As part of his participation in the VIII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs, met with His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine and Jordan, who received his paternal and pastoral blessing.

During the meeting, both sides discussed some of the congress’ issues, emphasizing the importance of the topics addressed during its sessions and the importance of His Beatitude' speech in this context.

It is worth noting that the Middle East Council of Churches will publish His Beatitude' speech on its sites.

The conference was held from September 16 to 19, 2025, in Astana, hosted by the Republic of Kazakhstan.

and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Evangelical Family

at the MECC Partners Meeting - September 2025

at the MECC Partners Meeting - September 2025

at the MECC Partners Meeting - September 2025

The MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs Continues its Activities in Astana and Meets His Holiness Catholicos Aram I

The “VIII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions” continues its activities in Astana with various sessions that consolidate the values ​​of respect, love, and fraternity, bringing together Religious leaders and participants from around the world, emphasizing the rich diversity of Religions and cultures.

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs, continues his participation in the conference activities, which are being held from September 16 to 19, hosted by the Republic of Kazakhstan.

As part of his program for the third day, Professor Abs met with His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC). They commended the importance of the conference in deepening cooperation and solidarity among all components of society, as well as the importance of the speech delivered by His Holiness in this context.

It is worth noting that the Middle East Council of Churches will publish His Holiness' speech on its sites.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV Commemorates them in an Ecumenical Celebration: “Many brothers and sisters, even today, carry the same cross as our Lord…: like him, they are persecuted, condemned and killed”

Media of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

Witnesses of Christianity and servants of humanity... They are truly witnesses of faith and hope... The Kingdom of God crowned them as witnesses to Jesus Christ after an earthly journey of suffering filled with heavenly joy. They carried the Church in their hearts and traveled as apostles of Christ to preach His name throughout the world despite all the challenges, hardships, and difficulties that surrounded them.

The angels rejoice over them, and the faithful raise their Prayers in honor of all the Martyrs of the Lord who tirelessly devoted their efforts, spreading the values ​​of love and fraternity, and hoping for peace, tranquility, and stability throughout the world.

The Vatican commemorated the Martyrs of the Church on Sunday, September 14, coinciding with the Feast of the Holy Cross, in an Ecumenical celebration commemorating the Martyrs and Witnesses of the Faith in the 21st Century. A Liturgical celebration presided over by His Holiness Pope Leo XIV included representatives of the Orthodox Churches, the Ancient Eastern Churches, Ecclesial communities, and Ecumenical organizations.

Indeed, the celebration provided an oasis of spiritual Prayer and an Ecumenical moment calling for renewed gratitude for the gift of witness, which continues to this day.

Dialogue of Religions: Synergy for the Future

The Republic of Kazakhstan is hosting the VIII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, which will be held from September 16 to 19 in Astana. The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs is participating, along with Religious Leaders and participants from around the world, with the aim of exchanging views and experiences on strengthening fraternal ties and ways to work together to deepen relations between diverse Religions and cultures.

The congress opened on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, with a minute of silence on the intention of world peace and the consolidation of values ​​of love and respect among all. The first session, entitled "Dialogue of Religions: Synergy for the Future," was then held, chaired by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Mr. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who delivered a speech for the occasion.

In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Jordan’s office, with the MECC Diakonia Department, organized a consultation session on the Humanitarian-Peacebuilding Nexus approach for all Church humanitarian organizations working in Jordan, including the MECC international partners and ACT Alliance members in Jordan. The session took place from September 15 to 16 at the St. Ignatius Center for Knowledge Innovation, affiliated with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Amman.

The purpose of this session was to highlight the experiences of the participating organizations and their lessons learned regarding the so-called Humanitarian-Development-Peacebuilding Nexus approach to achieving a cohesive and secure society.

Following the opening Prayer and welcoming remarks from the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs, the Secretary General of ACT Alliance Mr. Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, and Father Ignatius Khalifeh, Director of the MECC Office in Jordan, the seminar began with an analysis of the dynamics of conflicts in the Middle East and their causes by Dr. Bernard Sabella, and proposals for peace initiatives that MECC could adopt in its future projects.

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

Exclusive Interview with the MECC Media

Safeguarding Religious Sites with the UN Alliance of Civilizations

The VIII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions started in Astana, with the participation of the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs, along with Religious Leaders from around the world. The first session centered around safeguarding Religious sites with the UN Alliance of Civilizations, and was held on Tuesday, September 16, 2025.

The session focused on the UN Alliance of Civilizations, especially its role in promoting cultural diversity, religious pluralism, and mutual respect. As well as, many interventions emphasized the importance of preserving Religious sites and protecting them from any danger, in addition to working to consolidate a culture of love and fraternity among all Religions and cultures.

During His Participation in the VIII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions:

It is essential to respect religion and build objective and societal relationships based on citizenship within a single society

Exclusive: Media of the Middle East Council of Churches

As part of the activities in the VIII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, which will be held from September 16 to 19, 2025 in Astana, the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs was the guest of the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, the Coordinator of Media and Church Relations at MECC, in an episode of the program "Ecumenical Horizons," produced by the "Platform of the Word" at MECC.

