The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Invites You to the Second Symposium on Eco-Theology It Organizes Under the Title "Peace with Creation, Spiritual and Practical Perspectives from the East"

10-11 October 2025 - At the Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, Abbassia - Cairo

In the "Season of Creation":

"Peace begins with humanity and ends with all of creation"

Media of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

On the occasion of the opening of the "Season of Creation" 2025, His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, raised his Prayers on the intention of peace, truth and justice in the world, supplicating to the Lord Jesus to grant believers the wisdom and strength to continue their efforts in order to protect God's creation.

His Beatitude Patriarch Al-Rai delivered his blessing, via video, at the end of the international Ecumenical Prayer Service, held online, on Monday, September 1, 2025.

Addressing the world from the Middle East, His Beatitude said:

"Peace begins with the human being and extends to all of creation. Today, the world is in desperate need of peace among people. Wars, conflicts, displacement, and all forms of injustice must come to an end. Let us strive to live in peace with every person, for glorification of the Creator passes through the peace we build with those created in His image and likeness."

His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai Delivers the Closing Blessing from the Middle East to the Entire World

Media of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

The 2025 “Season of Creation” is launched in the Middle East and around the world under the theme "Peace with Creation" and the symbol "Garden of Peace." For the occasion, an international Ecumenical celebration was held online on Monday, September 1, 2025, at the invitation of many Church and Ecumenical Leaders from around the world, as well as the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), and concerned organizations and institutions.

The celebration, which you can watch on the official “Season of Creation” channel on YouTube, by clicking here, included an Ecumenical Prayer Service and various reflections about the “Season of Creation,” the theme of this year and the meanings it carries.

The Middle East was present and participating in the celebration, where His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, delivered a concluding blessing, praying to God, the God of justice and peace, and calling on the faithful to work to protect God's creation and all that is in it.

The Middle East Council of Churches, Rooted in Its Theological Faith, Carries the Environmental Issue Through a Series of Environmental Activities

While our world is immersed in security, social, environmental, and health crises that cast their shadows across the globe, clinging to hope remains a source of strength and determination to work together for peace and justice for all of God's creation, despite all the challenges surrounding it.

Amidst the conflicts and wars that burden the people of the Middle East and the world, many initiatives have emerged and seek to highlight the importance of the environmental issue, raising their voices loudly to instill an ecological culture in order to preserve the environment, which is being threatened.

Hence, the "Season of Creation" rings the alarm bell, alerting us to the need to pay attention to God's creation, listen to its cry and groan, and make efforts to protect it. Working together to promote environmental awareness contributes to the path towards peace, truth and justice.

United in Prayer and Supplication to God the Creator 

The Ecumenical family in the Middle East and the world gathers during an awaited annual Ecumenical and environmental season, which is the “Season of Creation.” It extends between September 1, the Feast of Creation, and October 4, the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of Ecology. 

In celebration of this season, you can find the text of the 2025 “Season of Creation” Prayer.

We Pray and Work Together for "Peace with Creation"

As September approaches, the Ecumenical family around the world prepares to celebrate the “Season of Creation” with hearts filled with hope, faith, and determination to work together to protect God's creation. This year's season bears the theme “Peace with Creation” and the symbol of “Garden of Peace”, inspired by Isaiah 32: 14-18

It is worth noting that the Season represents an Ecumenical, Christian, and environmental station that begins each year on September 1, with the Feast of Creation, and ends on October 4, with the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Patron saint of ecology.

On this occasion, the Season of Creation Committee is organizing an international online Prayer Service, coinciding with Creation Day, to Pray, praise, and thank the Lord, the Creator, for all His abundant gifts and blessings. This service will be held on Monday, September 1, 2025, at 3:00 pm CEST, with the participation of Church Leaders from around the world.

Let us participate together in this celebration, through clicking here, 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.

“Peace with Creation”

With great joy, the Season of Creation 2025 begins internationally under the theme "Peace with Creation." During this season, the Ecumenical family in the Middle East and the world gathers to Pray and work together for the preservation of creation. This season represents an Ecumenical environmental station that extends annually from September 1, the Feast of Creation, to October 4, the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of Ecology.

