Communication and Public Relations
The Role of the Communication and Public Relations Department in Fulfilling MECC’s Mission.
The Communication and Public Relations Department has a pivotal role in providing “shared services” to the entire MECC organization. A harmonious and professional communication department is essential to MECC’s ability to express its position on key issues affecting churches in the Middle East. Therefore, the communication team has an important role in promoting MECC’s mission and work, its Christian and Church unity, and the common witness of the churches, striving for peace, social justice and human dignity. It will do so based on strong commitment, well-defined planning and operational effectiveness, to connect with our partners around the world, and to secure funding opportunities. The Communication and Public Relations Department is one of the primary mechanisms through which we “build bridges”.
The Main Objective of the Communication and Public Relations Department is to strengthen the ability of the Council to serve its ecumenical and inter-religious mission as a bridge builder and to sustain resources for Christian presence and witness in the Middle East. It will do so by raising awareness about the Council’s work, promoting its message and values to the global public, forging connections between churches, and building a communication network among Churches.
Department News
This video presents a reflection entitled “Lebanon Is in Turmoil”. Through its words and scenes, it sheds light on the tragic situation that Lebanon is passing through, asking God, the God of justice and peace, to grant peace in the country and the entire world.
Stemming from its belief in the importance of serving with dignity, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) launched a new platform for homecare services in Lebanon, enabling service seekers to identify certified caregivers who have undergone extensive health training with Saint George Hospital University Medical Center (Beirut, Mount Lebanon, and Tripoli) and Khoury General Hospital (Zahle, Lebanon). Hence, the platform offers a variety of home services related to elderly care, mothers and newborn care, as well as babysitting and childcare.
In this context, the video sheds light on how this platform works and the details of its services. You may also click here to visit the platform’s website.
MECC, Télé Lumière - Noursat, and NEST
Towards Strengthening the Ecumenical Spirit and Spreading the Word of Christ Throughout the Earth
As part of the activities of the Fiftieth Year of the Founding of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), and in an ecumenical media step aiming at consolidating the Christian Faith and spreading human values through the media, a memorandum of media cooperation was signed between the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), Télé Lumière - Noursat TV channel, and the Near East School of Theology (NEST).
This cooperation comes after Brother Nour, Founder and Director of Télé Lumière and Noursat, and with his generous gesture, offered all the capabilities and technicalities of his esteemed media institution to the service of the MECC media work. As well as, after the Near East School of Theology hosted this work in its own studio, stemming from its belief in the importance of enhancing the ecumenical spirit through the media, so it can be a modern mean of conveying the Good News.
On this occasion, a special meeting was held to sign the memorandum in the presence of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, the NEST President Dr. George Sabra, the Representative of Brother Nour and Télé Lumière our colleague and Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, the team of the MECC Communication and Public Relations Department, and MECC colleagues. It took place on Wednesday 19 June 2024, at the offices of the MECC General Secretariat in Beirut. As well as, Father Rifaat Bader, the Head of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media and Publisher of Abouna Website, and MECC Member of the Executive Committee, and its representative for communication and media affairs.
With the League of the Lebanese Christian Publishers Affiliated to the Bible Society Association
Within the framework of capacity building and skills development, the League of the Lebanese Christian Publishers affiliated to the Bible Society Association, organized its third training as part of its training program, with the participation of the team of the Communication and Public Relations’ Department at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), alongside 36 colleagues representing 16 publishing houses in Lebanon. The training was held on Tuesday 21 November 2023, at the Bible Society headquarters in Beirut.
The training was presented by Dr. Mike Bassous, Secretary General and CEO of the Bible Society, and focused on marketing and its various types, in addition to Push vs Pull marketing, and its ways of implementation, stressing on its importance especially in our time today. During the session, Dr. Bassous gave his explanations and shared his expertise and experiences with the attendees, answering the participants’ questions and inquiries, as they applied together many exercises in order to consolidate the acquired information.
In the new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Middle East Council of Churches, Communication and Public Relations Department, you can find the joint statement issued by the Greek Orthodox and Syriac Orthodox Patriarchates of Antioch and All the East on the 10th yearly commemoration of the abduction of the Archbishops of Aleppo, His Eminence Metropolitan Boulos Yaziji and His Eminence Metropolitan Gregorios Youhanna Ibrahim. As for the weekly message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, it is entitled “Behind the Screen of Hate”. It was the speech that Dr. Abs delivered at the seminar organized by MECC, on the commemoration of the abduction of the two Archbishops of Aleppo, on Monday 24 April 2023.
In the new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Middle East Council of Churches, Communication and Public Relations Department, you can find the weekly message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, which title is “Antiochians despite the destructions!”. Dr. Abs spoke about the tour held by His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and MECC President for the Orthodox Family, in Antioch, following the earthquake that struck this region. Dr. Abs also called this tour “a tour of hope”, “because our alphabet is Antiochian”.
In the new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Middle East Council of Churches, Communication and Public Relations Department, you can find the weekly message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, which title is “Dignity for the afflicted person”. It was the speech he delivered during the last monthly webinar organized by MECC, on Thursday 30 March 2023, and in which he talked about the human dignity and the vulnerable people.
The issue also includes details about this monthly webinar which centered around the dignity for the afflicted people. It was also broadcasted on the MECC Facebook page (Part 1 – Part 2). Noting that this webinar was part of the “Human Dignity Project” - “Dialogue and Social Cohesion-Social Capital Rehabilitation”, which MECC is implementing consecutively.
In the new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Middle East Council of Churches, Communication and Public Relations Department, you can find the weekly message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, which title is “Religious Events and the Sharing in Common Life”. Dr. Abs highlighted the Ramadan experience that people live in Beirut, as in all the capitals of Arab countries. He mentioned that this experience reconciles hearts and strengthens the bond between people. Dr. Abs also stresses the importance of sharing a common life, removing psychological barriers between people, and encouraging them to get acquainted with mutual traditions, and even beliefs.
The Middle East Council of Churches, Communication and Public Relations Department, have now issued its online Ecumenical calendar for the month of April 2023. 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.
With the announcement of the canonization of the Massabki Brothers, you may find a special episode entitled “The Massabki Brothers: Martyrdom and Holiness,” prepared and presented by the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, Coordinator of the Church and Media Relations at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), and produced by Télé Lumière and Noursat TV Channel.