This report is the product of a meeting of thirty veteran ecumenists, church leaders who have had long and deep commitment to the ecumenical cause, hosted in Antelias, Lebanon from January 31-February 2, 2020 by His Holiness Aram I.

The MECC Communication and Public Relations Department on a learning journey to the World Council of Churches in Geneva

As an advanced step to strengthen the cooperation and deepen the coordination and communication between the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) and the World Council of Churches (WCC) on many levels, MECC Communication and Public Relations Department and Archives team visited WCC Communications Department at the Ecumenical Center in Switzerland - Geneva.

The Theological and Ecumenical Department of the Middle East Council of Churches has held the second consultation seminar of its process entitled " Kairos Middle East Towards Churches Global Compact ". The seminar is taking place over two days, on 21 and 22 February 2020 in Bethania - Harissa, Lebanon.

A first session between earth and sky in Anaphora – Egypt

“Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while…” (Mark 6:31): This was the title of the first session within the Trauma Healing and Spiritual Counseling program organized by the Middle East Council of Churches’ Theological and Ecumenical Department (TED) at the Anaphora Center in Egypt.

A new experience discovering the financial and investment strategies of Churches and their institutions

At the invitation of the World Council of Churches, Agape and Churchinvest foundations to the international conference entitled “Impactful cooperation” which took place in Geneva/ Switzerland on 17-18 January 2020 in the premises of WCC, the Middle East Council of Churches participated in the event and was represented by Mr. Samer Laham, director of the Diakonia Department and Ecumenical Relief Services.

The MECC Theological and Ecumenical Department (TED) held the first session of its program “Trauma Healing and Spiritual Counseling”, dedicated for ministers and pastors from different parishes in the village of Al-Mishtaya in Wadi Al-Nasara - Syria from January 27 till February 1, 2020.

A delegation from the German Catholic Bishops’ Conference headed by Dr. Udo Bentz, chairman of the Middle and Near East Working Group, has visited the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC). The delegation included Dr. Daniel Legutke, Secretary of the Working Group, and Mr. Nadim Amman, one of the Group’s members.

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.

S.G Dr Bechealany: The crisis in the Middle East threatens the “Togetherness” lived by Churches

MECC Secretary General, Dr Souraya Bechealany, participated in the Ecumenical Consultation entitled “Towards a more responsive and inclusive ecumenical vision” organized by the Armenian Church Catholicosate of Cilicia from the 31st of January till the 2nd of February 2020 at the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia in Antelias, Lebanon.

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches, Dr. Souraya Bechealany took a firm stance against what has been called the “Deal of the Century”.

MECC Diakonia department has helped 1735 families to overcome the extreme cold, which is one of the biggest challenges during the severe winter. Therefore, these returnee families in many villages of Daraa Rural, have received winter clothes kits and coats.

On the margins of the MECC Executive Committee’s regular meeting that was held in Larnaca – Cyprus on 21 - 22 January 2020, H.E Archbishop Nektarios, Metropolitan of Larnaca has invited the participants to dinner on the honor of the four Council’s presidents, His Beatitude Youhanna X - Patriarch of Antioch and All the East for the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and president of the Council for the Greek Orthodox Family

Over the course of two days (January 21 – 22/ 2020), the Executive Committee held its regular meeting in Larnaca – Cyprus. The meeting was generously hosted by His Beatitude Chrysostomos II, Archbishop of Nova Justiniana and All Cyprus of the Greek Orthodox Church of Cyprus. The members of the Executive Committee who participated in the meeting came from Cyprus, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, and Palestine.

As the Middle East and the Arab World witness a very dangerous period, and the citizens of this region including Christians who are an integral part of the region’s cultural identity, face huge challenges, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity begins.

MECC team distributed in kind kits to displaced and affected families by the Syrian crisis in a number of villages in Rural Damascus, Rural Hama and Rural Homs.

1008 families, including female-headed households, adults and 21 children with special needs and disabilities, benefited from these Individual and family hygiene kits in addition to blankets and school kits.

MECC Secretary General Dr Souraya Bechealany considered that “the Middle East and the Arab world have clearly entered a dangerous crisis, and that’s why we are all called to pray for peace, reject all forms of violence, and to always rely on constructive dialogue in conflict resolution while fighting for justice and love”. 

Arabic version of THE WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY and throughout the year 2020,
They showed us unusual kindness (cf. Acts 28: 2)

The Theological and Ecumenical Department of the Middle East Council of Churches has launched its process entitled " Kairos Middle East Towards Churches Global Compact " in a first consultation seminar that brought together about 25 experts in theology and geopolitics from Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Cyprus and Jordan. The seminar took place over a three-day period from 6 till 8 December 2019 in Bethania, Lebanon.

In order to follow up on the Ecumenical Program “Trauma Healing and Spiritual Counseling”, the MECC Theological and Ecumenical Department (TED) organized an evaluation meeting which was held in November 2019 at the Chamoun-el-Safa Seminary of the Chaldean Patriarchate in Ankawa - Erbil. 12 participants described how the training impacted them both on the personal and practical levels and how it transformed their performance, their way of working and their interaction with others.

The MECC Diakonia department in Lebanon organized a health awareness training at its “Our Lady Dispensary” in Sabtiyye, for four consecutive weeks. In collaboration with “ACT Alliance” organization, this program ended at the Syrian Orthodox Archdiocese’s hall in Sabityeh.