The Church of the East Denounces All Conflicts and Wars and Calls On the Christians of the Region to Cling to hope

“Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27)

The Middle East Council of Churches launches its 12th General Assembly, on Monday, May 16, 2022, under the title of “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27) at the Logos Papal Center in Wadi El Natrun, Egypt, with the generous hospitality of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, and with the support of the Evangelical Church in Egypt. The Assembly is attended by representatives of 21 Churches from the Middle East. They all stressed on the importance of renewal and attachment to hope and to our faith in Jesus Christ, because with His presence we are neither afraid or discouraged. As well as, they stressed on the need to cling to our East and Land, the Cradle of Christianity.

In the new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Communication and Public Relations Department of the Middle East Council of Churches, you can find a press release including details about the launching of the MECC 12th General Assembly on Monday 16 May 2022, with the hospitality of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, at the Papal Logos Center in Wadi El Natrun, Egypt.

Monday 16 May 2022

Hosted by His Holiness Pope Tawadros II

The Middle Eastern Churches Will Meet in a Historical and Ecumenical Event

New Hope Under the Title of “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27)

Under the title of “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27), the Middle East Council of Churches kicks off its 12th General Assembly on Monday 16 May 2022, focusing on many issues related to the Middle Eastern Christians, their challenges, aspirations and strength of their presence in unity. Participants from the MECC four Church families will define a future vision that guarantee the consolidation of the ecumenical spirit and the achievement of the most important humanitarian and social goals among all the people of the region.

And Its 12th General Assembly Will Be Held This Month

The Communication and Public Relations Department at the Middle East Council of Churches have now issued its online Ecumenical calendar for the month of April 2022. The most prominent Ecumenical event for this month will be the MECC 12th General Assembly, which will be held between May 16 and 20, 2022, under the title of “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27), with the generous hospitality of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, at the Papal Logos Center in Wadi El Natrun in Egypt.

In the new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Communication and Public Relations Department of the Middle East Council of Churches you can find the MECC Annual Report 2021. As for the message of the Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, it was entitled this week “Against Wind and Waves: Challenging the challenges”, and was published as the introduction of this report.

As well as, the issue presents an Arabic report about the ecumenical meeting organized for the Syrian Youths in Homs, under the theme of “the essential of our life, grant us today”.

Report: April 2022

As the war in Ukraine rages, food and energy prices are increasing in the Middle East and in the rest of the world. If it were not from some reform policies being enacted, the region’s food security would be in worse conditions. However, the region is suffering from inflation and unemployment is still recording substantial numbers. While the conflict in Eastern Europe have yet to simmer down, it is time for the nations of the ME region to enhance cooperation with one another to achieve common good.

In the new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Communication and Public Relations Department of the Middle East Council of Churches the MECC General Secretariat issues its 2021 Annual Report under the title of "Against Wind and Waves: Challenging the Challenges". As for the message of the Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, it was entitled this week “The sea is not a false witness” and came after the incident of the migrant boat that capsized off Tripoli in north Lebanon, with 75 people on board. Noting that around 23 people were missed, as search and rescue operations continue by land and sea, and 6 people have died. The Lebanese army rescued 45 people.

The General Secretariat of the Middle East Council of Churches issues its annual report for the year 2021 under the title of "Against Wind and Waves: Challenging the Challenges". The report presents the MECC activities and the achievements it has accomplished at various ecumenical, theological and humanitarian levels.

Noting that international challenges and fluctuations occurred during 2021 and cast their shadows on the wounded Middle East, which was affected by the repercussions of these global and regional developments.

For refusing the restrictions on the Holy Saturday celebrations in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and for not restricting the freedom of believers in Jerusalem

In keeping with the alarming developments in the city of Jerusalem and the restrictions imposed by the occupying power on worshipers and pilgrims to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Middle East Council of Churches and its General Secretariat declare their support for the position of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and affirm the sanctity of freedom of religion and the right to worship and pray in the city of Jerusalem. Furthermore, the Council calls for a consolidation of this position and to rally around the principled and correct position of the Patriarchate.

