This week, the General Assembly of the World Council of Churches is The Event.

After a long absence imposed by the pandemic, the international ecumenical family is gathering today in a general assembly with a busy schedule.

Place: Karlsruhe, Germany.

Date: From August 31 to September 8, 2022.

This was preceded by a large number of specialized assemblies that paved the way for maturing the agenda of this assembly.

Preparations have been in full speed for more than two years due to the magnitude of the event as well as the greatness of its organizers: a council of churches around the world, comprising more than three hundred churches including more than half a billion believers.

In the few days that preceded the opening of the General Assembly, you see people by hundreds of volunteers and experts from all parts of the world in order to put their competencies at the disposal of the event, which will not be an ordinary one this year. It may surpass in its cruciality the general assemblies held since the beginning of the concretization of the ecumenical movement in a world council of churches.

Towards the Consolidation of Ecumenism in a More Just and Peaceful World

From all over the world, the international and Middle Eastern ecumenical family meets in Karlsruhe, Germany, where the 11th General Assembly of the World Council of Churches is taking place from 31 August to 8 September 2022, under the theme "Christ's love moves the world to reconciliation and unity". In fact, the theme is an affirmation of faith that Christ’s love transforms the world in the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit, to a more alive and safer one. The love of the compassionate, crucified, and risen Christ is at the heart of this world, and wins over the powers of destruction, sin and difficulties.

Hence, the WCC 11th General Assembly is being held at a difficult time when the whole world is witnessing severe health, social, economic and security crises... Nevertheless, the Assembly is an event that calls, with Christ’s infinite love, the churches to work together unceasingly and with people of other faiths and all those of good will for just peace and reconciliation. It is a call for the visible unity of the church to become a prophetic sign and a foretaste of the reconciliation of this world with God, and the unity of humankind and all creation.

Before the WCC General Assembly kicked off, four pre-assemblies convened, with the participation of hundreds of people from the whole world in each one. The pre-assemblies included Indigenous Peoples, Ecumenical Youth Gathering, Ecumenical Disability Advocates Network, and Just Community of Women and Men, and aimed at discussing and exchanging ideas, challenges and expectations.

“Listen to the Voice of Creation”

Middle Eastern Celebrations to Pray and Work Together for the Protection of Our Common Home

#SeasonOfCreationME

We are happy to announce that the international "Season of Creation" for this year will be kicked off in the Middle East after it was launched by the Middle East Council of Churches for the first time in the region last year. Noting that its international celebrations start on September 1 and end on October 4 of each year. A Season during which the people and Christians of the Middle East, unite with the ecumenical family around the world, to participate in prayer and work together to protect our common home, as well as to listen and respond to the cry of Creation which is under threat.

For the second consecutive year, the Middle East Council of Churches has translated the international “Season of Creation” booklet into Arabic, which you can download it by clicking here. This year’s theme is “Listen to the Voice of Creation” and its slogan is “The Burning Bush”. The Psalmist (19: 1-4) acknowledges that hearing the voice of creation requires a kind of listening that is increasingly rare. Within the ecumenical Christian family, there is a diverse range of traditions to help us recover our capacity to hear the voice of creation.

And Launches the “Season of Creation” 2022 in the Middle East

The Communication and Public Relations Department at the Middle East Council of Churches have now issued its online Ecumenical calendar for the month of September 2022. It includes the Ecclesiastical and Liturgical feasts of the various families of Churches in the Middle East. In addition to international days identified by the United Nations, and which are related to the MECC identity and its spiritual and human mission. Noting that the remaining months of the year will be published consecutively.

As well as, the Middle East Council of Churches launches during September 2022, the “Season of Creation” activities in the region for the second consecutive year through translating the Season’s international booklet into Arabic, with this year’s theme “Listen to the Voice of Creation”. This is in addition to a series of celebrations organized by MECC, in partnership with “Danmission” organization, in many countries of the Middle East. Noting that the international celebrations of the Season start on September 1st and end on October 4 of each year.

In order to help children spend their time during the summer vacation positively in a safe environment and to discover and develop their talents, The Service and Relief Department –Diakonia, at the Middle East Council of Churches, Syria’s Office, organized a summer club for 200 students aged between 6 and 13 years old, in Al Asieh School in Jaramana in Rural Damascus.

The atmosphere was interactive, fun, joyous and full of enthusiasm including many interactive recreational and educational activities and sessions such as Arabic and English languages, mathematics, mental math, sports, handmade crafts, drawing, theatre, music, mental and competitive games that were also accompanied by two psychosocial sessions per week entitled “Self – Journey”.

The summer club targeted vulnerable children that were affected by the Syrian crisis in order to help them release their stress resulting from social and academic pressures.

The summer club helped children to better manage their time, learn new various skills, and make new friendships.

