Middle East Council of Churches
Its Journey and Path in Its Fiftieth Year
First part of the speech delivered by the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel E. Abs at the celebration held on the occasion of the Fiftieth Year of the Founding of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), on Saturday 14 September 2024, at the New Papal Headquarters in Anba Royce, under the patronage, blessings, and presence of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, and in the presence of His Beatitude Patriarch Bishop Anba Ibrahim Ishak, Coptic Catholic Patriarch, Reverend Dr. Andrea Zaki, President of the Evangelical Community in Egypt, representatives of various Churches, Reverend Yachouh Ayoub, the Secretary General of the Egyptian Council of Churches, Honorary and Associate Secretaries, Fathers Priests and Pastors, Nun Sisters, personalities and invitees.
Dr. Michel E. Abs
Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)
His Holiness Pope Tawadros II,
Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, Patron of the Celebration,
His Beatitude Patriarch Ibrahim Isaac,
Patriarch of the Coptic Catholic Church,
Honorable Rev. Dr. Andre Zaki,
President of the Evangelical Community in Egypt,
Your Holinesses, Eminences, Beatitudes, Pastors, and Respected Fathers,
Ladies and gentlemen,
At the outset, I must thank His Holiness, who blessed and sponsored this initiative and achievement. This is not the first time that His Holiness has shown His unlimited support for joint Christian action—that is, ecumenical action—and for the Middle East Council of Churches in particular.
I also pray and ask for mercy for the righteous martyrs of the Church. The chapter of martyrdom remains wide open, where believers offer their souls as a testimony to the message of the Incarnate, whose kingdom has no end. I say to everyone: Happy Norouz and may the blessings of the Coptic year 1741 for the martyrs be upon us all.
During half a century full of struggle and witness, the Middle East Council of Churches has formed a diverse identity that reflects the diversity of its components and the elements of the region in which it originated.
The MECC was able to define itself, which influenced Christians in the Middle East. It has been working for half a century, through delicate and dangerous stages, and has succeeded in redefining its identity, its role, and its position at every step and every stage.
It embodies the spirit and aspirations of the ecumenical movement in the cradle of Christianity, where the message was found and launched into the world. A quick and spontaneous comparison between the "ecumenical culture and spirit" of the seventies and today gives us conclusive evidence of the Council's influence on the institutional and popular mentality of Christians.
This Council was created by the Churches of the region to constitute a house of collaboration between them, and it has fulfilled the role entrusted to it since its establishment. The main element of this role is the rapprochement between the Churches—that is, bringing them closer at all possible levels.
On the other hand, the observer must note that the MECC excels at repositioning itself vis a vis the Churches and their affiliated organizations. In this context, it always seeks to create a new comparative advantage for the Churches as well as for non-governmental organizations. This is a challenge to which the Council responds, and as such, it is an ongoing process because it is part of the characteristics of life.
Regarding its relationship with non-Christians in the Middle Eastern environment, the MECC has always been a church-based interlocutor with non-Christians and has been in sustained interaction with non-Christian communities.
In this context, we must mention that non-Christian leaders view the Middle East Council of Churches as an honest and true partner, embracing equality and peer-to-peer dialogue with all those with whom dialogue is required. This is not limited to the leadership or central level but applies to the popular level, which was the main partner in the Islamic Christian National Dialogue Committee. It was also a partner in the Arab Group for Dialogue.
Furthermore, the Council is a sign of the resilience of Christianity in the Middle East. It has gone through severe crises in its history but has managed to survive and continue due to the belief of Middle Eastern Christians in its necessity and role. In addition, its survival and continuity are also deeply due to the belief of the international ecumenical community in the Council's role and the support it has provided for its continuation.
In a parallel context, the Council plays a strategic role in relations between different groups in the region on the one hand, and between Eastern and Western Christianity on the other. It plays, through the values it exudes and its experience in this field, the role of mediator between the different cultural manifestations of Christianity.
Among the dimensions of its diverse identity, the Council is a dynamic organization capable of modernizing its role. This is evidenced by the fact that during its eventful history, it has shown respect and responsiveness to the environment in which it operates.
Through the activities of its departments, organizational structure, strategies, policies, and programs, the Council has proven to be an entity that cannot be ignored in the region, constituting a significant figure in the world of faith-based institutions.
It has proven that it is not only able to adapt but to make effective active adaptations, enabling it to make a difference in the environment in which it operates.
The Middle East Council of Churches is therefore called upon to constantly redefine its role—that is, to modernize or update it—in order to respond to the needs, both macro and micro, that arise in its societies. But all that remains subject to the availability of resources, which sometimes become extremely scarce.
As for the relationship of the Middle East Council of Churches with its partners, the partnership between the Council and the international ecumenical community has been built over decades that have witnessed various stages in terms of the nature of relations. By virtue of this, a memory or historical consciousness was developed during this period, which is measured not only by time but by the mutual maturity and learning it has witnessed.
During the period extending from the establishment of the Council until today, a gradual assimilation of ideas, knowledge, values, aspirations, and vision has developed between the Council and its international partners. This has resulted in a sense of unity and homogeneity - that is, the Council and its partners have become like one family—a reassuring feeling that the Council justifies through reliability and transparency.
Part 2 will follow