The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) organized a new workshop for its team about team building and communication, on Tuesday 11 June 2024, in the Wata Al Joz region - Lebanon, aiming at empowering its employees and developing their skills at various administrative, professional, cultural and intellectual levels. 

The training was attended by the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel Abs, with the participation of the MECC Associate Secretary General for the Evangelical Family Reverend Rifaat Fikry, the MECC Associate Secretary General for the Catholic Family, the Director of Jordan’s office Father Ignatius Khalifeh, the Director of Syria’s Office Mr. Ghassan Chahine, and the MECC team. 

Standing together in an ongoing ecumenical journey!

The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) family participated in an interactive and educational workshop on team building and communication, on Tuesday 11 June 2024, in the Wata al-Joz region, Lebanon.

Hence, you can find in the video a highlight about this day full of fraternity and love! And you may also click here for more details.

Their Prayers at the Saint Elie Chouaya Monastery in Mount Lebanon and Meets With His Eminence Bishop Costantine Kayyal, the Head of the Monastery

A week after the inauguration of the new Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) office in Jordan with the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Christoforos Atallah, the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Jordan, and President of the Council of Heads of Churches in Jordan, the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel Abs and the new Director of the office in Jordan Father Ignatius Khalifeh, who visited Lebanon, continue their cooperation and coordination in order to enhance the work of the office in the Jordanian society.

The MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs Participates in the Celebration

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Armenian National Sanatorium of Azounieh - Lebanon, a recital performed by the Fayha National Choir, was held on Sunday 9 June 2024, at the First Armenian Evangelical Church in Beirut. Noting that the Choir includes 75 singers, of whom only three are Armenian, and is directed by the Maestro Barkev Taslakian.

The celebration was attended by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches, represented by His Eminence Archbishop Shahe Panossian, Primate of the Armenian Orthodox Church in Lebanon, 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 President of the Middle East Council of Churches for the Evangelical Family, Pastors and Priests, the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Dr. Michel Abs, and guests from different fields.

With the Middle East Council of Churches and Danmission

Within the framework of the “Environmental Days” that the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) had previously launched, the Theological and Ecumenical Department, EcoJustice Unit, with the support of the “Danmission” organization, organized an environmental activity in the Bekaa region in Lebanon. It was held with the aim of promoting the environmental culture and working to take care of God’s creation that He has entrusted us with.

Participants were a group of youth from the Syriac Orthodox Church, Bet Tarbitho (Center of Religious Education) in Mount Lebanon, the Armenian Orthodox Army of Hope, and Our Lady of Jamhour Jesuit School, where they gathered since the early morning in the Bekaa to finish planting orchards.

Middle East Socioeconomic Overview Report: May 2024

International outrage has only ramped up over the malicious actions being perpetrated in Gaza. Even the traditional allies of the occupant have found it hard to defend the killing of displaced people, who consist of women and children, in designated safe camps. Moreover, the ICJ has issued arrest warrants targeting the occupant’s officials blaming them for war crimes. However, with the backing of the United States, bringing these individuals to justice will remain an impossibility. For the time being, millions of people around the world continue to increase pressure on the occupation entity using any way possible. Supported by the free media, they are succeeding in rallying others against this menace.

The Middle East Council of Churches Participates in the Service and Congratulates His Eminence

His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, presided over the Divine Mass and the Episcopal Ordination of Father Michel Al Jalakh as Titular Archbishop of Nisibis for the Maronites. Father Al Jalakh is the Secretary of the Dicastery of the Eastern Churches in the Vatican, Advisor to the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity in the Holy See, and Honorary Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC). The service was held on Saturday 8 June 2024, at the Patriarchal Edifice in Bkerke - Lebanon.

It Declares Qattine Azar as the Largest Cave in Lebanon and the Eastern countries

MECC Participates in the Celebration

The Lebanese Association for Speleology (ALES) held a celebratory gathering to launch its new publication, SpéléOrient Hors-Série, and to announce the Qattine Azar cave in Aintoura El Matn, the largest cave in Lebanon and the Eastern countries. It was held on Friday 7 June 2024, at Salle Montaigne in the French Cultural Center - Beirut.

