Towards Continuous Cooperation and a More Sustainable Role in the Region

Under the title “Partners Accompanying MECC in the Ecumenical Journey”, the Middle East Council of Churches’ General Secretariat resumed its annual meeting with the MECC partners from international and regional organizations and institutions, on its second day, Friday 4 November 2022, in Beirut.

Attendees were representatives of these partner organizations and institutions from all over the world such as USA, Canada, Europe and the Middle East… They exchanged views and experiences with the participation of the MECC team and the departments’ directors, headed by the Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, along with the MECC Associate Secretaries General, and members of the Executive Committee.

Sunday 6 November 2022 - 4:30 EET

On the occasion of the COP27 Climate Change Summit in Sharm El Sheikh between 6 and 18 November 2022, the Interfaith Liaison Committee to the UNFCCC invites you to participate online in an interfaith celebration and discussion it organizes on Sunday 6 November, at 4:30 EET, at the local Coptic Church of Sharm El Sheikh.

In the new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Communication and Public Relations Department of the Middle East Council of Churches, you can find details and photos about the first day of the MECC annual meeting with its international and regional partners, on Thursday 3 November 2022, in Beirut. As for the weekly message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, it is entitled “Concerned Ecumenical Partners”, and was the speech he delivered at the opening of the MECC annual partners meeting.

The issue also includes a news about the second day of the Middle East Committee of the Act Alliance Forum’s annual meeting, held with the participation of MECC and many humanitarian and international organizations, between Sunday 23 and Monday 24 October 2022, in Amman.

Over the next two days, we are holding the usual annual meeting of the ecumenical partners of the Middle Eastern churches, after nearly three years of interruption due to the pandemic that afflicted the world, which paralyzed the global travel movement and turned people to the "online" syndrome, which, truth be told, has solved many problems and significantly facilitated people’s lives.

This meeting takes place a few months after the end of the Twelfth General Assembly of the Middle East Council of Churches, which was delayed by nearly two years due to the pandemic as well. Moreover, it is being held two weeks before the meeting of the MECC Executive Committee, which will discuss basic directions in the strategies of the Council and will translate the recommendations of its General Assembly into programs and projects, according to the availability of resources.

The First Day of the MECC Annual Partners Meeting in Beirut

Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs: Your feelings that exude through our interaction together do not go unnoticed

The General Secretariat of the Middle East Council of Churches held its annual meeting with its international and regional partner organizations and institutions, on its first day on Thursday 3 November 2022, ending on Friday 4 November, in Beirut, under the title “Partners Accompanying MECC in the Ecumenical Journey”. Participants were 18 representatives of these partner organizations and institutions from all over the world such as USA, Canada, Europe and the Middle East... As well as, attendees were the MECC Associate Secretaries General, members of the Executive Committee, Directors of departments and the Council’s team headed by the Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs.

Youth Are Ringing the Alarm Bell and Getting Ready with Act Alliance

The environment is at risk and humanity is suffering due to the effects of climate change! It is a bitter truth that we cannot conceal as long as it became a lived reality threatening the future of our generations who may inherit an uninhabitable world. However, some hopes were witnessed the past years, as voices were raised, especially with youth calling on governments and international concerned parties to work hard and faster to save people's lives and achieve the required and urgent change. But is anyone listening to all these young voices?

In fact, states’ presidents, diplomats, experts, and environmental activists meet each year in an international awaited environmental event which is the COP Climate Change Summit. It is the Conference of the Parties which aims at discussing urgent climate issues and taking all possible measures for a safer and more sustainable future. This year, the COP27’s activities will be held in the Egyptian city of Sharm El Sheikh, starting on Sunday 6th of November and ending on Friday 18th of November. The summit will include many activities and sessions tackling the voices of people yearning to live in a healthiest environment, and focusing on various sectors of life.

