The Holy Spirit Church in the Syriac Catholic Archbishopric of Homs, Syria, was inaugurated in 1935, and it is one of the few Churches in the world that takes the Holy Spirit as its Patron and bears its name.

In 2010, the Church was renovated and inaugurated on Christmas Eve. Three months later, the war in Syria began, and the Church paid a heavy price as it was heavily bombarded with rockets, causing damage to the two side facades of the Church and five openings in the dome. The icons, wooden benches, and windows were also subjected to burning, destruction, and theft.

On Charity Radio TV

With Dr. Laure Abi Khalil, the Coordinator of the MECC Social Rehabilitation Project

Dr. Laure Abi Khalil, the Coordinator of the Social Capital Rehabilitation Project at the Middle East Council of Churches, was the guest of the journalist Zouhour Aboun Mansour, in an episode within “Hawana Hawak” program, which was broadcasted on Charity Radio TV, on Friday 28 July 2023.

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 weekly message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, which title is “The Church in Defense of Creation”. It was his speech which was delivered at the opening of the conference ‘Respect for Creation is the Glorification of the Creator’, organized by the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME), between 24 and 30 July 2023, in Egypt.

As part of its monthly seminars, you can also find the invitation of the Middle East Council of Churches to participate in its round table it organized under the title “Human Dignity and Palestinian Refugees”, on Thursday 27 July 2023.

A Round Table Organized by the Middle East Council of Churches

Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs: in MECC, we dealt during wars with the displaced Palestinian, whom they were given the title of refugee, in various refugee camps, and our institution was the forerunner in serving these displaced persons

As part of its monthly seminars, the Middle East Council of Churches organized a round table entitled “Human Dignity and Palestinian Refugees”, on Thursday 27 July 2023, at the headquarters of the MECC General Secretariat in Beirut, with a hybrid participation of speakers from Lebanon and Palestine. Attendees were also university professors, specialists and students, who participated from the MECC offices and online.

The seminar, which was broadcasted live on the MECC Facebook page, included two sessions, from 9:30 am until 2 pm. The first session focused on “Palestinian Refugees, Legal and Social Reality”. The second session was entitled “Policies to Reduce the Suffering of the Palestinian Refugee”.

Peace in the name of the Lord Jesus, triumphant over nothingness and in whose name we gather.

It gives me great pleasure to address you through Rev. Rifaat Fikri, Associate Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches, who gave me the honor of reading my address to you at the opening of your conference ‘Respect for Creation is Glorification of the Creator’ that you are holding at the Faculty of Humanities and Theology in Maadi, Cairo.

I would like to share with you some of the concerns and aspirations related to the theme of the conference, as well as the organizer of this conference, i.e. the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME), because of the strategic importance of these two dimensions for ecumenical action and its future in the Middle East.

The Association, which includes the seminaries and institutes of theology of the MECC member churches, is an exemplary work to be followed in the ecumenical field and embodies the thought and objectives of the MECC since its inception. It was founded by predecessors and followed for decades, then stopped its activity for various reasons. Its activity was revived a few years ago and continues at an escalating pace.

The Middle East Council of Churches, Communication and Public Relations Department, have now issued its online Ecumenical calendar for the month of August 2023. 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.

And MECC President for the Eastern Orthodox Family

Receives the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs in Beirut

As part of the tour of His Grace Anba Antonios, Metropolitan of Jerusalem and the Near East for the Coptic Orthodox Church, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches for the Eastern Orthodox Family, in Lebanon, the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel Abs visited His Grace, on Wednesday 26 July 2023, at the headquarters of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate in Beirut.

The meeting was attended by Father Andraos Al Anthouny, Head of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Lebanon, and Father Abraham Al Anthouny, a Priest at the Monastery of Saint Anthony in the Red Sea.

God is the Pantocrator of all, the Bible is a guide for life, the Church is the port of salvation, and the family is an entity and security

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, met with a delegation from the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME), on Tuesday 25 July 2023, at the Papal Residence in the Monastery of Saint Anba Bishoy in Wadi El Natrun, Egypt.

The delegation included 47 Deans and students from various Faculties of Theology, headed by Archimandrite Dr. Jack Khalil, ATIME’s President, and Dean of the Saint John of Damascus Institute of Theology in Balamand, Lebanon, alongside Father Dr. Michael Kanbar, ATIME’s Executive Secretary, Priest and Professor, Reverend Dr. Bishoy Helmi, Associate Executive Secretary, and Professor at the Seminary’s Faculty, Reverend Dr. Samuel Razfi, Associate Executive Secretary, and Dean of the Evangelical Faculty of Theology, as well as a group of Deans who are members of ATIME.

