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 the statement issued by MECC about the war of extermination against the Palestinian people in Gaza. As for the weekly message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, it is entitled “That Too Long Night”, and it is the foreword to the webinar organized by MECC under the title “With Gaza: Rejecting Genocide”.

The issue also includes details about this webinar held by MECC on Wednesday 18 October 2023, following the painful events witnessed by Gaza, especially following the bombardment of “Al Maamadani” Hospital. The webinar was attended by specialists, academicians, brothers and sisters, from Palestine and various countries of the region, and was broadcasted live on the MECC Facebook page. In this context, the webinar included a minute of silence for the souls of the martyrs who fell in Gaza, as well as many interventions, moderated by Dr. Laure Abi Khalil, and it started with a word delivered by the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel Abs.

As well as, the issue presents a news about the participation of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs in the opening of the International Scientific Conference entitled: “The Orthodox Church of Antioch from the Fifteenth to the Eighteenth Century: Towards a Proper Understanding of History”, organized by the Saint John of Damascus Institute of Theology at the University of Balamand - Lebanon, under the patronage and in the presence of His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and MECC President for the Orthodox Family, the University of Balamand, Lebanon, on Monday 16 October 2023, at the Zakhem Auditorium - University of Balamand in Koura. This is in addition to an interview with Dr. Abs made by the Antiochian Orthodox Media Center which is affiliated with the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East.

The issue also includes a news about the participation of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs in the celebratory ceremony held by Haigazian University in Lebanon on the occasion of the 68th anniversary of the founding, in the presence of Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian, President of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East, President of Haigazian University, and MECC President for the Evangelical Family. It was organized on Monday 16 October 2023, at the University’s campus, with the participation of members of the administration, Professors, students, and guests.

In addition, you can find an interview with the Director of the MECC Theological and Ecumenical Department Father Dr. Antoine Al Ahmar in an episode of the program “Al Nour Maana” (the “Light is With Us”), broadcasted on Télé Lumière and Noursat TV Channel, on the morning of Thursday 12 October 2023. During the interview, Father Dr. Antoine talked about MECC, its goals and history. He also highlighted the 50-Year Jubilee of the MECC Founding, as well as the Ecumenical Prayer Service held by MECC on the occasion of the “Season of Creation,” and the “Ecumenical Perspectives on Climate Change” Symposium which was organized by MECC in cooperation with the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME).

You can also find a news and photos about the new workshop of the “Trauma Healing and Spiritual Counseling” program, organized by MECC, Theological and Ecumenical Department, with the contribution of the Pontifical Mission in Beirut, after the devastating earthquake that struck the North of the Antiochian Levant at the beginning of this year. The workshop was dedicated to young men and women working in Church organizations that have participated in relief work in Syria, took place over a period of five days, from Monday 25th till Saturday 30th of September 2023 at Saint Christophorus Monastery at Saydnaya, Syria.

Moreover, the issue includes details about the restoration and reopening of Al Sharek School in the center of Aleppo, Syria. MECC has been actively involved in the restoration of this school through the “Restoration Fund for Rehabilitation of Faith-based Social Services & Religious Infrastructure Damaged During the Crisis in Syria” program, in cooperation with “Kerk in Actie” organization in the Netherlands. The opening of Al Sharek School was attended by His Eminence Bishop Magar Ashkarian, the Armenian Orthodox Bishop of the Diocese of Aleppo and its Dependencies, and the representative of the “Kerk in Actie” organization Mr. Dick Loendersloot, a delegation from MECC, the school's principal, teachers, administrators, and members of the Schools Committee affiliated with the Orthodox Armenian Archdiocese.

The issue also presents a news about the psychosocial support sessions implemented by MECC, Department of Diakonia and Social Service, Lebanon’s Office, last September, for a group of children, where they were taught about ways on how to deal with stigmas such as bullying, psychological distress, and unpleasant feelings or emotions… This is in order to support them by creating a safe space for them to express their concerns and allowing them to feel at ease, especially amidst the difficult living conditions that Lebanon is witnessing.

In addition, you can find a photo album 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 of Kaslik (USEK) – Lebanon; as well as about the “Ecumenical Perspectives on Climate Change” Symposium, 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 of Kaslik (USEK), and Thursday 5 October 2023, at the Saint Joseph University (USJ) – Beirut.

In this context, the issue presents a series of videos about the co-Exhibition organized on Wednesday 4 October 2023, at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), as part of the “Ecumenical Perspectives on Climate Change” Symposium. The Exhibition included various initiatives and activities in the environmental field and creation care, which are implemented by many organizations and youth movements.

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.

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.