On the Occasion of the 20th Anniversary of His Accession to the Patriarchal See

On the Occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the accession of His Holiness Pope and Patriarch Theodoros II, Greek Orthodox Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, to the Patriarchal See, the family of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), in the name of its Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, extends heartfelt congratulations to His Holiness, wishing him continued health, well-being, goodness, blessing, and holiness.

The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) also wishes His Holiness Pope and Patriarch Theodoros II continued success in his paternal and patriarchal care, lifting prayers to God to support him in his pastoral mission and service in the Lord's field for the good of the Church and its faithful people. May his years be many.

The Greek Orthodox Parish Priest of Ibl Al Saqi in Lebanon

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Dr. Michel Abs, was a guest on the Egyptian ME Sat TV Channel, to talk about the health condition of Father Gregorios Salloum, the Greek Orthodox Parish Priest of Ibl Al Saqi in Lebanon, after he was injured as a result of a raid that targeted his town. Dr. Abs also highlighted the deteriorating humanitarian circumstances in Lebanon and the relief work of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC).

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Dr. Michel Abs, was a guest on an episode of the “Zawya Tanya” (“Another Angle”) program broadcasted on SAT 7 TV Channel, to talk about the statement of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) following the dangerous security incidents that Lebanon is facing, in addition to the MECC relief response to support the affected and displaced people, as well as supporting them on various moral, material, health and psychological levels.

During the interview, which you can watch in the video, Dr. Abs also highlighted the difficult humanitarian conditions that Lebanon is passing through, in addition to the urgent needs in the country.

to Support the Displaced People in Lebanon

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Dr. Michel Abs, was a guest on the news bulletin broadcasted on the Egyptian ME Sat TV Channel, to talk about the importance of the humanitarian initiative launched by the Pastoral Office for Persons with Disabilities in the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerke, Lebanon, which it established a crisis cell to support the displaced people in Lebanon.

Hence, you can watch the full interview in the video.

He calls for Ongoing Work to Preserve the Environment:

“The gift of being created in the image of God also carries the responsibility of caring for all creation”

“In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, while a mighty wind swept over the waters.” (Genesis 1: 1-2). This is how God created Earth and everything on it, and gathered all of them in one environment, thus creating Man in His image, and after His likeness, making him guardian of the Earth "Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground." (Genesis 1:26).

On the occasion of the “Season of Creation” 2024 which carries this year the theme “To hope and act with Creation”, His Eminence Metropolitan Anba Thomas, Bishop of Al-Qusiyah and Primate of the Coptic Orthodox Church, founder of the Anafora Center in Egypt, presented a spiritual reflection full of hope, faith and an emphasis on the need to continue working to preserve the Earth and everything on it, based on the responsibility that God has entrusted human to it.

This reflection came within the international Ecumenical celebration that was held online on the first of September 2024, at the invitation of His Holiness Pope Francis, His Beatitude the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, His Beatitude Archbishop Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury and Head of the Anglican Church, as well as many Heads of Churches and Ecumenical Leaders from around the world, in addition to the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), and concerned organizations and institutions.

In the “Season of Creation”:

“The environment is the most significant gift the Creator has bestowed upon us. Let us protect it out of respect for the One who gave it to us”

It is true that the world is struggling as a result of conflicts, wars and crises that have cast their shadows all over the earth, especially in the wounded Middle East, but clinging to hope remains a source of strength and determination amidst all the challenges that surround human. Hence, the “Season of Creation” comes to constitute a Season of Prayer and hope to praise the Lord, the God of justice and peace. The Season calls us to continue praying and working together in order to preserve creation and protect our common home.

On the occasion of this environmental and Ecumenical Season, which extends between 1 September and 4 October of each year, the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Dr. Michel Abs, delivered a word to the people of the Middle East and the world, entitled “Crisis Creation and the Forgiving Creator,” in which he talked about the importance of the environmental issue. He stressed the necessity of the environmental advocacy and concerted efforts to protect creation, and condemned all actions that threaten it. Dr. Abs also shed light on the environmental and Theological activity being implemented by the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), in addition to its work for the “Season of Creation.”

Dr. Abs began his word by highlighting the environmental reality and said “There is a frantic race in the world between those who strive to protect the environment, willing to sacrifice everything for its sake, and those who, driven by selfishness and armed with ignorance, persist in its destruction to secure interests that prioritize profit above all else.”