Supporting the Ecumenical movement is a priority to achieve coexistence and an urgent necessity

90% of the Evangelical Authority's activity is inside Egypt and aim to serve the Egyptians, and we are proud to participate in the Presidential initiatives

Reverend Dr. Andrea Zaki, President of the Evangelical Churches in Egypt, the Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services, met with a delegation including 40 Deans, Religious Leaders and students, who are members of the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME), on Monday 24 July 2023, in Cairo.

Among the participants in the visit were Archimandrite Dr. Jack Khalil, ATIME’s President, and Dean of the Saint John of Damascus Institute of Theology in Balamand, Lebanon, Father Dr. Michael Kanbar, ATIME’s Executive Secretary, Priest and Professor, Reverend Dr. Samuel Razfi, Associate Executive Secretary, and Dean of the Evangelical Faculty of Theology, Dr. Gergis Saleh, Honorary Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches, and Professor at the  Evangelical Faculty of Theology, and Father Dr. Bishoy Rasmi, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities.

"Respecting the Creation, Glorifying the Creator"

Under the theme "Respecting the Creation, Glorifying the Creator", His Beatitude Patriarch Anba Ibrahim Isaac, Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria, and Head of the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Egypt, presided the opening conference of the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME), on Monday 24 July 2023, at the Seminary's headquarters in Maadi, Egypt. Noting that the conference will continue its sessions until Sunday 30 July 2023.

The opening session, which you can watch in the following video, was held with the participation of their Eminences Bishops from the Catholic Church in Egypt, along with Monsignor Marcel, Counselor of the Vatican Embassy in Egypt, His Eminence Bishop Michael, from the Coptic Orthodox Church, representing the World Council of Churches, Reverend Dr. Refaat Fikry, the MECC Associate Secretary General, representing the Middle East Council of Churches, Father Bishoy Rasmi, Dean of the Seminary College in Maadi, Archimandrite Dr. Jack Khalil, ATIME’s President, and Dean of the Saint John of Damascus Institute of Theology, and Father Dr. Michael Kanbar, ATIME’s Executive Secretary, Priest and Professor. Attendees in the session were also directors and members of Theological Colleges and Institutes from various countries of the Middle East.

A Safe Meeting Place for Studying and Reading Under the Auspices of the Armenian Protestant Church

As part of the “Restoration Fund for Rehabilitation of Faith-based Social Services & Religious Infrastructure Damaged During the Crisis in Syria”, implemented by the Middle East Council of Churches in cooperation with “Kerk in Actie” organization in the Netherlands, MECC and the Armenian Protestant Church focused on the situation of youth in Aleppo, Syria. They worked on restoring a dedicated youth center called the "Study Zone," which serves as a meeting place for young people and a space for reading and studying, in addition to establishing a sports club in “Telephone Hawaee” neighborhood in Aleppo.

At the Invitation of His Excellency Egypt's Ambassador to Lebanon Dr. Yasser Alawi

The MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs Participates in the Reception Held in Beirut

On the occasion of the National Day of the Arab Republic of Egypt, and at the invitation of His Excellency Egypt's Ambassador to Lebanon Dr. Yasser Alawi, the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel Abs participated in the reception held at his Excellency’s residence in Dohat El Hoss in Beirut, in commemoration of the "23 July Revolution". It was held on Friday 21 July 2023, with the participation of official, political and cultural personalities and diplomats from Arab and Foreign Countries.

Tuesday 25 July 2023, from 9h30 till 11:00 pm Beirut Time

Watch the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel Abs in an episode within the program “The Church in Danger”, on Télé Lumière and Noursat. He will be interviewed by Mr. Toni Chedid, on Tuesday 25 July 2023, from 9:30 till 11:00 pm Beirut Time. The episode will be centered around the Middle East Council of Churches, its history, mission, goals, as well as the most important programs it implements, and its relations with the religions groups in the Middle East, and with the Churches in the world. You can also participate in the episode via live phone call.