During the phone call, Professor Abs highlighted the sessions of the congress, which are being attended by around 150 Religious Leaders and Elites from around the world, as well as the topics to be addressed, emphasizing its importance, particularly in strengthening relations between Religions and cultures and consolidating the values ​​of love and mutual respect.

Professor Abs also revealed the interventions he will deliver during the sessions, especially those related to the role of Religion and ways to face extremism. He also spoke about the activities of the first day, particularly the visits made to some Religious Sites.

“Momentum”

12-9-2025

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 “On Spiritual Partnership and Institutional Policies”. It is the word he delivered at the MECC annual partners meeting, held between September, 10 and 11, 2025, in the Liqaa Center - Rabweh, Lebanon.

You can check the issue via the following link: https://mailchi.mp/f32ddbdfb3f8/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 Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs departed from Lebanon to Kazakhstan to participate in the “VIII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions”, which will be held from September 16 to 19, 2025, in Astana.

During the Congress, Professor Abs will deliver many interventions on the issues and topics discussed, focusing on interfaith dialogue and synergy, the role of Religions in consolidating humanity, peace building, and facing extremism. This is in addition to a special session on Safeguarding Religious Sites with the UN Alliance of Civilizations.

The Congress, which brings together Religious Leaders from around the world, aims to promote interfaith and intercultural dialogue and work together to consolidate peace, particularly through respect and mutual understanding.

Noting that this Congress is an advanced step in the path of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), especially in strengthening international relations and ties between Religions and cultures.

By the Director of the Theological and Ecumenical Department at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Father Dr. Antoine Al Ahmar

“The fortress will be abandoned… until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field… My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.”

— Isaiah 32:14-18

The Season of Creation invites us to rediscover our calling as caretakers of God’s creation, and Isaiah’s prophetic vision speaks powerfully to our reality today. He imagines a world transformed: once desolate lands renewed, abandoned cities restored, and God’s Spirit poured out to bring justice, peace, and harmony.

This vision feels particularly urgent in the Middle East, where conflicts and wars have deeply scarred both people and the environment. Forests have been burned, fertile lands abandoned, rivers polluted, and biodiversity threatened. With water scarcity rising, climate change worsening, and displacement increasing, nature has become an unspoken victim of human violence.

Professor Michel Abs

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

It has been some time since our last in-person meeting, during which the region and the world went through many transformations and crises, some of which reshaped entire regions of great strategic importance in global politics and economics.

During that period, Lebanon, Palestine, and other Middle Eastern and Arab countries suffered disasters and calamities that deeply affected them and produced changes that were almost structural. In the midst of these events, institutions that have taken it upon themselves to heal people’s wounds and share their burdens continued to carry out their duty as much as possible, within the limits of their available resources, under economic conditions that cannot be described as favorable for the non-industrialized world already burdened with countless crises.

These institutions work with the mindset of “the stone that upholds the jar” or the “widow’s penny,” guided by the principle: “Do not give me a fish, but teach me how to fish.” That is, by relying on human capital and the skills that come from developing and refining it, given the scarcity of material resources for reasons known to all.

The phrase “building people before stone” is not realistic in our time, because building human capacities or knowledge becomes wasteful if there is no “stone,” i.e., material resources that support those capacities and increase their productivity. Building people must go hand in hand with building material foundations in order to raise productive efficiency and move society from poverty to a level of sufficiency, as a prelude to capital accumulation that leads to real growth…

Praying and Working Together for Every Human!

The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) concluded its annual meeting with its international and regional partners with a closing session convened by Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian, President of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE), President of Haigazian University in Lebanon, and MECC President for the Evangelical Family, on Thursday, September 11, 2025, at the University's campus in Beirut.

The session included a speech by Reverend Dr. Haidostian on the history of Haigazian University. Then, there was a speech by His Eminence Archbishop Mor Clemis Daniel Kourieh from the Eastern Orthodox Family, delivered on his behalf by Mrs. Seta Hadeshian, a speech by His Eminence Bishop Moussa Al-Khasi from the Orthodox family, a speech via video by Reverend Dr. Habib Bader from the Evangelical family, a speech by His Eminence Archbishop Paul Matar from the Catholic family, delivered on his behalf by His Eminence Bishop Joseph Mouawad, as well as a speech delivered by Dr. Frida Haddad Abs.

Ecumenical and Humanitarian Issues Culminated the Second Day of the MECC Partners Meeting

The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) continued its annual meeting with its international and regional partners on its second day, Thursday, September 11, 2025, at the Liqaa Center - Rabweh, Lebanon. The meeting was entitled "Courage to Continue the Journey Together."

Attendees were representatives of various partner organizations and institutions of the Middle East Council of Churches from around the world, His Eminence Metropolitan Antonios Al Soury, Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Zahle, Baalbek and their Dependencies, representing His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and MECC President for the Orthodox Family, Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian, President of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE), President of Haigazian University in Lebanon, and MECC President for the Evangelical Family, and Reverend Joseph Kassab, Secretary General of the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon, and Member of the MECC Executive Committee.

Attendees were also MECC Associate Secretaries General, as well as the directors and coordinators of the MECC departments and the team.