The General Secretary of the World Council of Churches Reverend Professor Dr. Jerry Pillay delivers a word via video on the occasion of the launching of “The Platform of the Word” at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) in partnership with Télé Lumière and Noursat TV Channel.

Report: October 2024

The war in Gaza and Lebanon continues to drag on despite international condemnation of the occupier which continues to murder civilians. Unable to find a diplomatic solution to end the conflict the world braces for a prolonged conflict by mobilizing humanitarian aid to assist the displaced. Meanwhile regional players tighten their grip on the region by sending arms and related defensive equipment only to fuel the war and expanding it in scale and scope. Many are awaiting the outcome of the presidential election in the US hoping that either candidates will   fulfill their promises for peace once elected.

Ms. Caroline Haddad, Executive and Administrative Assisatnt for the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Dr. Michel Abs, during the inauguration of "The Platform of the Word"

Word of Dr. Marie-Thérèse Kreidy, Director of Programs at Télé Lumière and Noursat, Representing the TV, during the inauguration of "The Platform of the Word"

Word of the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, Responsible of the Platform and Coordinator of the Church and Media Relations at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), during the inauguration of "The Platform of the Word"

Word of Dr. Laure Abi Khalil, Coordinator of the Social Capital Rehabilitation Project at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), during the inauguration of "The Platform of the Word"

We meet today for a first gathering at "The Platform of the Word," colleagues and partners in ecumenical work, to celebrate the opening of the platform—a project equipped by Noursat for the Middle East Council of Churches—to advance ecumenical media in the Middle East and worldwide.

It was a blessed moment when Télé Lumière, through the tireless efforts of a struggling ecumenical media professional—our colleague in the Council and a veteran in Télé Lumière—decided to provide the oldest institution in ecumenical work in the region with modern and advanced means to spread the salvific message.

This initiative comes in the fiftieth year since the establishment of the Middle East Council of Churches in 1974, and in the ninety-fifth year since the establishment of the Near East Christian Council in 1929, the foundational nucleus of our Council.

However, this initiative, in addition to the efforts to achieve it by those concerned, did not come from a vacuum. There is a strong bond between Noursat and the Middle East Council of Churches due to decades of interaction, as well as the shared goal of common Christian work—that is, ecumenism.

An astute observer of the work of these two institutions might ask why they are not a single institution, not only because of their goals but also due to the homogeneity in approach and methodology. In this platform, the two institutions have become one in working to raise the lamp high in the dome of the sky, to illuminate the path for humanity.

During the opening of the Télé Lumière and Noursat office in the North of Lebanon, and the assignment of the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, Coordinator of the Church and Media Relations at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), to manage the office, the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), Professor Dr. Michel Abs delivered a speech entitled “Noursat: The Good Word in the Face of Violence and Barbarism”.

You may find the full video of the opening of the Media Production Center “The Platform of the Word,” which was launched by the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) in partnership with Télé Lumière and Noursat TV Channel, in an official ceremony held on Thursday, November 7, 2024, at the Platform’s headquarters in the offices of the MECC General Secretariat in Beirut.

"Between Yesterday and Today"

A documentary that sheds light on the presence and mission of the Chaldean Church in Lebanon, on the occasion of the 150th jubilee of its founding in the Land of the Cedars.

The MECC Secretary General Professor Dr. Michel Abs: “we have taken new administrative and technical measures and procedures in order to strengthen the role of Ecumenical media in the Council, especially at the level of advocacy and awareness”

Stemming from the importance of the media in advocacy, awareness, and promoting human values, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) is launching a new phase for its media work, seeking to be a crying voice in the wilderness and a source of hope amidst all difficulties.

After months of preparations, the MECC regional media team held, on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, a coordination meeting in the presence of the MECC Secretary General, Professor Dr. Michel Abs, and Father Rifaat Bader, the Head of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media, Publisher of Abouna Website, and Media Consultant on behalf of the MECC Executive Committee, who participated online from Amman.

Participants were also colleagues in Lebanon’s office who participated in person from the MECC Headquarters in Beirut, and colleagues in Syria’s office who participated online via Zoom. They exchanged ideas and opinions in order to develop the mechanism of work among them and launch an updated work plan for the coming period using the advanced technologies and new equipment.

The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) have now issued its online Ecumenical calendar for the month of November 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.

The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) and Télé Lumière - Noursat launched a New Media Ccenter entitled “The Platform of the Word,” in an official ceremony held on Thursday, November 7, 2024, at the Center’s headquarters in the offices of the MECC General Secretariat in Beirut.

Secretary General Professor Dr. Michel Abs: "Through the documents we intend to produce, we will address—from an Ecumenical Christian perspective—all phenomena that concern modern humans”

Under the slogan "The Word Became Flesh," and on the occasion of its fiftieth anniversary, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), in partnership with Télé Lumière and Noursat TV station, launched a new Media Production Center titled "The Platform of the Word." The official ceremony was held on Thursday, November 7, 2024, at the platform's headquarters in the offices of the General Secretariat of the Middle East Council of Churches in Beirut, in the presence of Secretary General Professor Dr. Michel Abs.

