MECC Holds a Webinar on “Freedom of Conscience and Responsible Faith”

Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian: “Responsible faith reminds us that freedom reaches its highest expression not in defending ourselves but in serving others”

Secretary General Professor Michel Abs: “Communication is an essential issue within the framework of freedom of conscience”

On the occasion of the 180th Anniversary of the Armenian Evangelical Church, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) held a webinar entitled “Freedom of Conscience and Responsible Faith.” The main speaker was 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 (MECC) for the Evangelical Family.

The webinar was moderated by the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Professor Michel Abs, with in-person participation from MECC colleagues, including Associate Secretary General Mrs. Seta Hadeshian, Director of the Theological and Ecumenical Department Father Dr. Antoine Al Ahmar, and Coordinator of Media and Church Relations Journalist Lea Adel Maamary. In addition to an online participation from those interested in the topic from various Church families and countries around the world. It took place on Wednesday, July 23, 2026.

Receives the Head of the Department of Social Studies at Bayt Al-Hikma in Iraq Dr. Khadija Jasim

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs, received the Head of the Department of Social Studies at Bayt Al-Hikma (House of Wisdom) in Iraq, Dr. Khadija Jasim, in the presence of the Coordinator of the Dialogue, Social Cohesion, and Human Dignity Rehabilitation Programs at MECC Professor Laure Abi Khalil. The meeting took place on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at the MECC General Secretariat offices in Beirut.

During the meeting, the participants exchanged views on various topics and issues of mutual interest. They also discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between the Middle East Council of Churches and Bayt Al-Hikma. This is in addition to discussing mechanisms for developing collaboration between the two institutions through the preparation and implementation of joint research projects aimed at achieving shared social and humanitarian objectives, as well as promoting dialogue and academic cooperation between both parties.

On a Protocol and Official Visit to Lebanon, Bearing a Message of Love and Solidarity

Entitled "Disarmed and Disarming: Peace Is a Gift"

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“Ecumenical Horizons” is a weekly program that features spiritual, cultural, intellectual, educational, youth and environmental topics.

“Momentum”

20-7-2026

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 Association (ATIME): A Model of Christian Unity in Action”. It is the address he delivered to the General Assembly of the Association of Theological Colleges and Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME) - Cairo, 17 July 2026.

You can check the issue via the following link: https://mailchi.mp/6d9d862163d5/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)

Peace be with you all.

It is an honor to stand before you at this distinguished gathering, which brings together leading figures dedicated to theological education in the Middle East, the very region where the message of salvation was first revealed, from which the Gospel was proclaimed to the world, and which, despite its many wounds, continues to bear the message of Christ to humanity.

We are gathered around a project unlike any other. The ATIME is far more than an academic network bringing together institutions of theological education. It is a living prophecy, written anew each day in our classrooms, our libraries, and our common prayers. It is a model of Christian unity in action, for it takes shape where the Church forms tomorrow's ministers as laborers in the vineyard of the one Lord, and prepares the future leaders of the ecumenical movement.

We live in the land where the Christian faith was first proclaimed and where the price of witness was first paid. Here, too, we came to know the diversity of theological expressions through which our one faith has been articulated. Ours is a history marked by theology, sacrifice, and tears. Today, the whole world looks to us with hope and joy as Christians, in the cradle of Christianity, gather around one table.

Our meeting today is far more than an ordinary administrative assembly or an academic conference. It is an act of hope. At a time when differences in language and forms of expression often suggest division, and when the crises afflicting our region continue to deepen, the coming together of the Churches around the mission of theological education becomes a prophetic sign. It proclaims that unity is not a distant dream but a shared journey toward the One, founded upon the crucified love of the One Lord—a journey built through patience, knowledge, charity, and common service…

About the topic of "Freedom of Conscience and Responsible Faith"

Organized by the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian is the 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 (MECC) for the Evangelical Family.

You can participate in this webinar through the following Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83235814639?pwd=IdcjVTD3hVEcWFDC6QHM4odxN1ajNK.1.

مرصد فلسطين – تقرير الاثنين 20 تمّوز/ يوليو 2026

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.

The fourth and final day of the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME) Student Summer Conference brought to a close an inspiring week of prayer, learning, dialogue, and ecumenical fellowship.

The day opened with morning prayer according to the Byzantine Orthodox tradition, led by Archimandrite Jack Khalil, Dean of the Saint John of Damascus Institute of Theology at the University of Balamand, and ATIME Former President. He also offered the biblical reflection on the Gospel account of the Risen Lord's appearance to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, emphasizing that true knowledge of Christ is possible only through a personal encounter with the living Lord.