Report: October 2022

With the world still in shambles because of the war in Ukraine, many countries are looking for energy reserves that can satisfy their consumption demands. Luckily there are untapped gas fields in the Middle East that have yet to be put to good use. This is why all eyes are turned towards the area and diplomatic efforts have been underway to preserve peace in the region. As such, ME nations can expect heightened cooperation with Western nations which will lead to a more prosperous future.

The MECC General Secretariat in Beirut Prays with the Evangelical Church

“Witnessing for the God of Life Amidst a Suffering World”

On the occasion of the Evangelical Reformation Day, which is entitled this year “Witnessing for the God of Life Amidst a Suffering World”, the team of the Middle East Council of Churches’ General Secretariat, headed by the Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, participated in a special Prayer Service, presided over by Reverend Dr. Rima Nasrallah, from the Evangelical Church in Beirut, and Coordinator of the MECC Ecojustice Unit. The Prayer was held on Tuesday 1 November 2022, at the offices of the MECC General Secretariat in Beirut.

How to Develop Work Mechanisms and Enhance Humanitarian Services

The Middle East Committee of the Act Alliance Forum continued its annual meeting on a second day, on Monday 24 October 2022, in Amman, Jordan. Attendees were 27 participants from Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine and Egypt, representing local, regional and international organizations members of ACT Alliance, including the Middle East Council of Churches which was the coordinator for the Administrative Committee of the Middle East and North Africa Forum for this year.

The second day’s activities started with an opening Prayer by Rev. Imad Haddad, from the Lutheran Church. Then, participants presented the humanitarian and development activities they implemented in the countries and regions in which they work. Afterwards, a general discussion session was held and focused on the Ecumenical Diakonia topic and how to develop the work mechanisms among the Act Alliance’s members and Churches in each country.

MECC Participated in the Worship Service

On the occasion of the Evangelical Reformation Sunday and at the invitation of the Supreme Council of the Evangelical Community in Syria and Lebanon, the Evangelical Churches celebrated, as each year, a worship service entitled this year “Witnessing for the God of Life Amidst a Suffering World”, presided over by Reverend Joseph Kassab, President of the Supreme Council of Evangelical Community in Syria and Lebanon, and General Secretary of the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon. The Prayer was held on Sunday 30 October 2022 at the First Armenian Evangelical Church in Beirut.

Participants were the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel Abs and the Regional Director of the MECC Service and Relief – Diakonia Department Eng. Samer Laham, alongside representatives of the member Churches of the Supreme Council of the Evangelical Community in Syria and Lebanon, friends from Lebanon and abroad and believers.

As part of its mission in developing its team’s capabilities and expand its responsibilities especially amidst the current circumstances the region is passing through, the Middle East Council of Churches, represented by the Financial Officer Laudy El Khoury, participated in a leadership summit, along with humanitarian and Christian organizations in the Middle East, at the invitation and organization of the Bible Society, between 20 and 23 October 2022, in Cyprus.

The summit included many sessions centered around leadership and adaptation to difficult circumstances in times of crisis, focusing on the book "Leadership… in Crisis: A global perspective on building resilience, stamina, agility, and confrontation", which is a new book by the Secretary General/ CEO of the Bible Society Dr. Mike Bassous.

In the new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Communication and Public Relations Department of the Middle East Council of Churches, you can find details about the round table organized by MECC under the title "Women and Human Dignity", on Thursday 27 October 2022, at the General Secretariat’s headquarters in Beirut. As for the weekly message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, it is entitled “She deserved the status”, and was his opening note at the beginning of the round table.

Mesa redonda organizada por el Consejo de Iglesias del Oriente Medio

Secretario General Dr. Michel Abs: la mujer es el fundamento que sostiene la estructura de la vida humana. Jesucristo trazó el camino para devolver la dignidad a la mujer

Como parte de sus seminarios mensuales, el Consejo de Iglesias del Oriente Medio organizó una mesa redonda titulada «La mujer y la dignidad humana», el jueves 27 de octubre de 2022, en la sede de la Secretaría General en Beirut, con una participación híbrida de ponentes del Líbano, Egipto, Palestina y Jordania.

