Building Bridges, Standing Together

The Secretary General of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Reverend Professor Dr. Jerry Pillay visited His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian, Catholicos of the Armenian Catholic Church of Cilicia, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Catholic Family, on Friday 22 March 2024, at the Headquarters of the Patriarchate in Achrafieh. (All Photos)

The visiting delegation included the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Dr. Michel Abs, the MECC Associate Secretary General Mrs. Seta Hadeshian, an MECC team, and the WCC Programme Executive for the Middle East Mrs. Carla Khijoyan. As well as, the Responsible of the Public Relations at the Patriarchate Mr. Charbel Bastoury attended the gathering.

Together to Promote the Ecumenical Work

With the aim to learn about the circumstances that Churches in Lebanon and the Middle East are passing through, the Secretary General of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Reverend Professor Dr. Jerry Pillay continues his tour in Lebanon, where he visited Reverend Dr. Joseph Kassab, President of the Supreme Council of Evangelical Community in Syria and Lebanon, General Secretary of the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon, and Member of the Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC). The visit was held in the office of Reverend Dr. Kassab at the headquarters of the Supreme Council of the Evangelical Community in Syria and Lebanon – Rabieh. (All Photos)

The visiting delegation included the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Dr. Michel Abs, the MECC Associate Secretary General Father Nicolas Bustros, an MECC team, and the WCC Programme Executive for the Middle East Mrs. Carla Khijoyan. As well as, Reverend Najla Kassab and Reverend Father George Murad attended the gathering.

A Gathering that Stresses the Importance of Being Rooted in the Homeland

As part of his tour in Lebanon on the occasion of the Fiftieth Year of the Founding of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), the Secretary General of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Reverend Professor Dr. Jerry Pillay visited His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, on Friday 22 March 2024, in the Patriarchal Edifice – Bkerke. (All Photos)

The visiting delegation included the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Dr. Michel Abs, the MECC Associate Secretary General Father Nicolas Bustros, the Director of the MECC Theological and Ecumenical Department Father Dr. Antoine Al Ahmar, an MECC team, and the WCC Programme Executive for the Middle East Mrs. Carla Khijoyan. As well as, the Patriarchal Vicar General His Eminence Bishop Paul Sayah attended the gathering.

With the blessing and presence of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Holy See of Cilicia, President of the World Council of Churches for the Orthodox Family, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, and as part of the activities of the Fiftieth Year of the MECC founding, MECC held an Ecumenical gathering on Wednesday 20 March 2024, hosted by the Armenian Orthodox Catholicosate of Cilicia in Antelias - Lebanon.

You can find in the video a highlight about this gathering and the speeches that it included, as well as some interviews.

Exchanging Experiences in Order to Strengthen the Ecumenical Work

On the second day of his visit to Lebanon, the Secretary General of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Reverend Professor Dr. Jerry Pillay met with Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian, President of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East, President of Haigazian University in Lebanon, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Evangelical Family, in the Haigazian University - Hamra. (All Photos)

The visiting delegation included the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Dr. Michel Abs, the MECC Associate Secretary General Mrs. Seta Hadeshian, an MECC Delegation, and the WCC Programme Executive for the Middle East Mrs. Carla Khijoyan. As well as, the wife of Reverend Dr. Haidostian, Mrs. Maral Haidostian attended the gathering.

Cooperating Together to Work for Peace Is Needed

With great hope, the Secretary General of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Reverend Professor Dr. Jerry Pillay continues his tour in Lebanon, He visited His Eminence Metropolitan Antonios Al Soury, Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Zahle, Baalbek and Dependencies, and Member of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Executive Committee, representing His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Orthodox Family, on Thursday 21 March 2024, at the Headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate - Zahle. (All photos)

The visiting delegation included the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Dr. Michel Abs, the MECC Associate Secretary General Dr. Nicolas Bustros, an MECC Delegation, and the WCC Programme Executive for the Middle East Mrs. Carla Khijoyan. As well as, participants were a group of Priests.

A Meeting that Emphasizes the Necessity of Preserving the Christian Presence in the Region

As part of his tour in Lebanon on the occasion of the Fiftieth Year of the Founding of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), the Secretary General of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Reverend Professor Dr. Jerry Pillay visited His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), on Thursday 21 March 2024, at the headquarters of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate - Atchaneh. (All Photos)

The visiting delegation included the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Dr. Michel Abs, the MECC Associate Secretary General Father Dr. Nicolas Bustros, an MECC team, and the WCC Programme Executive for the Middle East Mrs. Carla Khijoyan.

As well as, attendees were the Patriarchal Vicar for Syriac Studies His Eminence Bishop Mor Severios Roger Akhrass, the Patriarchal Secretary His Eminence Bishop Mor Augeen Nemat.