The celebration was attended by members of the Association, political, social, and cultural figures, as well as university Professors and students, caving enthusiasts, and representatives of many associations and organizations, including the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), on behalf of which the media and communication officer Elia Nasrallah participated. Noting that MECC seeks, through its various programs, to follow up on the environmental issue at various levels in order to work towards preserving and protecting God’s creation.

Following the Lebanese national anthem, the mistress of the celebration, Mrs. Helene Rechmani Maasry, delivered a speech in which she welcomed the audience, stressing the importance of the occasion as well as the importance of the cave in terms of depth, size, length and breadth.

Christ is risen.

A blessed step in a blessed country

Speech by the Secretary General, Dr. Michel Abs, at the inauguration of the new MECC office in Jordan on June 4, 2024

Your Eminence Archbishop Christoforos Atallah,

Your Eminences the heads of the Churches of Jordan and their representatives,

Ladies and Gentlemen current and former Ministers and Deputies,

Ladies and Gentlemen, intellectual, cultural, and economic elites,

Honorable Fathers,

Reverent Pastors,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today, we are inaugurating a new office of the Middle East Council of Churches in Amman, the capital of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

The office is new, but the MECC’s presence in Jordan is not, as it has been here for a long time, thanks to church leaders and church members who are committed to serving those who are weary and heavy burdened.

Our long-standing presence here is due to the unlimited support provided to us by the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem whose Patriarch, highly respected, Kyrios Kyrios Theophilos III we salute as children of the church. His support has enabled the MECC to overcome the crisis that has plagued it more than a decade ago, and he has taken the necessary steps to ensure the Council’s continuity in Jordan.

A delegation from the “Danmission” organization visited the offices of the General Secretariat of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) in Beirut, on Wednesday 5 June 2024. It included Rev. Mads Christoffersen, Danmission new Technical Advisor for “Contextual Theology for Faith and Social Action”, Mrs. Kristen Auken, Regional Director for the Middle East, Mr. Jack Lahoud, Program Manager, and Ms. Rim Haydamous, Communication and PR Officer.

The delegation was received by the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel Abs, and Father Dr. Antoine Al Ahmar, Director of the MECC Theological and Ecumenical Department.

Launching of the “Season of Creation” 2024 Guide Via an International Online Celebration

MECC Participating in Prayer

In preparation for celebrating the “Season of Creation” which is awaited annually in the Middle East and the world between 1 September, the Feast of Creation, and 4 October, the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Laudato’Si movement launched this year’s Season guide, through a celebratory webinar. It coincided with the World Environment Day, on Wednesday 5 June 2024, and included Prayers, reflections, and interventions delivered by Heads of Churches and ecumenical leaders from around the world.

Noting that the “Season of Creation” 2024 bears the theme of “To Hope and Act with Creation,” and the symbol of "The firstfruits of hope," inspired by the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans (8: 19-25).

Dr. Michel Abs at the End of the Delegation’s Visit to Jordan

At the end of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) delegation’s visit to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and following the inauguration of the new office of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) in Amman on Tuesday 4 June 2024, His Eminence Archbishop Christoforos Atallah, the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Jordan, met with the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, and the MECC Financial Director Ms. Laudy Al Khoury, and offered each of them an icon of the Holy Sepulcher as a token of love and appreciation.

For his part, Dr. Abs thanked His Eminence for the generous hospitality and fruitful cooperation with the Archbishopric, praising His Eminence’s continuous support for MECC for the good of the Church and society.

As part of his tour program in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan with the aim of inaugurating a new office for the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) in Amman, the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, accompanied by the MECC Financial Director Ms. Laudy Al Khoury, visited the Monastery of the Virgin Mary, Fountain of Life in Dibeen, where they were received by His Eminence Archbishop Christoforos Atallah, the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Jordan.

The tour in the Monastery included a visit to the Church of the Three Hierarchs, which is the most recently inaugurated Church and is located within the Orthodox Center that serves as a headquarters for youth, camps and seminars. Noting that the Monastery was established by His Excellency Archbishop Christoforos Atallah, and includes the only women's Monastic order in Jordan. It is also worth mentioning that a Church dating back to the fourth century was found in the vicinity of the Monastery and was carefully preserved.