The Season of Creation invites us to renew our relationship with the Creator and creation through celebration, repentance, and commitment, through deepening our understanding of the Bible and the teachings of Jesus Christ, and via strengthening the environmental cause and continuing our efforts to protect our common home, the Oikos of God.

We Pray and Work Together for "Peace with Creation"

As September approaches, the Ecumenical family around the world prepares to celebrate the “Season of Creation” with hearts filled with hope, faith, and determination to work together to protect God's creation. This year's season bears the theme “Peace with Creation” and the symbol of “Garden of Peace”, inspired by Isaiah 32: 14-18

It is worth noting that the Season represents an Ecumenical, Christian, and environmental station that begins each year on September 1, with the Feast of Creation, and ends on October 4, with the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Patron saint of ecology.

On this occasion, the Season of Creation Committee is organizing an international online Prayer Service, coinciding with Creation Day, to Pray, praise, and thank the Lord, the Creator, for all His abundant gifts and blessings. This service will be held on Monday, September 1, 2025, at 3:00 pm CEST, with the participation of Church Leaders from around the world.

Let us participate together in this celebration, through clicking here, 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.

“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling”

(Ephesians 4: 4)

With great hope, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) releases the Arabic version of the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” booklet 2026, under the theme “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling” (Ephesians 4: 4), based on the Biblical Text Ephesians 4: 1-13.

The booklet presents Prayers and reflections prepared by the faithful of the Armenian Apostolic Church, along with their brothers and sisters of the Armenian Catholic, and Evangelical Churches. The texts were jointly prepared and published by the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches (WCC), and were translated into Arabic by the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), as every year.

The Youth Leadership Building journey that began in Summer 2024, with several encounters throughout the year, has now reached its culmination. Organized by the Theological and Ecumenical Department of the Middle East Council of Churches, in collaboration with Youth for Christ Lebanon, Bible Society Lebanon, Ithraa-Lebanon for Relational Needs, Kerk in Actie (Netherlands) and WSCF Middle East, this program has provided young participants with continuous opportunities for growth, leadership, and fellowship—leading to its closing chapter at the Summer Camp 2025.

The YLB Summer Camp 2025 extended over five unforgettable days, marked by growth, reflection, and fun. It was held at Beit El Safa – in the town of Nabaa El Safa (Aley, Lebanon) – bringing together a group of young participants in a transformative experience that combined leadership skill development with the strengthening of community bonding.

We Pray and Work Together for "Peace with Creation"

As September approaches, the Ecumenical family around the world prepares to celebrate the “Season of Creation” with hearts filled with hope, faith, and determination to work together to protect God's creation. This year's season bears the theme “Peace with Creation” and the symbol of “Garden of Peace”, inspired by Isaiah 32: 14-18

It is worth noting that the Season represents an Ecumenical, Christian, and environmental station that begins each year on September 1, with the Feast of Creation, and ends on October 4, with the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Patron saint of ecology.

On this occasion, the Season of Creation Committee is organizing an international online Prayer Service, coinciding with Creation Day, to Pray, praise, and thank the Lord, the Creator, for all His abundant gifts and blessings. This service will be held on Monday, September 1, 2025, at 3:00 pm CEST, with the participation of Church Leaders from around the world.

Let us participate together in this celebration, the link to which we will be soon published, 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.

Under the theme “Peace with Creation” and the symbol of “Garden of Peace”, inspired by Isaiah 32: 14-18, the Ecumenical family in the Middle East and the world unites to celebrate together the “Season of Creation” 2025. This season, which constitutes an Ecumenical, Christian and environmental station, begins every year on 1 September, with the Feast of Creation, and ends on October 4, with the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of ecology.

In this context, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) issues the guide for the “Season of Creation” 2025 in Arabic after the MECC Theological Department made its translation into Arabic, as is customary annually.

The guide includes all the details and information about the season, as well as the theme and slogan of this year, in addition to Prayers and suggestions for participating in the celebrations... Hence, you can find the guide for this year in Arabic and English.

Continues Its Regional Program “Trauma Healing and Spiritual Counseling”

Continues Its Regional Program “Trauma Healing and Spiritual Counseling”

Spiritual and Psychological Support Sessions in an Ecumenical Framework

Stemming from its belief in the importance of spiritual and psychological support, the Theological and Ecumenical Department at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) continues organizing its regional program " Trauma Healing and Spiritual Counseling." It held a new workshop between June 1 and 6, 2025, at the Monastery of Notre Dame du Puits in Beqanaya – Lebanon, in the presence of the MECC Associate Secretary General Reverend Dr. Refaat Fikry.