At the Fiftieth Year of the Founding of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), the Secretary General of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Reverend Professor Dr. Jerry Pillay visits Lebanon, between 19 and 22 March 2024. He will meet with Spiritual Leaders and pray with the MECC Member Churches. Hence, the video presents details about the program of the first day of Reverend Professor Dr. Pillay’s tour in Lebanon.

“Shared Religious Spaces in the Middle East, the Feast of the Annunciation in Lebanon as an Example”

Saturday 23 March 2024 - 9 am Beirut time

The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) invites you to a seminar entitled “Shared Religious Spaces in the Middle East, the Feast of the Annunciation in Lebanon as an Example,” on Saturday 23 March 2024, from 9 am Beirut time until 4:30 pm Beirut time.

You can participate in the seminar via the following Zoom platform link https://shorturl.at/irNO6 and live on the MECC Facebook page.

The seminar will include three sessions with the participation of speakers, Religious Leaders and specialists from various fields. It will begin with a first session devoted to the speeches from the Spiritual Leaders. The second session will focus on “The Middle Eastern Model of Shared Life,” and the third session is entitled “From Coexistence to Unity in Life.”

The seminar comes within the framework of the “Human Dignity Project” - “Dialogue and Social Cohesion-Social Capital Rehabilitation”, which the Middle East Council of Churches is working to implement consecutively.

As part of his tour in Lebanon on the occasion of the Fiftieth Year of the Founding of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), the Secretary General of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Reverend Professor Dr. Jerry Pillay visited His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Holy See of Cilicia, President of the World Council of Churches for the Orthodox Family, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, on Wednesday 20 March 2024, at the Armenian Orthodox Catholicosate of Cilicia - Antelias. (All Photos)

Reverend Professor Dr. Pillay was accompanied by Mrs. Carla Khijoyan, the WCC Programme Executive for the Middle East, a delegation from the Armenian Orthodox Catholicosate of Cilicia, which included Father Hrant, the Ecumencial Officer at the Catholicosate and WCC Central Committee Member, and Father Dajad, Chancellor of the Catholicosate and Director of “Birds’ Nest” orphanage in the Lebanese region of Byblos, as well as Mrs. Seta Hadeshian, the MECC Associate Secretary General, and an MECC delegation.

The WCC Secretary General Reverend Professor Dr. Jerry Pillay Visits Lebanon

Details of the First Day of the Visit

On the occasion of the Fiftieth Year of the Founding of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), the Secretary General of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Reverend Professor Dr. Jerry Pillay visits Lebanon, between 19 and 22 March 2024. He will meet with Spiritual Leaders and pray with the MECC Member Churches, aiming at strengthening the Ecumenical spirit and stressing on the brotherhood and love relations that bridge distances between all believers.

On the first day of his tour in Lebanon, Reverend Professor Dr. Pillay was accompanied by Mrs. Carla Khijoyan, the WCC Programme Executive for the Middle East, a delegation from the Armenian Orthodox Catholicosate of Cilicia, which included Father Hrant, the Ecumenical Officer at the Catholicosate and WCC Central Committee Member, and Father Dajad, Chancellor of the Catholicosate and Director of “Birds’ Nest” orphanage in the Lebanese region of Byblos, as well as Mrs. Seta Hadeshian, the MECC Associate Secretary General, and an MECC delegation.

Under the theme “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Luke 10:27), the Arab Republic of Egypt inaugurated the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, in a Prayer Service presided over His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, on Wednesday 13 March 2024, in the Church of Church of the Great Martyr Saint George and Anba Ebram - Heliopolis - Cairo.

Fifty

On the occasion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in Egypt, the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Dr. Michel E. Abs attended the opening Prayer of this week, headed by His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, during which he delivered a speech entitled “Fifty.” At its beginning, Dr. Michel Abs addressed His Holiness Pope Tawadros II with a word of love and condolence following the attack, on Monday 12 March 2024, on three monks from the Coptic Orthodox Church at the Monastery of Saint Mark the Apostle and Saint Samuel the Confessor in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Thursday 14 March 2024

On the occasion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in the Arab Republic of Egypt and as part of the tour of the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Dr. Michel Abs in Egypt, Dr. Abs will be the guest in a special episode on the Egyptian “Al Keraza” TV channel with the MECC Associate Secretary General Reverend Dr. Refaat Fikry.

Watch the episode live on Thursday 14 March 2024, at 8:00 pm Cairo time, 10:00 am California time, and 5:00 am Sydney time.

Together Towards Enhancing the Work Mechanisms!

