ATIME NEWS

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.

(ATIME)

Holds Its General Assembly Meeting Hosted by the Saint John of Damascus Institute of Theology - Balamand, Lebanon

With the blessings of 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, the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME) held its General Assembly meeting in its first regular session for the academic year 2023-2024, on Tuesday 3 October 2023, hosted by the Saint John of Damascus Institute of Theology - Balamand, Lebanon.

Attendees were the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel Abs, President of the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East, and Dean of the Saint John of Damascus Institute at the University of Balamand in Lebanon, Archimandrite Dr. Jack Khalil, and the ATIME’s Executive Secretary Father Dr. Michael Kanbar, alongside Deans of 18 Institutes from Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq.

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.

Begins His Visits to Theological Institutes in the Region

In order to strengthen communication between the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME) and Theological Institutes in the region, the Executive Secretary of ATIME, Father Dr. Michael Kanbar is holding a series of visits to these educational institutions, according to the internal regulations of the Association, which requires the Executive Secretary to visit the institutes once a year.

Father Dr. Kanbar started its visits from Lebanon. During March 2023, he visited the St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology at the University of Balamand, the Higher Institute of Religious Studies, the Faculty of Religious Sciences at St. Joseph University in Beirut, and the St. Paul Institute of Philosophy and Theology in Harissa. Noting that other visits will be hold next month.

A Cultural Gathering for Students of Theological Institutes in Egypt

Organized by ATIME

Under the patronage of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, and in the presence of His Eminence Bishop Michael, General Bishop and Vice Dean of the Theological Seminary in Anba Ruwais, Egypt, the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME) organized a cultural gathering entitled "Care for Nature and Creation". Hence, 150 students from Theological Institutes in Egypt participated in the activity which was held on Friday 3 March 2023, and hosted by the Theological Seminary in Anba Ruwais.

As part of building Ecumenical bridges between Theology students from various Church families, the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME) organized an entertaining sports gathering with the participation of more than 200 students studying in Theological Institutes in Egypt. It was held on Saturday 26 November 2022 at the Coptic Catholic Seminary in Maadi, Egypt.

The gathering was characterized by an atmosphere of joy, friendship and love. It aimed to bridge distances between the participants who got to know each other, exchange experiences and opinions about various topics of their interest.

Beirut, November 29, 2022

The Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches held a face-to-face meeting, for the first time after the end of the Corona pandemic, on Monday 28 and Tuesday 29 November 2022 at the Monastery of Notre-Dame du Puits in Bkennaya, Lebanon. The meeting was chaired by His Eminence Anba Anthonios, Metropolitan of Jerusalem and the Near East for the Coptic Orthodox and the President of the MECC for the Eastern Orthodox Family, His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and the President of the MECC for the Orthodox Family, represented by His Eminence Metropolitan Saba Esber, Metropolitan of Busra Houran and Jabal Al-Arab, His Eminence Rev. Dr. Paul Haidostian, President of the Federation of Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East and President of the MECC for the Evangelical Family, His Beatitude Patriarch Raphael Bedros XXI Minassian, Catholicos of the House of Cilicia for the Armenian Catholics and President of the MECC for the Catholic Family, with the participation of members of the Executive Committee from Lebanon Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Jordan and Cyprus, representing 21 churches of the Middle East, the Secretary-General of the MECC Dr. Michel Abs, the two Associate General Secretaries Reverend Refaat Fikry and Father Nicolas Bustros, the Executive Secretary of the Association of Theology Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME), Reverend Michael Kanbar, in addition to the General Secretariat team of department directors and administrators.

Together Building Bridges and Restoring Hope

The Middle East Council of Churches held its annual meeting with representatives of its partner organizations and institutions, in addition to a series of activities it implemented with them, between 2 and 5 November 2022. The video presents the point of views and aspirations of some of the MECC partners participating in the meeting. It is prepared and produced by the MECC Communication and Public Relations Department.

MECC Meets with Its International and Regional Partners

The Middle East Council of Churches met with its international and regional partners as part of a series of activities and meetings in Lebanon between 2 and 5 November 2022. What did the meetings include? And what did the attendees discuss? The video presents a brief overview of these meetings, activities, and the most important discussed topics. It is prepared and produced by the MECC Communication and Public Relations Department.

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.

Decisions to Strengthen the Ecumenical Spirit

The Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME) held its General Assembly’s meeting online on Tuesday 11 October 2022. Attendees were ATIME’s President Archimandrite Dr. Jack Khalil, its Executive Secretary Father Dr. Michael Kanbar, and the Director of the MECC Theological and Ecumenical Department Father Dr. Antoine Al Ahmar, alongside the deans of the faculties and institutes, members in ATIME.

