MECC
From Hell… Live Broadcast
Professor Michel Abs
The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)
As if the suffering of the Lebanese people, and the peoples of the region in general, were not enough, the disguised global war, wearing many masks, has come to increase our pain and agony.
Here in Lebanon, and among our neighbors in the blessed yet tormented Antiochian Levant, in the image of the Savior, we have been living through countless crises in our daily lives.
In addition to the political scene, which is beyond detailed description and can only be described in its worst terms, we face the economic and social scenes and all their derivatives.
On the economic front, this is a region stripped of its resources because it is deprived of sovereignty and independence. It cannot manage its resources according to its own interests, from the historical antiquities of our ancestors looted from beneath the ground, to our human resources scattered across the world in search of a better future, to our water, oil, and gas, and everything else we never possessed. Unemployment affects all segments of society, inflation strikes our standard of living due to the arbitrariness of capital owners, and wages are so low that our living conditions approach poverty, except for those who possess wealth, influence, and monopolies. The alliance of ruling groups in political and financial spheres renders the overwhelming majority of the population stripped of will and agency.
Socially, we face communities with fragmented structures on every level: family, regional, religious, sectarian, doctrinal, and ethnic. We have yet to move from the jungle logic, where bonds were based on fanaticism and strength ruled, to a societal logic where social contracts prevail, and merit or justice govern. Our youth are partially migrating due to political and economic reasons, and partially for social reasons concerning their future and aspirations…
Global Webinar on the Feast of Creation: A New Liturgical Feast, a Gift for the Third Millennium
The Middle East Council of Churches Among the Speakers
Under the title "The Feast of Creation: A New Liturgical Feast, a Gift for the Third Millennium," a global webinar was held, in the same version, over two consecutive days, Wednesday, March 18, and Thursday, March 19, 2026. It was convened by the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), and other international Ecumenical organizations, with participants from various Church Families and countries around the world.
This event comes as an initiative of hope following the Ecumenical dialogues held in Assisi in 2024, which proposed to elevate the Feast of Creation on September 1 or the first Sunday of this month, to become a Liturgical Feast across all Christian Denominational calendars.
Palestine Observatory - Report: Thursday 19 March 2026
مرصد فلسطين – تقرير الخميس 19 آذار/ مارس 202
In light of the worsening humanitarian and social conditions in the region due to the escalation of security operations, the Middle East Council of Churches presents a weekly report entitled "Palestine Monitor," which includes the latest developments in Palestine, especially amid the deteriorating living, social, and security conditions in the country. Some texts will be in Arabic, and some others in English, depending on the source.
في ظلّ تفاقم الظروف الإنسانيّة والاجتماعيّة في المنطقة جرّاء تصاعد العمليّات الأمنيّة فيها، يقدّم مجلس كنائس الشرق الأوسط تقريرًا أسبوعيًّا بعنوان "مرصد فلسطين" حيث يتضمّن آخر المستجدّات الّتي تشهدها فلسطين خصوصًا وسط تدهور الظروف المعيشيّة والاجتماعيّة والأمنيّة في البلاد. ستكون بعض النصوص باللغة العربية، وبعضها الآخر باللّغة الإنكليزيّة، وذلك حسب المصدر.
Light of Hope: MECC Issues the Second Bulletin About the Situations in the Middle East Region
The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) has launched "Light of Hope," a new bulletin series dedicated to documenting the ongoing ordeal in the Middle East, with a primary focus on the catastrophic situation in Lebanon. This publication serves as a "cry" for the people of the Antiochian Levant who have endured decades of pain.
Video - Professor Laure Abi Khalil Highlights Via Voice of Van Radio Channel, on the Solidarity and Prayer Day Organized by MECC for the Peace in the Middle East
At the behest of the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs, the Coordinator of the "Dialogue, Social Cohesion, and Human Dignity" Programs Professor Laure Abi Khalil, was the guest of the Journalist Hala Haddad on Voice of Van Radio Channel, to discuss the Solidarity and Prayer Day for Peace in the Middle East, organized by the Middle East Council of Churches under the title “A Beacon for Human Dignity”.
The Middle East Council of Churches Issues the Ecumenical Calendar for March 2026
The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) have now issued its online Ecumenical calendar for the month of March 2026. 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.
Video - “And the Family Remains” Program
An Episode Entitled “Family and Social Media”
Produced by "The Platform of the Word" at the Middle East Council of Churches
As part of its program network, “The Platform of the Word” at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) presents an episode within the program “And the Family Remains”, under the title “Family and Social Media”.
The program raises issues related to the family, motherhood and childhood, in addition to the Church’s view and response to the challenges, especially in light of the difficult living conditions that the region is passing through.
The Students of the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME) in a Gathering
As part of the activities of the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME), the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Abbasia, Cairo, hosted a Theological student meeting entitled: “The Synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke,” on Friday, March 13, 2026.
The gathering brought together around 200 students from Theological Colleges and Institutes in Egypt, representing Theological Colleges affiliated with the Coptic Orthodox Church, Catholic Church, and Evangelical Church. This academic and Ecumenical gathering aimed at enhancing Ttheological knowledge and foster interaction among students from different Theological Institutions.
March 16, 1942
The Day the Orthodox Youth Movement Entered the History of the Church of Antioch
84 Years Since Its Founding... and the Movement Is Still Vibrant With Faith
March 16, 1942, at three o'clock in the afternoon... the dawn of a new era began in the See of Antioch. A date that carried hope, faith, and determination amidst the stagnation and crises that the Church was passing through at the time. A youthful date that formed a bright spring of joy which restored life to every spot of despair and sadness. It is the official founding date of a Movement that knows no identity other than life in Christ, and no system other than the Gospel translated into life. It is the Orthodox Youth Movement (OYM – MJO), the caring mother, the safe haven, and the community that believes in the talents of youth and the work of the Holy Spirit among them, bearing the slogan, "For in him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28).
The Orthodox Youth Movement celebrates its 84rd anniversary this year. Its founding was merely the beginning of a revivalist workshop, carried by the founders' concerns and aspirations, with the aim of building the individual in Christ through knowledge and action, studying the Bible and matters of faith, delving into the depths of Jesus Christ's teachings, and bearing witness to the Lord. This is also achieved through service, translating faith into love for others and standing by every relative and stranger.