Friday 4 October 2024 - 4 pm Beirut Time

Amidst a world mired in wars and conflicts, the “Season of Creation” 2024 ends on 4 October, with the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of ecology, as is customary annually, after it had started on 1 September, with the Feast of Creation.

On this occasion, the Ecumenical Youth Committee in the “Season of Creation” is organizing an international online celebration to Pray and praise God the Creator and thank Him for all His abundant Gifts and graces. It will be held on Friday 4 October 2024, at 4 pm Beirut time, and you may join it by clicking here, through the “Season of Creation” YouTube channel.

Let us participate together in this celebration and unite in Prayer on the intention of creation and our common home, hoping to achieve peace, truth and justice in the Middle East and the world.

The Ecumenical Lebanese Youth Raise Their Prayers from the Heart of Taanayel’s Nature to the Heart of God

“How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures” (Psalm 104 :24). With these sacred words from the Book of Psalms and with a heart full of hope, a group of Lebanese and Ecumenical youth united in Prayer on the occasion of the “Season of Creation.”

This season, which extends between 1 September and 5 October annually and internationally, calls us to Pray and work together to protect our common home and care for God’s creation. we share a common call to care for creation. We are co-creatures and part of all that God has made. Our well-being is interwoven with the well-being of the Earth.

They woke up early and went with all enthusiasm to the Lake Taanayel, where they walked in the middle of an integrated natural oasis to Pray together, glorify God the Creator, and contemplate all His creatures, on Friday 6 September 2024. They are the participants in the Ecumenical camp “Youth Leadership Building”, which is a joint project organized by the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) in partnership with Kerk in Actie (KIA) organization, Bible Society, Youth for Christ (YFC), and Ithraa Center in Lebanon. Noting that the camp was held between 2 and 7 September 2024, at the Monastery of Our Lady of Consolation for the Jesuit Fathers, Taanayel - Lebanon.

A team from ACT Alliance organization visited Aleppo, on 18 September 2024, accompanied by a team from the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), in order to review the projects being implemented by the Council there. These projects aim to alleviate the economic hardships resulting from years of conflict and instability. 

Both teams met at the MECC Office in Aleppo, where they were briefed on the projects implemented by the Council to support those affected by the earthquake over the past year. The briefing also covered current programs, including the restoration of clinics, schools, and Church and social facilities damaged by the crisis in Syria, as well as cash assistance programs for the elderly, among other initiatives.  

The meeting included discussions about the deteriorating economic situation in Syria, particularly in Aleppo, and the challenges that the community faces amid rising living costs and unemployment. In addition, the importance of the role played by humanitarian organizations in general, and MECC in particular, in securing the community's needs was emphasized, along with the vital partnership between ACT Alliance and MECC in supporting the most vulnerable groups and addressing their basic needs. 

The Diakonia and Social Service Diakonia, at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), continues to support education and alleviate the financial burdens on families through organizing remedial classes for 9th-grade students in the areas of Erbin, Jaramana, and Sahnaya in rural Damascus, which targeted 410 students.   

The course lasted for about two and a half months, during which students received essential information for the core subjects in the curriculum. The aim was to improve the academic level of students to enable them to pass the 9th-grade official exams successfully. 

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), Professor Michel Abs, was the guest of the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, the Coordinator of the Church and Media Relations at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), in an episode of her program “Moubadarat” (“Initiatives”), broadcasted on Radio Voice of Van and all its social media platforms, on Thursday 26 September 2024, to talk about the statement issued by the MECC General Secretariat following the dangerous security incidents in Lebanon.

During the episode, which you can watch in the video, Professor Michel Abs highlighted the difficult circumstances that Lebanon is passing through, as well as the urgent humanitarian needs, speaking about the MECC response to help the affected people by the security conditions taking place in the country. He also talked about the most prominent programs of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), especially the activities it is implementing on the occasion of the Fiftieth Year of its Founding.

Lebanon is in pain... a sentence that may perfectly express what this wounded country is witnessing. A country that has been torn by conflicts and crises for several decades. In the recent days, Lebanon is witnessing a new and violent wave of dangerous security incidents which have turned into comprehensive aggression against various Lebanese regions. The scene is tragic, even catastrophic, and expresses the pain of people who have not yet recovered from their old wounds...