Durante las dos sesiones de la mesa redonda, de 10 a 14 horas, las intervenciones se centraron en los derechos humanos y los retos políticos de las mujeres en Oriente Medio, y contó con la participación de profesores universitarios, especialistas y estudiantes en las oficinas del MECC y en línea.

She is the woman, the mother, the sister, the wife, the daughter, the friend and the companion, and all the names of safety are given to her.

She is the security of man and humanity who were criminals to her for hundreds of years, so they robbed her of what she has and denied her what she is, just because they are stronger than her and because the jungle bequeathed society the predominance of the strongest and its domination of what it deserves and what it does not deserve.

She is patience, steadfastness, and endurance of the intolerable in order to preserve the one she loves.

She is the silent, prudent, long-suffering who embraced the makers of human history.

In her deep they were carried and, on her hands, they grew up, and on her melodious voice they fell asleep - or on her stories, those who drew the lines of civilization.

She is the foundations that hold the structure of human life, the hidden foundations that man rarely remembers.

Round Table Organized by the Middle East Council of Churches

Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs: woman is the foundations that hold the structure of human life. Jesus Christ charted the course for restoring dignity to women

As part of its monthly seminars, the Middle East Council of Churches organized a round table entitled "Women and Human Dignity", on Thursday 27 October 2022, at the General Secretariat’s headquarters in Beirut, with a hybrid participation of speakers from Lebanon, Egypt, Palestine and Jordan.

During the two sessions of the round table, from 10am to 2pm, the interventions focused on the human rights and political challenges of women in the Middle East, and was attended by university professors, specialists and students in the MECC offices and online.

The Communication and Public Relations Department at the Middle East Council of Churches have now issued its online Ecumenical calendar for the month of November 2022. It includes the Ecclesiastical and Liturgical feasts of the various families of Churches in the Middle East. In addition to international days identified by the United Nations, and which are related to the MECC identity and its spiritual and human mission.

Awareness Sessions for the MECC General Secretariat’s Team

How Can We Fight this Disease?

“Cholera is a crime and a serious and deadly disease caused by infrastructure breakdown and pollution resulting from sewage water,” emphasized Dr. Sameer Shleweet, a gynecologist, gender-based violence and CMR trainer, and a humanitarian activist, especially in the MECC Service and Relief – Diakonia Department, Beirut office, during an awareness session held for the MECC General Secretariat’s team, on Tuesday 25 October 2022. However, in Lebanon and many countries, it became difficult to develop infrastructure due to other priorities imposed on governments as a result of local and international crises. Hence, personal prevention is very important to face cholera together and prevent its outbreak.

United in Prayer with His Family

On the Forty days’ memory of Late Gabi Habib, former Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches, the MECC General Secretariat’s team, headed by the Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, held a special Prayer service on the intention of his soul, asking God to raise him to share the glory of the risen Christ. Habib’s small family, his wife Kathy and two daughters Maria Gabriel and Anna Sophia, participated in the Prayer which was made on Tuesday 25 October 2022 at the MECC headquarters in Beirut.

Dr. Michel Abs: Gabi Habib was able to promote MECC to a prominent international status and became, as Secretary-General, a distinguished symbol in the ecumenical world forums

On the Forty days’ memory of Late Gabriel Gergi Habib, the former Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches, a Mass and Requiem were made for him on Sunday 23 October 2022, at the Saint George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Downtown Beirut, with the participation of his family and their relatives, as well as the MECC family, represented by the Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs.

At the end of the Requiem, Dr. Abs delivered a speech entitled “Gabi Habib, a journey of faith and struggle”, in which he remembered Habib, as Secretary General, colleague and friend, praising his ecclesiastical and professional career and his dedication to serving the ecumenical movement and its development.