how people are weak amidst huge events, and their need to the Creator’s love and to cling to Christian’s values. Dr. Abs called again for the lifting of sanctions on the country.

The Momentun issue also includes details and photos about the visit of Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian, MECC President for the Evangelical Family, President of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East, and President of Haigazian University in Lebanon, the offices of the MECC General Secretariat in Beirut, on Wednesday 8 February 2023. He was received by the Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, alongside the MECC team from all departments.

In a follow-up on the repercussions of the catastrophic earthquake, the issue presents two interviews with the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs. The first interview was made by the German newspaper “Berliner Zeitung”, and the second one was on “Voice of Van”.

In the issue, you can also find a video in which Safir Salim, coordinator of the MECC programs in Aleppo, describes the first earthquake moments they passed through, and explains how they took refuge in the Salesian Church, hoping that it will be a safe shelter for them. This is in addition to some photos taken by the MECC team in Syria, highlighting the scene of destruction in Aleppo.

Moreover, the issue includes a report from the French Catholic TV channel KTO, in which Monsignor Antoine Audo, the Chaldean Bishop of Aleppo, describes how Syria and its Churches responded, in coordination with MECC, to the humanitarian call following the earthquake. Furthermore, the issue presents a Prayer raised by Reverend Edwin Gonzalez-Castillo, the new director for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance at the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A (PCUSA), for the affected and afflicted people in Syria and Turkey.

You can also find news about the training program launched by the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, for the Council’s team. The training includes monthly sessions focusing on the basics of organizational behavior and its foundations, in addition to its importance, especially in the institutions’ management.

The issue also presents a video with Reverend Dr. Rima Nasrallah, Coordinator of the MECC Ecojustice Unit, in which she highlights how MECC builds bridges between youth, on the occasion of the World Interfaith Harmony Week, in addition to the Ecumenical Calendar for February 2023, Ecumenical reports, the weekly Prayer, videos, and news of the Middle Eastern Churches.

Additionally, the issue presents a socio-economic overview of the Middle East during January 2023 and the latest updates of the Coronavirus in the region.