“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.

Produced by the Middle East Council of Churches

Produced by the Middle East Council of Churches

“Ecumenical Horizons” is a weekly program that features spiritual, cultural, intellectual, educational, youth and environmental topics.

Produced by the Middle East Council of Churches

“The Platform of the Word” at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) presents an episode of the program “And the Family Remains,” entitled “Violence Against Children.”

The program raises issues related to the family, motherhood, and childhood, in addition to the Church’s view and response to challenges, especially in light of the difficult living conditions the region is passing through.

“Momentum”

21-8-2025

This issue includes reports, videos, news, articles, and a full coverage of the latest developments of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), as well as the Church, Ecumenical, and social events…

This is in addition to the weekly word of the MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs which is entitled in this issue “Palestine Again and Again… A “Bouquet” of Genocides”.

You can check the issue via the following link: https://mailchi.mp/f398b78e9295/momentum-mecc-weekly-newsletter.

You can also subscribe to the Momentum Newsletter via the following link: https://mecc.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?id=fd3381352a&u=1db32cafe9ea32b38eb90480a.

The MECC Media Participates in an Honoring Ceremony at the Invitation of His Beatitude

His Beatitude Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian, Catholicos Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church of Cilicia, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Catholic Family, hosted a dinner in honor of the Lebanese media, at the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate in Achrafieh, Geitawi, on the evening of Friday, August 22, 2025.

Professor Michel Abs

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

The war of extermination waged by the forces of occupation and oppression, whose features have been clear for decades, takes different forms depending on the needs of each stage, and on the requirements of harming this tormented people and dismantling its cultural, political, and moral existence.

The guerrilla war against the Palestinian people began before the partition of Palestine, when armed gangs, supplied with weapons from the colonial state, raided Palestinian neighborhoods, villages, and hamlets, spreading killing, displacement, and destruction. This led to the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians at the time, giving rise to the Palestinian cause. Alongside this, organizations were created to provide relief and work for Palestinians, such as UNRWA, which today faces attempts to paralyze and eliminate its role, and the Department of Service to Palestinian Refugees (MECC-DSPR) of the Middle East Council of Churches, which still operates to this day.

After this first phase came wars of many forms: the assassination of leaders, demolition of homes and displacement of families under various pretexts, confiscation of village commons and religious endowments, and even attacks on cultivated fields, the source of people’s livelihood. The image of an elderly woman embracing an olive tree to prevent its uprooting by the occupier spread worldwide and became a symbol of peaceful Palestinian steadfastness.

In a later stage, the institutions of the Palestinian Authority were targeted, courts, civil registries, land records, and other public institutions, clearly aiming to paralyze the state’s ability to serve a people living under daily threats…

Regarding the occupation authorities' freezing of the bank accounts of the

 Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem,

Imposing heavy taxes on its properties, and assaulting some of its properties

Sixth Episode - "Social Fragmentation"

Prepared and Presented by the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary

Produced by MECC

The World Commemorates the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief

Media of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

Martyrs and victims... attacks and crimes... all of these phrases have been circulating in public life for decades now. A wave of injustice, violence, and unfairness is worsening daily amidst international silence and no action has yet been taken to hold those who should be held accountable.

Receives the MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs

On a Protocol Visit

On a friendly protocol visit, Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East Mar Awa III received the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs, at the Archdiocese in Sed El Bouchrieh.

The meeting was attended by Metropolitan Mar Meelis Zaia, Head of the Assyrian Community in Australia, New Zealand and Lebanon; Father George Youkhana, Parish Priest of Hadat; and Father Ninos Audeh, Parish Priest of Sed El Bouchrieh.

His Holiness the Patriarch welcomed Professor Michel Abs and stressed the deep friendship that binds them. Both sides discussed the history and heritage of the Assyrian Church of the East in Lebanon and the region. They also discussed the Assyrian diaspora around the world, the general situation of the Church, and the Christian presence in the Middle East, emphasizing the need for solidarity among the Churches.

At the end of the meeting, His Holiness offered to Professor Michel Abs a book about the Assyrian Church of the East as a token of love and appreciation. Professor Abs, in turn, offered to His Holiness a book about Christianity and its History in the Middle East.

Regarding the occupation authorities' freezing of the bank accounts of the

 Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem,

Imposing heavy taxes on its properties, and assaulting some of its properties

The Middle East Council of Churches, which includes the Blessed Greek Orthodox Jerusalem Patriarchate as a founding member and a fundamental element of its structure, strongly condemns the suffering of this Patriarchate, which has been enduring for decades from the violations and injustice of the occupation against its people and institutions.

The freezing of the bank accounts of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem by these authorities constitutes an assault on its parishioners and on the people of Palestine as a whole. This action paralyzes the ability of church institutions to function normally and serve the people and prevents aid from reaching them at a time when they are most in need of it, given the inhumane conditions endured by the Palestinian people, resulting from the ongoing war against them.

All this is happening while the Palestinian people in Gaza are subjected to genocide and territorial destruction, inevitably leading to ethnic cleansing. In the West Bank, the Palestinian people are subjected to daily attacks by settlers, with the aim of displacing people and achieving "transfer," which would lead to the elimination of the Palestinian presence and the denial of their right to their land, despite the recognition of this right by the United Nations and international conventions…

An Episode Within the "Community Knowledge" Series

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.