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 (MECC), Communication and Public Relations Department, you can find the message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs which title is “A prayer for unity, or a prayer in unity?”. It was the speech that Dr. Abs delivered at the Prayer Service which was held on the occasion of the end of the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity”, on Sunday 28 January 2024, hosted by the Evangelical Episcopal Anglican Church of All Saints in Downtown Beirut.
The issue also includes details, photos, a video report and a video reel, about this Prayer Service which was held as part of the celebrations organized in Lebanon by the Episcopal Committee for Ecumenical Relations at the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon, in partnership with the Middle East Council of Churches.
On the occasion of the 100th jubilee of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE), the issue presents an interview with Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian, President of the UAECNE, President of Haigazian University in Lebanon and MECC President for the Evangelical Family.
In the issue, you can find a congratulatory message from the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) to the Antonine Monk Father Michel Jalakh, Secretary of the Dicastery for the Oriental Churches in the Vatican, and MECC Honorary Secretary General, after His Holiness Pope Francis appointed him as an advisor to the Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
The issue also includes an episode with the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs within the program “Hawana Hawak”, broadcasted on Charity Radio TV. During the episode, Dr. Abs spoke about the importance of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, in addition to the activities that were scheduled for the occasion. As well as, he highlighted the Ecumenical Musical event “Beirut 2024” that was held on Saturday 20 January 2024, at the Forum de Beirut, as well as the Fiftieth Year of the Founding of the Middle East Council of Churches and the program of activities that will be implemented within this context. Thus, you can also find 2 reports videos revolving around this Ecumenical Musical event and words from the Heads of Churches and MECC Executive Committee Members who participated in it.
Hence, the Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs will be the guest of Father Elias Karam in an episode of the program “I Came to Serve” on Télé Lumière and Noursat, on Sunday 11 February 2024, at 8:30 pm Beirut Time. He will be talking about the MECC mission and the activities that will be implemented on the occasion of the Fiftieth Year of its Founding, in addition to various topics and issues.
The issue also presents a news about the dialogue meeting held by the Civilization Center for the Development of Islamic Thought with the Secretary General of Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel Abs, under the title “The Role of the Eastern Church in Defending the Palestinian Cause: The case of the war on Gaza,” in the presence of religious, media, cultural, academic and social personalities. The conference took place on Thursday 25 January 2024, at the Civilization Center for the Development of Islamic Thought in Lebanon.
Furthermore, you can find a news about the new monthly webinar organized by MECC under the title “Adequate Housing and Human Dignity”, on Thursday 25 January 2024, with the participation of specialists, academicians, universities’ students and interested attendees in the topic at hand. The webinar, which was broadcasted live on the MECC Facebook Page, included two interventions, moderated by Dr. Chawki Attieh, and began with a speech delivered by the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs.
Moreover, the issue includes details about the annual meeting of the Gulf Churches Fellowship (GCF) which was held on Monday 22 and Tuesday 23 January 2024, in Dubai. The meeting’s highlight was the visit of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and MECC Honorary President. Participants were the Director of the Theological and Ecumenical Department Father Dr. Antoine Al Ahmar, representing the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, assisted by Maria Bzdigian, the Administrative and Project Assistant in the Department. Participants were also representatives of the GCF’s partner organizations and parties from all over the world.
This is in addition to a news about the workshop organized by the Middle East Council of Churches, in cooperation with the Gulf Churches Fellowship, the Anglican Alliance, Kerk in Actie, Al Amana Center and Al Sabeel Center, on “Migration through the Middle East, a Vision for Reflection and Action for the Churches”, with the active participation of 25 participants. It took place between 24 and 26 January 2024, in Jebel Ali - Dubai, following the annual meeting of the Gulf Churches Fellowship.
On the occasion of the International Day of Human Fraternity, the Head of the Episcopal Committee for Christian-Muslim Dialogue His Eminence Bishop Mar Mathias Charles Mrad has the honor to invite you to participate in a gathering on “Human Fraternity, Journey and Participation”. During the gathering, the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Dr. Michel Abs will deliver a speech. It will be held on Saturday 3 February 2024, at the Islamic Cultural Center – the Two Imam Al Hussein Compound - Al-Zahraa Hall - Haret Hreik, Lebanon.
The issue presents a news about the new multipurpose cash assistance distributed recently by the MECC Diakonia and Social Service Department, Lebanon’s Office, to 975 Households which included female-headed households and elderly who are living alone and who do not have anyone to turn to.
You can also find details about the Prayers held in Jerusalem on the occasion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, as well as Ecumenical reports, the weekly Prayer, videos, and news of the Middle Eastern Churches. In addition to a socio-economic overview of the Middle East during December 2023 and the latest updates of the Coronavirus in the region.