Role of the Church in Times of War: A Diaconal Response in the Middle East

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs delivered this word at a joint webinar organized by the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), on Thursday, May 7, 2026.

Professor Michel Abs

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

In times of war, the Church in the Middle East is called to be more than a place of worship. It is called to be a place of refuge, healing, truth, and service. War does not only destroy buildings; it wounds memory, family life, dignity, trust, and hope. Prayer remains the heart of the Church, but true prayer must also become action. This is where the diaconal mission of the Church becomes essential.

The Middle East has known repeated wars, occupations, displacement, economic collapse, and sectarian tension. In Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Iraq, and other parts of the region, people have often lived between fear and survival. Churches have sometimes found themselves caring not only for their own communities, but also for neighbors from different religions, backgrounds, and political identities. This is one of the most powerful forms of Christian witness: service without discrimination.  

A diaconal response begins with presence. During war, many institutions disappear, become weak, or lose people’s trust. The Church, when faithful to its mission, remains present among the people. Priests, pastors, monks, nuns, youth groups, and lay volunteers often become the first line of support. They open church halls for displaced families, organize food and medicine, help children continue learning, visit the elderly, and comfort those who mourn. This presence is not symbolic; it is deeply practical. Sometimes the most Christian act is simply to remain when everyone else has left.

Another important role of the Church is healing trauma. War creates visible injuries, but also invisible wounds. Children become afraid of loud sounds. Parents feel powerless. Young people lose faith in the future. Families carry grief, anger, and anxiety. A diaconal Church therefore cares for the whole person: body, mind, and soul. It offers pastoral care, safe spaces for children, counseling, when possible, community gatherings, and spiritual support. In the Middle East, where many people may not easily speak about trauma directly, the Church helps by creating gentle spaces where pain can be expressed without shame.

The Church also has a responsibility to protect truth. In times of war, propaganda, rumors, demonization and hatred spread quickly. Communities are tempted to see others only as enemies. The Church resists language that dehumanizes people. It speaks with courage, but also with wisdom. A diaconal response does not mean silence in the face of injustice. On the contrary, service and justice belong together.  

At the same time, the Church in the Middle East must be careful not to become a political party. Its mission is not to serve one faction, one ideology, or one sectarian interest. Its role is to be a moral and spiritual voice rooted in the Gospel. It means speaking from the perspective of human dignity, peace, justice, and reconciliation. The Church is close to the suffering, not close to power for its own benefit.

A true diaconal response also includes reconciliation. War leaves behind bitterness, revenge, and broken relationships. In many Middle Eastern societies, people continue living side by side after violence ends. Therefore, the Church must help communities imagine a future beyond hatred. It means creating a path where truth, justice, forgiveness, and living together can slowly become possible. This is difficult work, but it is central to the Christian calling.

Youth have a special place in this mission. Many young people in the Middle East feel that their future has been stolen by war, corruption, unemployment, or migration. The Church must listen to them, form them, and trust them. Young people can lead initiatives in relief, education, media, music, mental health awareness, and interfaith service. Involving youth in diaconal work helps them discover that faith is not only inherited; it is lived.

Women also carry much of the hidden burden of war. Mothers, grandmothers, teachers, nurses, religious sisters, and women volunteers often hold communities together when everything else collapses. A serious diaconal response must recognize their leadership, not only their sacrifice. In many local contexts, women are the ones who know which families are hungry, which children are afraid, which elderly person is alone, and which home is silently suffering. The Church should empower this knowledge and leadership.

The Church’s service in war must also be professional and organized. Good intentions are not enough. Relief work requires coordination, transparency, accountability, and respect for people’s privacy. Aid should never be used to control people or pressure them religiously. The Church’s help must be offered freely, as an expression of Christ’s love. When the Church serves Muslims, Christians, refugees, migrants, and the poor without distinction, it becomes a living sign of the Kingdom of God.

A diaconal Church does not wait for peace before acting. It creates small signs of peace in the middle of war. It lights candles where there is darkness. It breaks bread where there is hunger. It listens where there is pain. It reminds every person, whatever their religion or background, that they are not abandoned. This is the Church’s calling: to be the presence of Christ among the wounded people of the Middle East.

Diakonia in the Middle East, where wounds are deep and history is heavy, has distinctive traits:

1. It’s ecumenical as Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant Evangelical groups coordinate through MECC.

2. It’s interfaith since Muslims & Christians cooperate deeply - “Diakonia to the neighbor”

3. It’s political since running aid in Gaza, South Lebanon, or elsewhere means dealing checkpoints, armed groups, and sanctions.  

4. Martyrdom is part of the profile: Church aid workers have been killed in the area. Diakonia here costs more than money.

The guiding principle is the Church of the Poor. The Church belongs to everyone, but God’s bias is toward the poor. So, the Church’s care must start with the last, the least, and the left out. Christ defined his mission by the poor.

Aid is worship. Development is worship. Helping people of the periphery to remain is worship. This is the theology of resilience.