MECC Joins the 16 Days Campaign “UNITE to End Violence against Women”

And Interventions Stress the Importance of Women’s Protection and Men’s role in Societies

Amidst the high rate of violence against women around the world, the United Nations is sounding the alarm, especially through an annual international awareness campaign extending over 16 days that it launched in 2008 under the title “UNITE to End Violence against Women. It begins on 25 November with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and ends on 10 December with International Human Rights Day.

In its turn, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) joins this campaign, which this year took the slogan “No Excuse,” and emphasizes the necessity of facing the violence against women, preserving human dignity, and the importance of men’s role in protecting the family and contributing to building better societies. This is what was confirmed by the beneficiaries of the services provided by the “Our Lady Dispensary” in Beirut, and affiliated with MECC.

As part of the COP28 Conference of the Parties on Climate Change held by the United Nations in Dubai between 30 November and 12 December 2023, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) issued a statement on creation care on behalf of the Churches of the Middle East, which MECC addressed it to the officials at the Dubai conference. In the statement, MECC calls for accelerated and radical changes based on the following principles: Global Long-Term Commitment, Just Climate Financing, Just Management of Resources, Simpler Lifestyles, Just Transitions, Church Commitment, and Church and Government Cooperation.

You can find the full text of the MECC statement.

Reverend Refaat Fikry Saaid, the Associate Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), wrote an article entitled “The Middle East Council of Churches and the Palestinian Cause”, and published on the website of “Al Masri Al Yom” (which means the Egyptian Today) newspaper.

In his article, which you can read it in Arabic by clicking here, Reverend Fikry highlighted the MECC work regarding the Palestinian cause, as well as he shed lights on the latest MECC Executive Committee meeting which was held in Beirut on 17 and 18 November 2023 and on its agenda that included the war in Palestine and the difficult circumstance that the Middle East is passing through.

At the end of 2023, the Middle East Council of Churches, Communication and Public Relations Department, issued its online Ecumenical calendar for the month of December 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.

The New Monthly Webinar Organized by the Middle East Council of Churches

Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs: child is the gift of the Creator and the continuation of life, and is a grace from God so that we must treat them well

The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) pursues its series of monthly seminars, and held a new webinar entitled “Street Children and Human Dignity”, on Thursday 30 November 2023, with the participation of specialists, academicians, universities’ students and interested attendees in the topic at hand. Noting that this webinar comes within the framework of the “Human Dignity Project” - “Dialogue and Social Cohesion-Social Capital Rehabilitation”, which MECC is implementing consecutively.

The webinar, which was broadcasted live on the MECC Facebook Page, included three interventions, moderated by Dr. Laure Abi Khalil who denounced in his opening speech the phenomenon of street children, highlighting their suffering and the social dangers resulting from this scourge. Dr. Abi Khalil also paid tribute to the souls of the martyrs of Gaza and the martyred children.

The webinar began with a speech by the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel Abs, in which he also condemned the phenomenon of street children, pointing out that children and the streets are not compatible with each other. He said that a child is not born to work and live on the street, and this phenomenon contradicts the concept of human dignity.

As part of the regular meeting of the Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), which was held in Beirut, on Friday 17 and Saturday 18 November 2023, the video presents a highlight of this meeting in addition to some interviews with the participants in the meeting, members of the MECC Executive Committee, who stressed the necessity of concerted efforts to work to bring peace to the Middle East, which suffers from the scourge of war and its devastating repercussions, emphasizing the role of the church in times of distress.

Organized by the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME)

Hosted by the Coptic Catholic Seminary in Maadi, Headed by Father Bishoy Rasmi

With the aim of building bridges between students of Theological institutes and as part of the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME), the Association organized a sports day that brought together students from Theological institutes in Egypt, under the title “So that they may be one,” based on the Priestly Prayer of Jesus: “Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one” (John 17: 11). This sport day took place on Saturday 25 November 2023, and was hosted by the Coptic Catholic Seminary in Maadi, headed by Father Bishoy Rasmi, Dean of the Seminary.

Participants were His Eminence Anba Michael on behalf of the Coptic Orthodox Theological Seminaries at Bishop Royce, Reverend Dr. Samuel Rozvy Dean of the Evangelical Theological Seminary, Father Dr. Andrew Fahmy Dean of the Coptic Catholic Theological Seminary in Sakakini, Reverend Dr. Sherif Salah from the Evangelical Theological Seminary, and Father Yacobos Anba Bishoy the Spiritual supervisor of the day unit at Bishop Royce. As well as, participants were Dr. Gergis Ibrahim Saleh, Honorory Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), Dr. Isaac Ajban, and Dr. Michael Adwar.