Participants in the celebration included:

• Dr. Marie-Thérèse Kreidy, Director of Programs at Télé Lumière and Noursat, representing the station

• Ms. Marutzella Abboud, representing the Near East School of Theology (NEST)

• Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, Responsible of the Platform and Coordinator of the Church and Media Relations at the Council

• Dr. Laure Abi Khalil, Coordinator of the Social Capital Rehabilitation Project at the Council

• The team of the General Secretariat from various departments

Under the theme: "The Word Became Flesh", and on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of its founding, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), in partnership with Télé Lumière and Noursat TV Channel, launches the Media Production Center “The Platform of the Word", as an Ecumenical media message from the Middle East to the World.

Watch with us this video, which presents an overview about the the center based on the words of the MECC Secretary General Professor Dr. Michel Abs.

On Mariam TV

The Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, Responsible of “The Platform of the Word” and Coordinator of the Church and Media Relations at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), was the guest of “On Time” program, to talk about “The Platform of the Word,” the new Media Production Center launched by the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) in partnership with Télé Lumière and Noursat TV Channel.

Christian and Islamic Spiritual Leaders Emphasized the Role of Télé Lumière and Praised the Opening of the Office

Professor Michel Abs: "It is a step of love and creativity for the good of the Word"

Because the Word is stronger than wars, and because love is stronger than hostility, Télé Lumière-Noursat has opened an office in the North, specifically in the Al-Zahiriyah area of Tripoli, to be the resounding voice of truth and to build bridges of love and connection amidst crises and wars.

Participants in the inauguration included:

• His Eminence Archbishop Youssef Soueif, Maronite Archbishop of Tripoli

• His Eminence Bishop Edouard Georges Daher, Metropolitan of Tripoli, Koura, and all the North for the Melkite Greek Catholics

• His Eminence Bishop Ephraim Kyriakos, Metropolitan of Tripoli, Koura, and their dependencies for the Greek Orthodox, represented by Reverend Father Ibrahim Sarouji

• His Eminence Metropolitan Basilios Mansour, Shepherd of the Archdiocese of Akkar and its Dependencies for the Greek Orthodox, represented by Reverend Father Gabriel Yakoumi

• His Eminence the Mufti of Tripoli and the North, Sheikh Mohammed Tarek Imam, represented by Mr. Mohammed Hassoun

• His Eminence Sheikh Ali Kaddour, President of the Alawite Islamic Council, represented by His Eminence Sheikh Mohammed Abdul Karim, Member of the Sharia Committee in the Alawite Islamic Council

• Reverend Dr. Hadi Ghantous, President of the Evangelical Church in the North

• Father Quirico Calella, Head of the Franciscan Fathers' Monastery in Al-Mina, Tripoli

• Father Krikor Yaghiaian, Representative of His Eminence Bishop Shahe Panossian in the North

• Esteemed Professor Michel Abs, Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

• Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, Director of the Télé Lumière-Noursat Office in the North

• Professor Laure Abi Khalil, Coordinator of the Social Capital Rehabilitation Project at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

• Father Jean Moura, General Chaplain of Prisons in Lebanon, represented by Journalist Joseph Mahfoud, Head of the Central Media Committee in Lebanon

• Mr. Amin Kamil Brer, Coordinator of Tripoli and the North at the Association of the Security and Religion Council

• Ms. Nancy Najjar from the Antiochian Orthodox Media Center

A group of Priests, Pastors, dignitaries, and media professionals were also in attendance.

After the national anthem and a Blessing Prayer by the Christian and Islamic Spiritual Leaders, the master of ceremonies, Ms. Noha Maamary, delivered a speech highlighting the importance of the occasion, summarizing her words with the Gospel verse: "Go and make disciples of all nations."

The Final Day of ACT General Assembly Activities in Indonesia

Many phrases describe the gathering of brothers and sisters at the Fourth General Assembly of the "ACT Alliance": mutual love, continuous cooperation, and a promising future...

With this unifying Ecumenical spirit, ACT continued the work of its Fourth General Assembly on its final day, Friday, November 1, 2024, in the Yogyakarta region, Indonesia, in the presence of ACT Alliance General Secretary Mr. Rudelmar Bueno de Faria and World Council of Churches General Secretary Reverend Professor Dr. Jerry Pillay.

This event, hosted by the Indonesian YAKKUM Center, was characterized by an Ecumenical atmosphere full of positivity, where participants from all over the world gathered in an oasis of faith and hope. They all emphasized the need to continue communication among themselves—the ACT family, its staff, and representatives of its members from regional and international bodies, including the Middle East Council of Churches.