MECC
The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Issues Its Weekly Newsletter
“Momentum”
13-3-2026
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 "When Nations and Homelands Are Commodified". It is the word he delivered on the Day of Solidarity and Prayer for Lebanon and the Middle East, organized by MECC on Thursday 12 March 2026.
You can check the issue via the following link: https://mailchi.mp/e051b568f401/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.
When Nations and Homelands Are Commodified
Professor Michel Abs
The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)
In the political and economic upheavals shaking the world, human society has been transformed into a slave market where homelands and nations are sold as spare parts or secondary components, used in the projects of those who see people only as bank numbers or tools for power and influence.
Our countries, whether we view our national belonging as Lebanon, the Antiochian Levant, the Middle East and North Africa, or the Arab lands, have been subjected to foreign control since the end of World War I, placed under siege, and fragmented into artificial mini-states, most of which do not constitute a fully functioning nation or a state capable of securing sovereignty and economic self-sufficiency.
Today we live a new chapter in the tragedies of these homelands, where siege and fragmentation have reached their peak and dependency has entered its most dangerous phase. “We will enter a long period of severe slavery,” said one of the visionaries of my country, and indeed we have entered this era after it was prepared for a long time by plunging the countries into successive crises of every kind, leaving them in a constant state of instability. We are the nation with the largest number of expatriates in the world, who in some countries may outnumber residents.
We bleed in every way: human capital, natural resources, looted treasures from the earth, financial capital, investments, and the list goes on. We see our children build the world while their own countries fall far behind.
This is not fate; it is the work of our own hands.
“God does not change the condition of a people until they change what is within themselves,” as the noble saying goes…
The Middle East Council of Churches Holds a Day of Solidarity and Prayer for Peace in the Region
Amidst the painful war currently affecting the Middle East, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) organized a Day of Solidarity and Prayer for Peace in the region under the title “A Beacon for Human Dignity” on Thursday, March 12, 2026. The event was held both online and in person at the MECC headquarters in Beirut.
This spiritual and humanitarian initiative aimed to call for an end to violence and injustice, promote the values of justice and human dignity, and strengthen the concepts of love and fraternity in the Middle East.
Participants were by 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 MECC President for the Evangelical Family; MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs; members of the MECC General Secretariat team; as well as many participants: clergy, thinkers, and researchers from various fields and specializations.
Palestine Observatory - Report: Friday 13 March 2026
مرصد فلسطين - تقرير الجمعة 13 آذار/ مارس 202
The Middle East Council of Churches Congratulates His Beatitude Patriarch Anba Ibrahim Isaac
On the Occasion of the Yearly Anniversary of His Enthronement as Coptic Catholic Patriarch
On the occasion of the Yearly Anniversary of the Enthronement of His Beatitude Patriarch Anba Ibrahim Isaac as Coptic Catholic Patriarch, the Secretary General Professor Michel Abs, on behalf of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) family, extends his warmest congratulations to His Beatitude, who is also the President of the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Egypt, wishing him continued health and success in his Pastoral service as a faithful servant of the Church of Christ.
The Middle East Council of Churches also raises its Prayers to God on the intention of His Beatitude to bless his service, bestow His graces upon him, and grant him the power of the Holy Spirit to lead his Church to the salvation in the name of Jesus Christ, and to remain a model of love and endless giving in the field of the Lord, wishing him many years of goodness, blessing, and holiness.
The Middle East Council of Churches on a Day of Solidarity and Prayer for Lebanon and the Middle East
Entitled:
"A Beacon for Human Dignity "
This gathering will be broadcasted live on the Middle East Council of Churches’ Facebook page and on abouna.org موقع أبونا: إعلام من أجل الانسان.
#Ever_Shining_Light
Joint Statement on Widening Conflict in the Middle East Raises Deep Concerns for Humanitarian and Social Impact
The World Council of Churches, Middle East Council of Churches, Lutheran World Federation, World Communion of Reformed Churches, World Methodist Council, Mennonite World Conference, Christian Conference of Asia, and ACT Alliance joined in expressing their deep concern regarding the humanitarian and social impacts of the widening conflict in the Middle East, and the threat it poses to the peace and security of the region and the world.
The Middle East Council of Churches Condemns the Attack that Killed Father Pierre Al-Rai n the Region of Klayaa, South Lebanon
With profound sorrow yet hope, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) condemns the artillery shelling that targeted Father Pierre Al-Rai, Parish Priest of Klayaa in South Lebanon and Former Chaplain for the South and Nabatieh Governorates at the General Chaplaincy for Prisons in Lebanon. This latest attack targets innocent civilians and clergy, constituting a violation of human rights and dignity.
Father Al-Rai chose to remain with his children and his land, refusing to abandon his Church and his home, no matter how great the dangers and hardships. He dedicated his life to serving humanity, upholding the message of love and peace, and serving all people without discrimination.
In the face of this tragic event that has shaken Lebanon, the Church, Klayaa, and the South, the Middle East Council of Churches condemns this criminal act and calls upon the relevant authorities to assume their responsibilities and take the necessary action to stop these repeated attacks.
MECC extends its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased, the parishioners, and his loved ones, praying that the Lord Jesus, who redeemed us by his death, will let him enter eternal rest. MECC also prays for the recovery of the injured people.
Christ is risen