Video - MECC in Its Second Monthly Webinar

Towards Human Dignity Preservation and Social Capital Rehabilitation

The Middle East Council of Churches held its second monthly webinar entitled “Social Justice in Times of Crisis”, on Thursday evening 25 August 2022, with the participation of experts, specialists and students from many countries in the region. This webinar, which was broadcasted live on the MECC Facebook page, is part of a series of monthly seminars launched by MECC last June, and comes within the framework of the “Human Dignity Project” as part of the work of a department that is being developed in the Council under the name of “Dialogue and Social Cohesion-Social Capital Rehabilitation”.

¿Notamos el caos absoluto y la maldad total que impregnan a la humanidad hoy en día?

El hombre moderno se ha preocupado por su vida cotidiana y por el ansia de dinero para satisfacer necesidades, incluso ilusorias o artificiales, inventadas para él por la sociedad industrial, hasta el punto de que ya no es capaz de ver la situación del género humano en la actualidad.

Las guerras, las epidemias, los problemas sociales, el deterioro de las condiciones económicas, la mala distribución de la riqueza, los alimentos y las medicinas a escala mundial, y otras desgracias de la sociedad moderna, han arrasado el planeta y han llevado al género humano a lo que el Maestro, que encarnaba nuestra salvación, advirtió.

In the new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Communication and Public Relations Department of the Middle East Council of Churches, MECC publishes the "Season of Creation" 2022 international booklet in Arabic under the title “Listen to the Voice of Creation”. As for the weekly message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, it is entitled “Between the kingdom of God and the hell of humankind”.

Led by the Sami people in a special processional, 97 Indigenous delegates to the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly were present in Karlsruhe for the pre-assembly. They symbolically ushered in four elements—Earth, Water, Fire and Wind—through biblical texts and prayer.

The theme of their gathering was “Reconciliation: Restoring Wholeness in Creation.”

They began their pre-assembly work on topics ranging from engagement with the Indigenous peoples in Europe, to reflecting and testifying on the learnings from Pilgrim Team Visits.

Lighting candles to remember where they came from, they also received an orientation to the German context of the assembly, as well as interaction with assembly committee members and pre-assembly delegates.

Do we notice the absolute chaos and the utter evil that pervade humanity today?

Modern man has become preoccupied with his daily life and craving after money to fulfill needs, including illusory or artificial ones, invented for him by industrial society, to the extent that he is no longer able to see the situation of the human race today.

Wars, epidemics, social problems, deteriorating economic conditions, misdistribution of wealth, food and medicine on a global scale, and other misfortunes of modern society have swept the globe and led the human race to what the Master, who embodied our salvation, warned against.

On the counterpart, we witness development in human, medical and social services, to the extent that one almost considers that there are two different kind of human beings on earth.

It is the race between good and evil that began with the advent of humankind, and that takes on renewed forms.

It is the same creature that destroys homes, makes people homeless, kills them, and sometimes exterminates them, that shelters them, heals their wounds, and gives them warmth.

Oriente Medio celebrará próximamente el «Tiempo de la Creación» anual, de carácter cristiano y medioambiental, que fue lanzada por el Consejo de Iglesias del Oriente Medio por primera vez en la región el año pasado. Para ello se han llevado a cabo numerosas actividades medioambientales y una campaña de concienciación para proteger la creación, además de traducir al árabe el folleto de la Oración del Tiempo, que se ha adoptado a nivel internacional y en diferentes idiomas. Así, los habitantes del Oriente también podrán celebrar las actividades del Tiempo con todo el mundo, desde el 1 de septiembre hasta el 4 de octubre.

El tema del Tiempo de este año es «Escucha la Voz de la Creación», tomando el lema de «La Zarza Ardiente». Por ello, el MECC publica el folleto del Tiempo 2022 en árabe y en dos versiones. Una versión completa traducida del folleto original en inglés, que incluye todos los detalles e información relacionados con el Tiempo, además de oraciones y sugerencias para las celebraciones. La segunda versión es más corta y está lista para su impresión y distribución.

Some women struggle with mental health issues due to loneliness, violence, and cultural isolation. Luckily, the MECC Service and Relief – Diakonia Department, Beirut’s Office, was able to inspire positive change, with the help of international partners. As such, Psychosocial sessions were given to these women as an attempt to mend wounds. They were divided into two categories: those that can attend art technique sessions, and those that need greater mental health intervention.

Our Colleague Seta Hadeshian: His Holiness and the Armenian Cause

Վեհափառ ահայրապետը եւ Ազգային պահանջատիրութիւնը

The Armenian Orthodox Catholicosate of Cilicia published a book on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee and the 25th anniversary of the election and consecration of His Holiness Aram I as Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia. The book is entitled “Արժեւորում եւ Վկայութիւններ”, “Appraisal and Testimonies”, and includes articles and texts written by 52 contributors from various fields such as religious, Ecumenical, academic, political, church administration, community leadership, which shed light on the journey of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I and the most prominent bright stations he passed through during this period.