Capabilities development and skills improvement are among the most prominent objectives of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) which seeks in every new opportunity to empower its team work and expand the horizons of its tasks in order to achieve the desired Ecumenical and humanitarian goals.

In this context, the Middle East Council of Churches organized a training on the new policies and procedures prepared and adopted by the Council with the aim of developing its work mechanisms. The training, which was programmed with the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, extended over two days, Thursday 7 and Friday 8 March 2024, at the Near East School of Theology (NEST) in Beirut.

The training was moderated by the MECC Human Resources Senior Officer Mrs. Roula Saliba, in which participants were the team of the MECC General Secretariat in Beirut, and the team of our Lady Dispensary, affiliated with the MECC, in the Sabtieh region –Mount Lebanon. Hence, the training included many sessions and practical exercises, all of which centered, in details, on the policies and procedures for the recruitment process, employee files and all issues related to their duties, rights and performance. In addition, the training highlighted the policies and procedures related to whistleblowing, and the protection from sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (PSEAH)…

The escalation occurring in the South, resulted in the displacement of several citizens in various areas of Lebanon. They were forced to abandon their homes, possessions, and sources of livelihood during a time when the economic crisis is still prevailing. Already, the government was not able to provide the right circumstances for ordinary citizens to maintain their livelihood and source of income as many of the Lebanese population have fallen below the poverty line.

According to recent estimates, 80% of the Lebanese live in poverty and 36% below the extreme poverty line.  As such, many are not able to acquire the basic necessities that encompass food, medication, heating equipment, and hygiene & dignity supplies etc... Expectations indicate, amidst the urgency of the situation, that between April and September 2024, about 1.14 million people are expected to face high levels of food insecurity and are likely to be in a crisis or emergency phase according to standards set by the Integrated Food Security Classification. As such the issue of the internally displaced people (IDPs) coming from the South, came at an unfavorable time during which humanitarian needs are already shocking.

Words Stressing the Need to Strengthen Relations Between the Churches

Cairo, 3-13-2024

In the context of strengthening relations between the Churches and emphasizing the role of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) in spreading the spirit of love among all, and in preparation for the activities of the MECC Fiftieth Year of its Founding, the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, visited, with a delegation from the Council, the Bishop of the Episcopal Church in Egypt, North Africa and the Horn of Africa  His Eminence Bishop Sami Fawzi Shehata at the headquarters of the Episcopal Church in Cairo.

The meeting was attended by the MECC Honorary Secretary General Dr. Gergis Saleh, the MECC Associate Secretary General Reverend Dr. Refaat Fikry, the Secretary General of the Egypt’s Council of Churches Father Yachouh Yacoub, and the journalist Lea Adel Maamary, the Coordinator of Communication for Church Relations.

The meeting was characterized by a spirit of love, as Dr. Michel Abs spoke about the MECC role in strengthening relations between Churches, as well as the MECC work regarding lectures, programs and projects it implements embracing humanity and including everyone without exception.

With a Delegation from the Council, Emphasizing the Role of Media in Building Humanity

Cairo, 3-13-2024

Many topics, aspirations and important files were the highlight of the meeting of His Beatitude Patriarch Anba Ibrahim Isaac, Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria, and Head of the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Egypt, with the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Dr. Michel Abs, and the Council’s delegation, at the Patriarchate headquarters - Cairo.

The meeting was attended by the MECC Honorary Secretary General Dr. Gergis Saleh, the MECC Associate Secretary General Reverend Dr. Refaat Fikry, and the Coordinator of Communication for Church Relations the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary.  

Following the welcoming, the two parties discussed important topics related to the issues of the Christian role in the Middle East, Ecumenical witness, cooperation between Churches, the role of MECC in raising new problems at the humanitarian and social levels, and the MECC activities on the occasion of the Fiftieth Year of its Founding.

Wednesday 13 March 2024 - 6 pm, on Télé Lumière and Noursat TV Channel

Watch with us the live streaming of the opening of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity from the Church of the Great Martyr Saint George and Anba Ebram, Egypt, at 6:30 pm on Télé Lumière and Noursat TV Channel. The opening Prayer will be headed by His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of Mark, and in the presence of the Heads of Churches.

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel Abs will deliver a speech during the opening Prayer.

Cairo, 3-12-2024

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Dr. Michel Abs left Lebanon heading to the Arab Republic of Egypt, to participate in the opening of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Dr. Michel Abs will also have tours and visits to the Heads of Churches, lectures, and fruitful meetings with the aim of enhancing the activities of the Fiftieth Jubilee of the Founding of the Middle East Council of Churches.

He was received at Cairo International Airport by the MECC Associate Secretary General Reverend Dr. Refaat Fikry, amid great love and hospitality.