Momentum, the Weekly Newsletter from the Middle East Council of Churches

In the new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), Communication and Public Relations Department, you can find two Editorials by the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs. The first Editorial is entitled “Between the gift of the Creator and the futility of creature... the search for justice” and it is the Welcoming speech that Dr. Abs delivered at the conference “Ecumenical Approaches to Climate Change”, in the Holy Spirit University – Kaslik, Lebanon - October 4, 2023. The second Editorial is entitled “Again, on the Path of Spiritual Renewal facing Challenges”, and it is the speech that Dr. Abs delivered at the Opening of the General Assembly of the Association of Theological Seminaries in the Middle East at St. John of Damascus Theological Seminary, Balamand, Lebanon - October 3, 2023.

You can also find details, photos and a video about the Ecumenical Prayer held by MECC on the occasion of the “Season of Creation” on Wednesday 4 October 2023, at the Holy Spirit University – Kaslik (USEK). In addition to details, photos and a video about the symposium entitled “Ecumenical Perspectives on Climate Change”, which was held by MECC in cooperation with the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME), on Wednesday 4 October 2023, at the Holy Spirit University – Kaslik (USEK), and Thursday 5 October 2023, at the Saint Joseph University (USJ) – Beirut.

As well as, the issue includes a news about General Assembly meeting of the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME) in its first regular session for the academic year 2023-2024, held with the Blessings of His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Orthodox Family, on Tuesday 3 October 2023, and hosted by the Saint John of Damascus Institute of Theology - Balamand, Lebanon.

Moreover, you can find the 2022 Annual Report of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) entitled “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid" (Matthew 14: 27). The report compiles in its pages the MECC activities and the achievements it has accomplished at various Ecumenical, Theological and humanitarian levels.

This is in addition to a news about the visit of a delegation from the Diocese of Aalborg, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark, accompanied with a delegation from “Danmission” organization, to the offices of the MECC General Secretariat, in Beirut, on Monday 2 October 2023. The delegation was received by the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel Abs, along with the MECC Associate Secretary General Mrs. Seta Hadeshian, and the Director of the MECC Theological and Ecumenical Department Father Dr. Antoine Al Ahmar.

You can also find an article entitled “The Danish Missionaries on Mission Since 1880” by Mrs. Seta Hadeshian, the MECC Associate Secretary General, in which she talked about the contribution of the Danish Church in restoring life to the “Birds’ Nest” orphanage, which is located in the Lebanese region of Byblos. She also highlighted the most important historical stages that led to its founding and how it was established, as Mrs. Maria Jacobsen worked to manage and develop it in cooperation with the "Near East Relief" organization.

Furthermore, the issue includes many reports issued by MECC after the earthquake that hit the North of the Antiochian Levant, under the name of "Rescue Syria Update" which will keep you informed about the developments of MECC action as well as the overall situation in a context analysis perspective. The MECC will be also publishing other periodical and updated reports. This is in addition to photo albums showing the difficult humanitarian situations in Syria.

Additionally, the issue presents the MECC Ecumenical Calendar for September 2023, Ecumenical reports, the weekly Prayer, videos, and news of the Middle Eastern Churches. As well as a socio-economic overview of the Middle East during August 2023 and the latest updates of the Coronavirus in the region.