The Middle East Council of Churches has published a new bulletin, titled “Light of Hope,” that expresses the pain of the war in the Middle East and appeals for humanitarian aid. 

Professor Dr. Michel Abs, Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches, said: “The light of hope will always be there to help humanity get out of the darkness in which human greed and arrogance through it. Whenever we go through a long night, apparently with no end, His words and deeds will always be our light of hope.”

The first issue of the bulletin contains a humanitarian appeal that follows the war in the Middle East and its harsh consequences.

Lea Adel Maamary, Coordinator of Media and Church Relations at the Middle East Council of Churches, said: “Amidst the noise of the world, the drums of war, and the darkness of time, we have no choice but to turn to the Gospel, which teaches us love, mercy, and the humanization of humanity. The Gospel teaches us to abandon violence, not to surrender, to choose dialogue, and to stay away from sin so that we may live in a more peaceful and stable society and homeland.”

The appeal addresses the severe humanitarian consequences affecting civilians and local communities in several countries across the Middle East. "The recent events, in addition to those that preceded them, have led to painful human losses and damages, resulting in a humanitarian situation that can only be described as catastrophic,” reads the appeal.

An Episode Entitled “Family and Immigration”

Produced by "The Platform of the Word" at the Middle East Council of Churches

As part of its program network, “The Platform of the Word” at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) presents an episode within the program “And the Family Remains”, under the title “Family and Immigration”.

The program raises issues related to the family, motherhood and childhood, in addition to the Church’s view and response to the challenges, especially in light of the difficult living conditions that the region is passing through.

Produced By MECC

Report from the Diakonia Department at the Middle East Council of Churches

Produced By MECC

The MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs Participates in this Consultation

The World Council of Churches (WCC) convened an online consultation on 6 March with heads of member Churches in the Middle East. Under the theme “Standing Together in Faith and Discernment in a Time of War,” participants met to reflect on the unfolding developments and the widening escalation of violence in the region.

“We are acutely conscious that in times such as these, the churches are called to stand at the crossroads of suffering and hope — accompanying the fearful, sheltering the vulnerable, and bearing witness to the God of life in the midst of destruction,” said WCC General Secretary Reverend Professor Dr. Jerry Pillay, describing the impetus behind the meeting. “Please know that the global ecumenical fellowship stands with you in solidarity and support.”

The online consultation provided space to hear the church leaders’ assessment of the broader geopolitical situation, including how they perceive current dynamics evolving in the days and weeks ahead. The WCC also listened carefully to the pastoral, humanitarian, security, and institutional challenges confronting Churches and communities, and created space for sharing these realities openly. The meeting provided an opportunity to discern together, in a spirit of prayer and ecclesial responsibility, how these developments affect all people in the region, and to reflect collectively on the role the World Council of Churches is called to play at this moment. 

“Momentum”

6-3-2026

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 ‘“The Necessity of War” and the Weakest Link’.

You can check the issue via the following link: https://mailchi.mp/35684b009297/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

Professor Michel Abs

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

Analysts compete to explain the causes of wars, their trajectories, and the outcomes they will produce. People try to understand why their loved ones were killed, displaced from their homes, impoverished, or thrown into the depths of misery, often believing that what they see on the surface may answer their questions.

On the other hand, the social sciences attempt to analyze or explain wars in a scholarly effort to derive theories that provide an appropriate interpretation of this human madness called war. Yet, none of this erases or justifies the tragedies inflicted on people by the crimes of others.

Some researchers consider war a necessity of industrial or modern society, based on two justifications:

First, war is an economic necessity, as it stimulates the economy through wartime consumption, primarily the use of ammunition and weapons, and later drives investments when the war subsides, on the basis that reconstruction of destroyed areas or repair of damaged infrastructure is required. Victims are rarely mentioned in this context.

Second, war is a necessity of modernity, as it dismantles social structures that certain social groups may have grown weary of, replacing them with new structures acceptable to those previously dissatisfied with prior conditions.

The difference between the two interpretations is that in the first case, the beneficiary is the active participant in the war, who then reaps whatever gains are possible. In the second case, the beneficiary is often not an actor but gains secondary benefits from the actions of others. In other words, their gain comes incidentally or as a byproduct rather than as a primary reward…

مرصد فلسطين - تقرير الجمعة 6 آذار/ مارس 202

In light of the worsening humanitarian and social conditions in the region due to the escalation of security operations, the Middle East Council of Churches presents a weekly report entitled "Palestine Monitor," which includes the latest developments in Palestine, especially amid the deteriorating living, social, and security conditions in the country. Some texts will be in Arabic, and some others in English, depending on the source.

في ظلّ تفاقم الظروف الإنسانيّة والاجتماعيّة في المنطقة جرّاء تصاعد العمليّات الأمنيّة فيها، يقدّم مجلس كنائس الشرق الأوسط تقريرًا أسبوعيًّا بعنوان "مرصد فلسطين" حيث يتضمّن آخر المستجدّات الّتي تشهدها فلسطين خصوصًا وسط تدهور الظروف المعيشيّة والاجتماعيّة والأمنيّة في البلاد. ستكون بعض النصوص باللغة العربية، وبعضها الآخر باللّغة الإنكليزيّة، وذلك حسب المصدر.