A few days ago, the media hinted at a forthcoming truce in Palestine. However, we continue to witness acts of war sporadically reported in the media, along with mutual threats suggesting that the embers of conflict are still smoldering beneath the ashes. There is a significant possibility that these embers could reignite into a full-blown fire at any moment.

Our region, naturally beautiful and diverse in its ethnic, cultural, racial, and religious composition, has not experienced stability for decades, let alone centuries.

Its geographical location has historically made it a passage for all conquerors, preventing its countries from experiencing stability. The conquerors were always stronger than the governments which governed the area. The most recent of these was the Ottoman Empire, which rule lasted for four centuries until the First World War came and eliminated it. The great powers dismantled it after flooding it with debt, referring to it as the “Sick Man.”

The colonialists further fragmented and harmed our societies and nations. Despite bringing us a wealth of science and culture – sometimes at the expense of our original culture’s growth – the culmination of this harm was the declaration under which British politician Arthur Balfour gave part of Palestine to groups displaced in batches from the West and settled in this area as part of a plan to seize the land, leading us to where we are today.

In a Media Interview Before the Beginning of the COP28 Conference of the Parties on Climate Change

In a media interview before the beginning of the COP28 Conference of the Parties on Climate Change held by the United Nations in Dubai between Thursday 30 November and Tuesday 12 December 2023, the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Dr. Michel Abs, who is participating in this conference, talks in a media interview, which you can find in the video, about several climate issues, such as the impact of the climate crisis on societies and the risks that humans are facing due to the climate change. Dr. Abs also highlights the importance of the Church’s role in presenting purposeful environmental plans in addition to the environmental emergency plan. The media interview was made by the journalist Lea Adel Maamary.

Why is the climate crisis a societal crisis? What are the risks threatening human rights resulting from climate change? What is the importance of the Church’s participation and its fundamental role in presenting purposeful environmental ideas at various levels? Are we going to announce an environmental emergency plan?

These topics and other issues were discussed by the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Dr. Michel Abs, before the 28th annual United Nations Conference on Climate Change COP28, which will be held in Dubai between 30 November and 12 December 2023.

This conference constitutes a global space that includes thousands of experts, analysts, journalists, experts in the field of the environment, and people concerned in Church affairs. The attendance will be special with the participation of Pope Francis, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) and the World Council of Churches (WCC).

The Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) held its regular meeting in Beirut, on Friday 17 and Saturday 18 November 2023, during which it discussed several issues, especially the difficult circumstances happening in the region. In the video you can find some interviews in Arabic with the participants in this meeting, members of the MECC Executive Committee, who stressed the importance of the Christian’s presence in the region and the Church’s role in supporting the suffering people and standing by the wounded who are facing escalating crises.

Of the Trauma Healing and Spiritual Counseling Program in Lebanon

Spiritual and Psychological Support for Churches’ Ministers and their Assistants

Amidst the difficult living conditions that the countries of the Middle East are witnessing due to the various crises that cast their shadows over the region, people have become burdened with the daily life concerns and the challenges that surround them. Thus, they are searching for a space of hope that will alleviate their pain and sorrow for them positive vibes away from the troubles and negativities of this world.

In this context, many people of the region are in need of spiritual and psychological support to relieve the pressures that inbound them and reduce their usual activities. Therefore, the Theological and Ecumenical Department at the Middle East Council of Churches seeks to implement the “Trauma Healing and Spiritual Counseling” program in various countries of the region, as it held a new session in Lebanon entitled “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” (Mark 6: 21).

Organized by the MECC Eco Justice Justice Unit

The Eco Justice Unit at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) organized an environmental day in the Bekaa, Lebanon, on Saturday 25 November 2023, under the auspices of the Heads of Churches, with the participation of the General Director of the Ministry of Agriculture Mr. Louis Lahoud, and in the presence of the region’s officials and Parishes’ Servants from various Churches, with the contribution of Michel Daher Foundation.

Participants in this environmental activity were also school students from: “Saint Anne’s School - Rayak, Holy Family School - Ibrin, Holy Family School - Rayak, Educational Friendship House – Al Ferzel, Redeemer Sisters School - Ablah, Haratch School - Anjar, Armenian Evangelical School - Anjar, and Saint George Syriac Orthodox School – Al Midan.”

