MECC
The Middle East Council of Churches Issues the Ecumenical Calendar for March 2026
The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) have now issued its online Ecumenical calendar for the month of March 2026. 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.
Video - “And the Family Remains” Program
An Episode Entitled “Family and Social Media”
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 Social Media”.
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.
The Students of the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME) in a Gathering
As part of the activities of the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME), the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Abbasia, Cairo, hosted a Theological student meeting entitled: “The Synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke,” on Friday, March 13, 2026.
The gathering brought together around 200 students from Theological Colleges and Institutes in Egypt, representing Theological Colleges affiliated with the Coptic Orthodox Church, Catholic Church, and Evangelical Church. This academic and Ecumenical gathering aimed at enhancing Ttheological knowledge and foster interaction among students from different Theological Institutions.
March 16, 1942
The Day the Orthodox Youth Movement Entered the History of the Church of Antioch
84 Years Since Its Founding... and the Movement Is Still Vibrant With Faith
March 16, 1942, at three o'clock in the afternoon... the dawn of a new era began in the See of Antioch. A date that carried hope, faith, and determination amidst the stagnation and crises that the Church was passing through at the time. A youthful date that formed a bright spring of joy which restored life to every spot of despair and sadness. It is the official founding date of a Movement that knows no identity other than life in Christ, and no system other than the Gospel translated into life. It is the Orthodox Youth Movement (OYM – MJO), the caring mother, the safe haven, and the community that believes in the talents of youth and the work of the Holy Spirit among them, bearing the slogan, "For in him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28).
The Orthodox Youth Movement celebrates its 84rd anniversary this year. Its founding was merely the beginning of a revivalist workshop, carried by the founders' concerns and aspirations, with the aim of building the individual in Christ through knowledge and action, studying the Bible and matters of faith, delving into the depths of Jesus Christ's teachings, and bearing witness to the Lord. This is also achieved through service, translating faith into love for others and standing by every relative and stranger.
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…