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 MECC statement in which it is mentioned that the Council is following with great concern, what is happening in Iraq with His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Louis Raphaël Sako, Chaldean Patriarch in Iraq and the World, and one of the Honorary Presidents of the Middle East Council of Churches. The MECC, affirms its full solidarity with His Beatitude, and its deep respect for his honorable person and his achievements, and stresses the need to preserve the spirit of fraternity, friendship and respect among all the Iraqi components.

As for the weekly message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, it is entitled “The Church and Its Response to Harming Its Endowments, The Land Regain in Jerusalem as Model”, in which he affirms the MECC support to His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, and to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem’s position after it succeeded in regaining its “full” rights over a plot of land it owns in the Abu Tour neighborhood of Jerusalem. Dr. Abs also expresses his joy and pride for this achievement, and stresses the importance of safeguarding and protecting the Christian presence in our region, and ensuring its continuity, which are among the basic principles on which the Middle East Council of Churches was founded.

A Round Table at the Invitation of the Middle East Council of Churches

Thursday 27 July 2023, at 9 am

As part of its monthly series of seminars, the Middle East Council of Churches has the honor to invite you to a round table it organizes under the title “Human Dignity and Palestinian Refugees”, on Thursday 27 July 2023, at the headquarters of the MECC General Secretariat in Beirut.

You can find the seminar’s program in the photo. You can participate in it via the following Zoom link: https://shorturl.at/rtGS2, or live on the MECC Facebook Page.

This round table is part of the series of monthly seminars launched by MECC, within the framework of the “Human Dignity Project” - “Dialogue and Social Cohesion-Social Capital Rehabilitation”.

The Land Regain in Jerusalem as Model

According to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem’s website, the Patriarchate has successfully recovered “strategic” lands in Jerusalem after more than a decade of tireless efforts. These lands are of religious, heritage, and archaeological value, containing Byzantine monuments and located next to the Orthodox Church in the Abu Tour area.

The Patriarchate has regained its “full” rights over a plot of land it owns in the Abu Tour neighborhood of Jerusalem by paying a significant sum. All restrictions hindering its full ownership of the property, resulting from old lease agreements and reservations from judicial rulings accumulated over time, have been removed. The Patriarchate had previously entered into partnerships to develop this property for financial reasons and is now succeeding in regaining its ownership.

With His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Louis Raphaël Sako

And Calls for Resolving Issues with Love

With great concern, The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) is following what is happening in Iraq with His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Louis Raphaël Sako, Chaldean Patriarch in Iraq and the World, and one of the Honorary Presidents of the Middle East Council of Churches.

The MECC, affirms its full solidarity with His Beatitude, and its deep respect for his honorable person and his achievements, and stresses the need to preserve the spirit of fraternity, friendship and respect among all the Iraqi components. The spirit that Christianity preaches and calls for, and which is enshrined by all the Heads of Churches, Bishops, and Clergy, and was recently manifested in the historic visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to Iraq. The spirit that the Council, along with other international and local organizations, contributed to its embodiment at all levels.

Amidst the worsening living crises in Lebanon and the region, the Middle East Council of Churches continues to organize its support sessions for the most vulnerable people in order to empower them and develop their skills so they can restore their self-confidence and work to enhance their activity. Thus, they will be able to secure a source of livelihood for themselves and their families.

In this context, the Middle East Council of Churches, Diakonia Department Lebanon, implemented many soft skills and capacity-building sessions during the month of June, in which women and men participated. They didn’t want to give up to the difficult living conditions, but rather cling to hope despite all the challenges that surround them.

With “Bread for the World” Foundation

Capacity building, skills development, and improving the human capital are among the most important goals that the Middle East Council of Churches seeks to secure for its team work in order to enhance its level of performance, develop ways of coordination, and broaden the horizon of work.

From here, the Middle East Council of Churches, in cooperation with the international foundation “Bread for the World”, organized a training course for the General Secretariat team, moderated by Mrs. Ghinwa Mikdashi. It was held on Tuesday 18 July 2023, at the MECC headquarters in Beirut.

The war in Syria has forced thousands of young people to travel in search of a better life, leaving behind them elderly parents who require care and attention. This has increased the number of elderlies in need of someone to provide them with the necessary care and support. Hence, the Middle East Council of Churches and the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate in Syria have undertaken the restoration of the Al-Rahmeh home for elderly as part of the “Restoration Fund for Rehabilitation of Faith-based Social Services & Religious Infrastructure Damaged During the Crisis in Syria” that is implemented by MECC in cooperation with “Kerk in Actie” (KIA) organization in the Netherlands.