This environmental day came within the framework of the Season of Creation special program which was launched by MECC in the countries of the Middle East in cooperation with the Danmission Organization. The Season included Ecumenical Prayer celebrations, Cultural meetings, Environmental tours, and afforestation campaigns, with media and social media coverage, including Télé Lumière TV Station which covered audio visually the activities of this environmental day, in coordination and cooperation with the media of the Middle East Council of Churches.

But the Need is Still Urgent and Necessary at Various Levels!

In response to the escalating situation in the Lebanese South due to the ongoing war at the Lebanese borders, and the consequent displacement of people from their homes, a shelter in the city of Tyr was set up to accommodate fleeing civilians from the dangerous circumstances in the South. As the shelter is crowding with newcomers, humanitarian needs are also piling up. Currently, there is a shortage in necessary items such as Hygiene Kits, disinfections, food item, bed cover and the list goes on.

Luckily, with the timely contribution of the MECC partners such as the international organization Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), and in coordination with the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Unit and the Union of Tyre Municipalities (UOTM) - represented by Mr. Mortada Mhanna, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) is being able to respond to such needs. As such, the Diakonia and Social Service department of the MECC was busy throughout this period with distributing these essential items. As expected, they were quickly exhausted as needs remain high at various levels.

Students face many difficulties when they lack clean and usable health facilities, as well as safe drinking water in schools. Poor health facilities can be a source of disease spread, such as hepatitis, typhoid, and cholera. Providing clean and safe health facilities in educational institutions undoubtedly has a significant impact on improving health and educational outcomes.

Therefore, the Diakonia and Social Service Department, at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), worked on renovating and rehabilitating health facilities in four government primary schools in Kaswa and Akraba in the countryside of Damascus, Syria. These schools are Akraba The 2nd, Zakia alsadisa, Khiara Z – N, and Khiara The 2nd.

The rehabilitation activities included the rehabilitation of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) infrastructure and its equipment, maintenance of the drinking water network, and installation of taps, toilets, doors, tile, ceramic, electric cables, water pumps and tanks, and water pipes in addition to completing the required painting activities. Moreover, solar energy work was executed.

With the League of the Lebanese Christian Publishers Affiliated to the Bible Society Association

Within the framework of capacity building and skills development, the League of the Lebanese Christian Publishers affiliated to the Bible Society Association, organized its third training as part of its training program, with the participation of the team of the Communication and Public Relations’ Department at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), alongside 36 colleagues representing 16 publishing houses in Lebanon. The training was held on Tuesday 21 November 2023, at the Bible Society headquarters in Beirut.

The training was presented by Dr. Mike Bassous, Secretary General and CEO of the Bible Society, and focused on marketing and its various types, in addition to Push vs Pull marketing, and its ways of implementation, stressing on its importance especially in our time today. During the session, Dr. Bassous gave his explanations and shared his expertise and experiences with the attendees, answering the participants’ questions and inquiries, as they applied together many exercises in order to consolidate the acquired information.

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 final statement issued by the MECC Executive Committee which held its regular meeting in Beirut on Friday and Saturday, November 17 and 18, 2023. As for the message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, it is entitled this week “Leadership decisions at a critical stage, The meeting of the Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches”, in which he presented details about what this meeting included, as well as the topics that were discussed and the decisions that were taken, amidst very difficult circumstances in the Middle East region.

The meeting of the Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches

Last week ended with the impact of important decisions in the history of the Middle East Council of Churches, taken by the Executive Committee in its meeting held on Friday 17 and Saturday 18 November of the year 2023, that is, the last year of the first half century of the Council’s life. It is the last meeting before the MECC crosses the threshold of fifty.

The meeting was held in very difficult circumstances in the Middle East region, which is plagued by crises from all sides.

Occupied Palestine, under the fire of devastating bombardment that destroys souls and stones in the most horrific war of genocide and ethnic cleansing the world has ever seen. Lebanon is suffering under a series of crises at all levels: social, economic, political and legislative. Its south is being burned by bombing fire and part of its people has been displaced, and its fate as a nation and entity is up in the air. Syria is torn apart, parts of it are occupied, and its economic conditions are very difficult. Iraq is also torn, its wealth is being wasted, and it lacks stability. Cyprus is still divided and refugees are arriving in large numbers. Sudan is burning with the fire of war. All of these societies are witnessing an unprecedented exodus of their talents and labor force, as if the intention was to empty the region of its people and capabilities. All of this must be a prelude to a stage that does not bode well, despite our clinging to hope and looking forward to a better tomorrow.