The Middle East Council of Churches Inaugurates Its New Office in Jordan

His Eminence Archbishop Atallah Praises the Important Role Played by MECC Over the Past Years in Jordan, and Mentions the Beginning of a New Phase

Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs: The Council will have a connection with the Jordanian society, which is rich in potentials

Hence, we will have created a new synergy between the Council, as a basis for ecumenical work in the region, and a promising country

Under the patronage and with the presence of His Eminence Archbishop Christoforos Atallah, the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Jordan, and President of the Council of Heads of Churches in Jordan, and in the presence of the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Dr. Michel Abs, and the MECC Financial Director Ms. Laudy Al Khoury, a new MECC office was inaugurated in the Sweifieh area at the capital Amman. His Emiennce offered the office to MECC as a generous gesture to be a new ecumenical place directed by Father Ignatius Khalifeh with the support of the Archbishopric.

For the occasion, an official celebration was held on Tuesday 4 June 2024, which began with a ribbon cutting ceremony and a tour in the new office. Attendees were a group of Church, intellectual, social and economic elites, current and former ministers and deputies, and the Archbishopric’s work team.

Together Towards Enhancing Joint Work with Various Churches

As part of his tour in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches, Dr. Michel Abs, visited the Catholic Center for Studies and Media in Amman, on Tuesday 4 June 2024. He was received by Father Rifaat Bader, the Head of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media and Publisher of Abouna Website, and member of the Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches, as well as members of the team work.

Dr. Abs was accompanied by Father Gerasimos Tashman, Pastor of the Greek Orthodox Church of the Divine Ascension in Khalda - Amman, and the MECC Financial Director Ms. Laudy Khoury.

The Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs Delivers a Lecture at the Orthodox Club - Amman:

“Ecumenism is intertwined with the broader issues that Christianity faces in the world, which are the topic of dialogue, controversy, and even conflict and disagreement”

Within the framework of his tour in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to inaugurate a new office for the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), and with the blessing and presence of His Excellency Archbishop Christoforos Atallah, the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Jordan, the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs visited the Orthodox Club in Amman, on Monday 3 June 2024, where he delivered a lecture entitled “MECC in Its Fiftieth Year, Its reality, Future Vision, and the Challenges of the Next Phase.”

Dr. Abs was accompanied by the Director of the MECC new office in Jordan Father Ignatius Khalifeh, and the MECC Financial Director Mrs. Laudy Al Khoury. The lecture was also attended by the Heads of Churches in Jordan or their delegates, members of the Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), Father Rifaat Bader, the Head of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media and Publisher of Abouna Website, and Dr. Aude Kawas, as well as a large audience of intellectuals and Orthodox elites in Jordan.

Emphasizing the Importance of Strengthening the Ecumenical Work

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Dr. Michel Abs visited the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan at the head of a delegation from the Council including the Director of the MECC new office in Amman Father Ignatius Khalifeh, and the MECC Financial Director Ms. Laudy Al Khoury.

Within the visit program, Dr. Abs and the accompanying delegation met with members of the Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), Father Rifaat Bader, the Head of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media and Publisher of Abouna Website, and Dr. Aude Kawas, Head of the Central Committee of Department of Service to Palestinian Refugees at the Middle East Council of Churches, on Monday 3 June 2024, at the headquarters of Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in Amman.

As part of his visit to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan with the aim of inaugurating a new office for the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) in Amman, the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, headed a delegation from the Council, in a meeting held with His Excellency Archbishop Christoforos Atallah, the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Jordan. It took place on Monday 3 June 2024, at the Archdiocese Headquarters - Amman. The delegation included the Director of the MECC office in Amman Father Ignatius Khalifeh, and the MECC Financial Director Ms. Laudy Al Khoury.

The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), Communication and Public Relations Department, have now issued its online Ecumenical calendar for the month of June 2024. 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.

Inaugurating the New MECC Office in Amman

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Dr. Michel Abs, heading a delegation that includes the MECC Financial Director Ms. Laudy Al Khoury, is visiting the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The delegation is hosted by His Excellency Archbishop Christoforos Atallah, the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Jordan. The purpose of this visit is to inaugurate the new office of the MECC in Amman, the capital of the Kingdom. Dr. Abs will also meet the new office’s Director Father Ignatius Khalifeh, and will hold a series of different meetings. As well as, he will deliver a lecture at the Orthodox Club, and a speech at the office’s inauguration.