The Patriarchate addressed a letter to the occupation police, rejecting any restrictions on the number of people who may celebrate Holy Saturday inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, its courtyard, its surroundings, its roof, or the entrances leading to it.

In the new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Communication and Public Relations Department of the Middle East Council of Churches you can find the message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs entitled this week “Christ is Risen...a Blessed Palms Sunday”, in which he tackled the moral, psychological, and social dimension of the absence of social consensus to adopt the same dates for religious occasions, shedding light on the importance of the unification of the feasts as an indicator of the unity of the soul in the believing community.

In the new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Communication and Public Relations Department of the Middle East Council of Churches you can find a news about the participation of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs in a solidarity meeting on the occasion of 9 years since the kidnapping of the Bishops Paul Yazigi and John Ibrahim, organized by the “Orthodox Encounter” and the “Syriac League”. As for the message of Dr. Abs for this week, it is the speech that he delivered during the solidarity meeting, entitled “The Registry Is Still Open - When Will the Registry Be Closed? In memory of the kidnapped shepherds”.

March 2022: A Month of International Fluctuation and Development

As the drums of war sounded between Russia and Ukraine and Russian military operations escalated on the capital Kyiv, the world turned its attention to the difficult humanitarian reality in Eastern Europe. In its turn, the Middle East raised the alarm as the repercussions of this war affected most of the countries in the region, already suffering from years of wars, conflicts, and economic and social collapses.

In the new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Communication and Public Relations Department of the Middle East Council of Churches you can find a news about the visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to Lebanon on next June. As for the message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, it was entitled this week “When fake becomes culture”.

Workshops with Danmission Enhanced Cooperation with Humanitarian Organizations

Capacity building and skills improvement are main goals of the Middle East Council of Churches team, which seeks with every opportunity to develop the potential of its members and build their professional, intellectual and spiritual capabilities.

Lately, the team of the MECC Communication and Public Relations Department participated in a communication and media training workshop organized by the international humanitarian organization Danmission.

In the new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Communication and Public Relations Department of the Middle East Council of Churches you can find a news about the online discussion organized by MECC about Anti-Racism and Anti-Segregation, on Wednesday, March 30, 2022. As for the message of the Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, it was entitled this week “A Speech on Hatred”.

The Communication and Public Relations Department at the Middle East Council of Churches have now issued its online Ecumenical calendar for the month of April 2022. 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. Noting that the remaining months of the year will be published consecutively.

Standing Together Towards a More Sustainable Partnership

The General Secretariat of the Middle East Council of Churches held its annual meeting with its international and regional partner organizations and institutions, online, on Thursday, March 24, 2022. The meeting aimed at exchanging point of views and experiences in order to develop the MECC role and to ameliorate the work mechanisms in order to achieve the desired goals, and work together for a more effective future partnership.

In the new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Communication and Public Relations Department of the Middle East Council of Churches you can find an invitation from MECC to participate in an online discussion about Anti-Racism and Anti-Segregation, on Wednesday 30th of March 2022. As for the message of the Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, it was entitled this week “The Middle East Council of Churches: Towards the Twelfth General Assembly”.

Saint Georges’ School Bsalim: A Model of the Struggle of Lebanese Schools

Turn to the abyss! These words were said years ago about a sector considered one of the most crucial basic facilities for building societies. The Lebanese education sector has always formed a major lifeline and has been a factor for prosperity and progress, but today it is reaching rock bottom. This is a bitter reality that the educational institutions in the Middle East must now faceat the ional, especially following the outbreak of the economic and cost-of-living crises in the midst of the dangerous health conditions that were manifested by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Communication and Public Relations Department of the Middle East Council of Churches presents the news about the visit of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs heading a delegation from the General Secretariat to His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, aiming at giving him an invitation from His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, to participate in the MECC 12th General Assembly. As for the message of Dr. Abs, it was entitled this week “Collateral Damage”.