Participants were a group of Clergy, Nuns, lay people, and pastoral workers, representing various Church Families and countries of the Middle East such as Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, and Egypt. Noting that they had previously participated in national workshops organized in their countries as part of the same program, and are now trained to develop their capacities to provide support within their communities.

The workshop aimed to develop the participants' capacities regarding the concept of trauma and ways to heal it through pastoral ministry. It empowered them and provided them with the necessary skills to support others spiritually and psychologically in the face of the challenges imposed by the difficult circumstances casting a shadow over the region due to various crises.

Organizes a Regional Workshop as Part of the of the “Trauma Healing and Spiritual Counseling” Program

The Secretary General Professor Michel Abs Visits the Participants and Supports Them

Organizes a Regional Workshop as Part of the of the “Trauma Healing and Spiritual Counseling” Program

The Secretary General Professor Michel Abs Visits the Participants and Supports Them

The Theological and Ecumenical Department at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) implemented a new workshop to train the trainers, as part of the regional program "Trauma Healing and Spiritual Counseling". It took place between May 25 and 30, 2025, at the Monastery of Notre Dame du Puits in Beqanaya - Lebanon.

Participants were a group of Clergy, Nuns, lay people, and pastoral workers, representing various Church Families and countries of the Middle East such as Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, and Egypt. Noting that they had previously participated in national workshops organized in their countries as part of the same program, and are now trained to develop their capacities to provide support within their communities.

This workshop was held in response to the urgent psychological and spiritual needs of communities suffering from crises and instability in the region. Therefore, the program aimed to enhance participants' awareness of the concept of trauma and ways to heal it through pastoral ministry, as well as to empower them to support others in similar areas.

Praying for the Ascension Thursday

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs presided over the weekly meeting of the MECC General Secretariat, with an online participation of the Associate Secretary General Reverend Dr. Refaat Fikry, and colleagues from various departments, in person and online. The meeting took place on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at the MECC headquarters in Beirut.

As is customary, the meeting began with a Biblical Reading, which this week focused on the Gospel of Luke 46: 24-53 and Acts 1: 1-14. The attendees then raised their Prayers on the occasion of the Ascension Thursday, saying together, "Lift with you, O Lord, our souls and minds from emptiness and temporal concerns to divine understanding and truth."

MECC and Its Partners Implement a New Youth Camp

As part of its efforts to empower youth and develop their leadership skills, the Theological and Ecumenical Department at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) continues to implement its "Youth Leadership Building" program in Lebanon. Hence, it organized an Ecumenical Easter camp on April 25-26, 2025, with the participation of youth from various Church Families.

Noting that this program is being held in partnership with Youth for Christ (YFC), Kerk in Actie (KIA), Ithraa Center in Lebanon, the Bible Society in Lebanon and the World Student Christian Federation (WSCF).

The first day included many workshops focused on leadership and the qualities of a successful leader. These workshops contributed to developing the participants' capacities and expanding their role within their communities. The youth also participated in meditation sessions and a large group game, and heard a story from one of the leaders about how she became involved in the world of leadership. This motivated them to develop themselves and work together for a better future.

Following Up on Work Updates with Great Hope

The General Secretariat of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) continues its weekly meetings, with colleagues uniting in work, Prayer, and reflection in an Ecumenical and fraternal spirit, praying for peace and justice in the region and the world. Today, the team is living the Holy Week with humility and hope in preparation for the joy of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In this context, the MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs, held the latest weekly meeting on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, at the Council’s headquarters in Beirut, with the presence of the General Secretariat team from various departments and the online participation of colleagues from Syria, Palestine, Egypt, and Canada.

At the beginning of the meeting, Professor Michel Abs, delivered, on behalf of the MECC family, a word of consolation, sympathy, and support to the colleague Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, the Media Officer, the Coordinator of the Church and Media Relations, and the Director of the Platform of the Word at MECC, who lost her life partner. He prayed that the Lord, through His Resurrection, would grant her strength and determination in this new chapter of her life.