The Culmination of the Fiftieth Year of the Founding of the Middle East Council of Churches at the End of the Week of Unity at the First Armenian Evangelical Church in Beirut
You can find some photos at the end of the text.
With the blessing and presence of Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian, President of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE), President of Haigazian University in Lebanon, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Evangelical Family, the UAECNE hosted an Ecumenical Prayer Service on the occasion of the ending of the "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity" 2025 entitled “Do you believe this?” (John 11: 26), in celebration of the conclusion of the Fiftieth Year of the Founding of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), as well as the announcement of the launch of the 1700th Anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea, on Saturday, January 25, 2025, at the First Armenian Evangelical Church - Kantari, Beirut.
The Prayer was attended by His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Orthodox Family, represented by His Eminence Metropolitan Elias Kfoury, Greek Orthodox Bishop of Tyre, Sidon and Dependencies, His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian, Catholicos Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church of Cilicia, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Catholic Family, represented by His Eminence Bishop Krikor Badishah, Auxiliary Bishop of the Armenian Catholic Archdiocese of Beirut, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), represented by His Eminence Archbishop Shahe Panossian, Primate of the Armenian Orthodox Church in Lebanon, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), represented by His Eminence Archbishop Mor Krysostomos Mikhael Chamoun, Syriac orthodox Archbishop of Mount Lebanon and Tripoli, His Beatitude Patriarch Youssef Al-Absi, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East for the Greek Melkite Catholics, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), represented by Archimandrite Nicolas Abboudi, His Eminence Bishop Mar Mathias Charles Mrad, Vicar General of the Syriac Catholic Patriarchal Archdiocese of Beirut, Reverend Dr. Habib Badr, President of the National Evangelical Union in Lebanon, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), and Reverend Joseph Kassab, President of the Supreme Council of the Evangelical Community in Syria and Lebanon, and Member of the Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC).
Participants were also of Bishops, Metropolitans, Priests, Deacons, Monks and Nuns, from various Church Families, the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Dr. Michel Abs, the Ambassador of Armenia to Lebanon Mr. Vahagn Atabekyan, official, Church and social personnalities, and believers.
The service included Prayers, readings and meditations recited by each of the participating Heads of Churches, with hymns and praises from various Church traditions and languages performed by an Ecumenical choir that included members from different Churches led by Mr. Mark Merhej, accompanied by the instrumentalists of the First Armenian Evangelical Church. The Prayer also included the Candlelight Service among the participants, including Church leaders, clergy and lay people, as a symbol of peace, love and desired unity, which added an atmosphere of fraternity.
During the Prayer, Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian delivered a speech in which he said: “As this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity concludes today, I remember all those in our world who cannot pray freely and peacefully due to persecution, injustice, fear, ignorance, arrogance, or hopelessness. I pray that the MECC and all Churches together become a true witness to the liberating love of God, and that all people may see that what binds us together is not just our efforts but our rootedness in Christ and His love.”
Following the Holy Bible reading, His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai delivered a Sermon in which he stressed that “the unity of Christians is not an academic subject or just an eight-day Prayer, but the division of Christians is a deep wound in the Mystical Body of Christ which is the Church. For this unity in the Body of Christ, we always pray with Christ, who prayed before His death for this unity of those who believe in him, “so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17: 23). The unity of Christians is a commitment from everyone, and an act of repentance, humility and detachment from all Churches.”
At the end of the Prayer, a speech was delivered by the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Dr. Michel Abs in which he indicated that “Today, we are at the peak of the institutionalization work that will ensure the continuity of MECC, so that it can continue the tasks entrusted to it by the founders, and we need your continuous blessings, Prayers and support so that this institution, which is considered one of the highest forms of joint Christian work, will be preserved for decades to come, and remains the home of Christian fellowship in the region that witnessed the Incarnation and Resurrection.”
At the end, everyone moved outside the Church where they participated in a loving meeting that reflected the spirit of fraternity and Christian unity that has been awaited for decades.
