The Executive committee of the Middle East Council of churches renewed its solidarity with the Lebanese people due to the Beirut blast during its meeting on the 18th of September, which was hosted by His Beatitude Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi in the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerke - Lebanon. It also emphasized that the Council is in solidarity with those affected with the Coronavirus pandemic and they issued many decisions and recommendations.

In a 21 September letter, World Council of Churches interim general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca congratulated Dr Michel Abs on being elected as the next secretary general of the Middle East Council of Churches.

“When wars and conflicts, hunger and thirst, pain and loss, break our bodies and tremble our spirits, then only God’s hope, love and comfort drive us onward, steadfast, following the steps of Jesus and his disciples on the roads of Jerusalem, Antioch, Damascus, Nineveh, Sidon and Tyre,” wrote Sauca. “This is the case of the people and the churches of the Middle East today.”

Very recently, a survey was carried out by the Lebanese army in the devastated Beirut port and it was discovered 49 containers of flammable materials, such as acid and other materials used in the manufacture of paint, and raw materials. Consequently, the army held more than one meeting with representatives of the European Union, to conclude an agreement that the European Union would undertake the financing and management of the disposal of these inflammable materials. However, these materials have been present at the port since 10 years.

At 6:07 pm Beirut time, “the ground shook beneath our feet in the emergency room, and after a few seconds, we heard the sound of an explosion, the ceiling collapsed, pieces of shattered glass were flying from all sides, and the sound of the siren became stuck in our ears”. Who knew that the 4th of August 2020 will be a catastrophic day which will change the Lebanese people’s course of life and turn the capital of Light into a devastated city? “After few moments, people began arriving in great numbers, drenched in blood and crying out in pain!” This is to describe the state of total panic in one of Beirut’s hospitals at the time of the terrible explosion that occurred on August 4.

The journalist Nawal Nasr in the highly influential political magazine “Nidaa’ Al Watan” in Beirut- Lebanon interviewed Dr. Souraya Bechealany, MECC Secretary General, about the Middle East council of Churches (MECC) as it happened to be the meeting of the Executive Committee in Bkerki to elect the new Secretary General on the 18th of September in bkerki, Lebanon.

The Theological and Ecumenical Department of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), organized a Trauma Healing and Spiritual Counseling program in partnership and cooperation with the Youth office and the Patriarchal Seminary of the Greek Melkite Catholic Churh - Rabwa. This program targeted a group of young people from different member churches, scout and religious movements. It was launched based on the recommendations made by the youth during two online meetings held by this TED department following the Beirut port explosion, in order to hear their aspirations and suggestions. The program aims at supporting the participants psychologically and spiritually, so that they can in turn, help others the same way.

Dr. Michel Abs from the Orthodox Family, Faithfull to the Ecumenical mission

The Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches MECC elected on 18 September 2020 a new Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs for four years succeeding Dr. Souraya Bechealany. Professor Abs is an economist and a sociologist. He holds a B.A., M.A. and higher diplomas in both fields and a PhD in Sociology with a focus on economic behavior.

MECC continues its vocational trainings aiming to support young people and to help them integrate in the labor market. Two courses were organized in Rural Damascus: men hairdressing and sewing. 15 men participated in the men hairdressing course while 10 women enrolled in the sewing training. The participants were aged between 18 and 30 years old.

Syria and Lebanon

Humanitarian Update

Reporting period: from 14 to 21 September 2020

It has been over a month since the drastic explosion, and the country is still agonizing to know the truth. Local and international investigation teams were dispatched to the site to uncover the real reason behind the incident and to this very moment, nothing has been revealed. So far, it has been deemed as an ‘accident’ in which a not-so-easily flammable material was mysteriously set ablaze. To make things even more baffling, and 40 days after the explosion, a fire broke out at the port, burning a part of ICRC's stock of food parcels. Without jumping into conspiracy theories, which entails major players in the region, one can easily point out the absurdity of the situation.

Solidaridad con los libaneses y elección del Dr. Michel Abs como Secretario General

El Comité Ejecutivo del Consejo de Iglesias del Oriente Medio celebró una reunión atípica, ya que la duodécima Asamblea General del Consejo estaba programada para celebrarse en este momento. Sin embargo, las circunstancias excepcionales impuestas por las repercusiones de la pandemia de COVID-19, y la imposibilidad de una reunión directa entre los miembros de diferentes países e iglesias, hizo que se realizara por medios electrónicos virtuales para las iglesias miembros de Egipto, Kuwait, Palestina, Jordania, Siria, Iraq, Irán y Chipre, por lo que no se impidió un acuerdo legal sobre esta reunión excepcional, que fue acogida en el Líbano por Su Beatitud Bechara Pedro cardenal Rai, Patriarca de la Iglesia Siro-Maronita de Antioquía en el Patriarcado Maronita de Bkerke.

Solidarity with the Lebanese and election of Dr. Michel Abs as Secretary General

The Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches held an exceptional meeting, as the Council's Twelfth General Assembly was scheduled to take place at this time. However, the exceptional circumstances imposed by the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the inability of direct meeting between members from different countries and churches, and replacing it with virtual electronic means for the member churches in Egypt, Kuwait, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Cyprus, produced a legal agreement on this exceptional meeting, which was hosted in Lebanon by His Beatitude Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi - Patriarch of Syriac Maronite Church of Antioch at the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerke.

The second opening speech of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, during the Executive Committee meeting of the Middle East Council of Churches held on Friday, September 18, 2021, in Bkerki, Lebanon. His Holiness Pope Tawadros II was hosting the Executive Committee’s members of the Churches in Egypt at the Papal Headquarters in the Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral.

Under the framework of securing the basic needs of the migrant and affected families in Syria, the MECC team distributed 730 food rations and 1645 hygiene kit to 2375 vulnerable families in Jaramana city, Rural Damascus.

Speech of Dr. Souraya Bechealany, MECC Secretary General, during the Executive Committee meeting

held between 21 and 22 January 2020 in Larnaca – Cyprus.

Speech of Rev. Anba Thomas, during the Executive Committee meeting in Larnaca

Speech of Rev. Anba Thomas, MECC Executive Committee member, Representative of the Coptic Orthodox Church, during the MECC Executive Committee meeting held between 21 and 22 January 2020 in Larnaca – Cyprus.

Télé Lumière - Noursat dedicated a weekly segment for the Middle East Council of Churches every Thursday in "AL Nour Maana" show, to discuss the latest updates regarding the MECC appeal as well its relief and development projects in Beirut.

Speech of His Beatitude Archbishop Chrysostomos II, during the Executive Committee meeting in Larnaca

Speech of His Beatitude Archbishop Chrysostomos II, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Cyprus, Greek orthodox Church of Cyprus, during the MECC Executive Committee meeting held between 21 and 22 January 2020 in Larnaca – Cyprus.

Speech of Rev. Joseph Kassab, during the Executive Committee meeting in Larnaca

Speech of Rev. 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, during the MECC Executive Committee meeting held between 21 and 22 January 2020 in Larnaca – Cyprus.

Speech of His Holiness Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, during the Executive Committee meeting in Larnaca

Speech of His Holiness Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church who is the president of the Council for the Eastern Orthodox Family, during the MECC Executive Committee meeting held between 21 and 22 January 2020 in Larnaca – Cyprus.