During the meeting, the participants discussed many topics and issues, which are following up on the “Season of Creation” project and ways to enhance and support it, and preparing for the environmental symposium which will be held in May 2023 in coordination with the MECC Theological and Ecumenical Department.

The Election of Archimandrite Dr. Jack Khalil President

And Father Dr. Michael Kanbar, Executive Secretary

The General Assembly of the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME) met with the generous hospitality of His Beatitude Patriarch Ibrahim Isaac, Patriarch of the Coptic Catholic Church at the Coptic Catholic Patriarchal Seminary in Maadi - Cairo, at the invitation of its President, Father Dr. Tanios Khalil, on the 22nd and 23rd of May, 2022.

Approximately seventeen deans, directors, and representatives of all colleges and institutes that are members of the Association and the General Assembly, participated in the Assembly, which opened its work with a prayer presided over by His Beatitude Patriarch Isaac. The Patriarch delivered a speech at the first session in which he welcomed the Association, which embodies the fundamental basis of ecumenical formation in the Middle East.

Tras su elección como Secretario Ejecutivo de la Asociación de Institutos Teológicos de Oriente Medio (ATIME: Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East), asociada con el Consejo de Iglesias del Oriente Medio, el padre Mikhael Kanbar visitó Egipto y mantuvo numerosos encuentros teológicos y ecuménicos. El viernes 25 de marzo de 2022, visitó la Catedral Ortodoxa Copta de San Marcos, Anba Ruwais en El Cairo, el Seminario Teológico y el Instituto de Estudios Coptos, y mantuvo una reunión con los decanos de colegios e institutos de todas las familias de la Iglesia.

After his election as Executive Secretary of the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME) which is related to the Middle East Council of Churches, Father Mikhael Kanbar visited Egypt and had many theological and ecumenical gatherings. On Friday, March 25, 2022, he visited the St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, Anba Ruwais in Cairo, the Theological Seminary and Institute of Coptic Studies, and held a meeting with the deans of colleges and institutes from all Church families.

The Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME) held, on Tuesday morning, February 22, 2022, an online meeting that gathered the deans of the faculties and institutes and their representatives from Egypt, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. It was attended by members of the Executive Secretariat and the Director of the MECC theological and Ecumenical Department Father Antoine Al Ahmar.

The meeting was presided by the President of the Association, and Dean of the Faculty of Religious and Theological Sciences at Université La Sagesse in Beirut Father Tanios Khalil, and moderated by Father Dr. Mikhael Kanbar, ATIME Executive Secretary.

Many thanks to H.H Pope Tawadros II for hosting the next General Assembly

We must work together to contain the post-Coronavirus poverty, unemployment and crises

On Friday, February 11, 2022, the Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches held an online meeting in compliance with the ongoing preventive measures during the Corona pandemic. Members of the Committee from Egypt, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Cyprus, and Lebanon attended the meeting.

The meeting was presided by the heads of the Church families of the Council: President of the Council for the Eastern Orthodox family His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, President of the Council for the Greek Orthodox family His Beatitude Patriarch John X, President of the Council for the Catholic family His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Louis Raphael Sako, President of the Council for the Evangelical family Reverend Dr. Habib Badr. Other participants were members of the Executive Committee, the General Secretariat team, and the invitees of Secretary General Dr. Michel E. Abs.

The Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME), held on Thursday, January 27, 2022, an online meeting that gathered the deans of the faculties and institutes and their representatives from Egypt, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. It was organized in the presence of the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel Abs, and the Director of the MECC theological and Ecumenical Department Father Antoine Al Ahmar.

The Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME)

Reviving the Ecumenical Spirit after 11 years of interruption

The ATIME Student Committee, composed of students from different theological institutes in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq held its first regular meeting on the 1st of February 2020. The meeting was hosted by the Pontifical Faculty of Theology at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK) – Kaslik, Lebanon. His Eminence Archbishop Yacoub Babawi, dean of the Mor Aphrem Theological Seminary at Ma'arat Saydnaya, attended the meeting and gave his blessing.

The Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East held its second regular meeting on the 18th and 19th of October 2019, hosted by the Great Coptic Catholic Patriarchal Seminary in Maadi, Cairo.

With the blessing of the Presidents of the Churches in the Middle East, the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME) was relaunched after a strenuous endeavor of the MECC Theological and Ecumenical Department.