In fact, Lebanon is currently recording the martyrdom of thousands of citizens, and the displacement of hundreds of thousands from all its regions, especially from its South and the Bekaa to other regions due to concerns for their lives being threatened. The scenario is repeated daily amidst deteriorating humanitarian conditions, embodied by the screams of grieving mothers who are searching for a glimmer of hope from under the rubble of their destroyed homes, and the crying of children who have lost their childhood and their simplest dreams.

In the wake of the accelerating and worsening security events in Lebanon, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) issued a statement in which it strongly condemns the killing of innocent people, children, women, the elderly, and other civilians, and deplores the attacks carried out by aggressor forces on densely populated areas that have led to the death of thousands of people and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of citizens from their areas. MECC said that these crimes indicate the forces of aggression's disregard for the principles of international law, the rules of the Geneva Conventions, and all conventions governing armed conflicts.

Friday 27 September - 4 pm Beirut Time

Watch the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs, in a live intervention, today at 4:30 pm, during the news bulletin on the ME Sat TV Channel.

Topic: Highlighting the importance of the humanitarian initiative launched by the Pastoral Office for Persons with Disabilities at the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerke.

Its Journey and Path in Its Fiftieth Year (2)

Vision and Aspirations for the Next Phase

The foundations of today's approach to planning and managing the affairs of the MECC center on the belief that it deserves and requires a long-term organizational structure and organizational culture. Therefore, it must be approached from a long-term perspective, not a temporary one, with a view toward the continuity of the team and the consolidation of its organizational culture.

The organizational structure, including procedural texts and culture, is the cornerstone of a long-term organization that can assume the tasks as defined in the Constitution and operate as stipulated in the Bylaws.

In the past, this was not adequately recognized, and the Middle East Council of Churches went through a cultural vacuum. A significant number of its team left the institution during a difficult stage in its history. When people leave, they take part of the culture with them because it is an interactive compound.

In the same methodological-strategic context, the Middle East Council of Churches applies scientific methods in its organizational development to achieve the optimal performance required of it. Therefore, we are applying the basic principles and rules for the Organizational Development (OD) and leadership skills that are contained in the science of organization and management.

Here, it must be clarified that within the Council, we apply the academic model of internal compatibility and cohesion at the level of the work team, in addition to the requirements of an organization that is reconciled with its environment and in constant interaction with it.

On the Feast of His Patron Saint, Saint John the Evangelist and Theologian

The General Secretariat of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC),

Extends its heartfelt greetings and long life wishes to His Beatitude Patriarch John, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Orthodox Family, on the occasion of the Feast of his Patron Saint, Saint John the Evangelist and Theologian.

Thursday 26 September - 4 pm Beirut Time

Watch the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs in a live interview and episode on Radio Voice of Van and all its social media platforms, on Thursday 26 September at 4 pm, as part of the “Moubadarat” (“Initiatives”) program with the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary.

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), Dr. Michel Abs, was a guest on an episode of “Masaa’ El Kheir” (“Good Evening”) program broadcasted on the Egyptian ME Sat TV Channel, on Tuesday 24 September 2024, to talk about the statement issued by the General Secretariat of the Middle East Council of Churches following the dangerous security incidents in Lebanon.

In the episode, which you can watch in the video, Dr. Abs also highlighted the urgent developments in Lebanon, and talked about the deteriorating social conditions and urgent humanitarian needs in the country.

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), Dr. Michel Abs, was a guest on an episode of the “Zawya Tanya” (“Another Angle”) program broadcasted on SAT 7 TV Channel, on Tuesday 24 September 2024, to shed light on the statement issued by the General Secretariat of the Middle East Council of Churches following the acceleration of the security events that Lebanon is witnessing.

During the interview, which you can watch in the video, Dr. Abs spoke about the dangerous reality that Lebanon is passing through and the difficult circumstances that the people of the country are experiencing, in addition to the urgent humanitarian needs.

The video sheds light via the Egyptian ME Sat TV Channel on the statement issued by the General Secretariat of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) following the escalation of new security events in Lebanon—which have turned into comprehensive aggression against various Lebanese regions, resulting in the martyrdom of thousands of citizens and the displacement of hundreds of thousands from southern Lebanon and the Bekaa to other regions due to concerns for their lives.

With the acceleration of the dangerous security incidents in Lebanon, the Egyptian ME Sat TV Channel highlighted the statement issued by the General Secretariat of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) regarding the new circumstances in the Lebanese scene. The Egyptian strategic researcher Dr. Yasser Farawila praised, through this video, the statement, expressing his support for the position of the Middle East Council of Churches.