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 a news about the visit of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs to His Beatitude Greek Orthodox Archbishop of New Justiniana and All Cyprus Georgios, on Wednesday 28 February 2024, at the Patriarchate headquarters in Nicosia. The meeting was attended by the Member of the MECC Executive Committee Father Younes Nikolaou, and the Director of His Beatitude’s Office Mr. Michael Spiro, Alternative Member of the MECC Executive Committee.
As for the weekly message of the Secretary General Dr. Abs, it is entitled this week “Modern society in its socio-economic challenges and contradictions”, in which he talked about the contradictions that we witness on a daily basis in the modern world that pose a challenge to any person in terms of the values he was raised with.
The issue also presents a report video about the speeches delivered during the opening session of the gathering of the students of Theological Institutes in Lebanon organized by the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME) under the title “The Deposit of Faith, So That We May Know What We Have Received and How to Transfer It.” This is in addition to report videos about this gathering, including interviews with its participants. Noting that the gathering was held on Tuesday 20 February 2024, at La Sagesse University - Beirut.
As well as, the issue includes a news about the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs’ reception of a delegation from the international organization “Danmission”, an MECC partner, on Thursday 22 February 2024, at the offices of the MECC General Secretariat in Beirut. The delegation included the Danmission's Regional Director in the Middle East Mrs. Kristen Auken, the Programme Director Mr. Martin Rosenkilde Pedersen, and the Senior Advisor, Sustainable, Just and Equitable Stewardship Mr. Ernst Jürgensen. Attendees were also the Director of the MECC Theological and Ecumenical Department Father Dr. Antoine Al Ahmar, the Administrative and Project Assistant in the Department Ms. Maria Bzdigian, and Member of the MECC Eco-Justice Committee Deacon Garen Yosolkanian.
The issue also presents details about the new TV Program launched by the Middle East Council of Churches, in partnership with Télé Lumière and Noursat TV channel, entitled “Ecumenicals”. The program is presented by Tony Chedid, and will be broadcasted every Sunday at 9:30 pm Beirut time and 7:30 GMT. As well as, the program includes many episodes with guests Church Leaders and personalities who accompanied the establishment of the Middle East Council of Churches and the various milestones it witnessed.
Moreover, the issue includes a news about the lectures delivered by Professor Michel Abs, Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), and Professor Talal Atrissi, a Researcher and Professor of Sociology, at an episode entitled “The Values of the West in their Cognitive and Moral Integration” (Current Evidence), within the “Reflection Sessions” series, organized by the journal “Ilmolmabdaa”, “Tahawoulat” (Transformations) Center and the Delta Center for In-depth Research. The episode was moderated and presented by the Researcher Sarkis Abou Zeid, and was held at the journal’s conference room in Beirut, in the presence of intellectual and cultural personalities and interested people in the topic at hand.
In the issue, The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) has the honor to invite you to participate in its monthly webinar, entitled “Human Dignity of the Addicted Youth,” on Thursday 29 February 2024, at 7 pm Beirut Time. You can participate in the webinar via the following Zoom link https://shorturl.at/AJMR9, and live on the MECC Facebook Page. The webinar, that will include three interventions, will start with an opening speech by its moderator Dr. Lubna Tarabey, which will be followed with a speech by the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Professor Dr. Michel Abs.
In addition, you can find a video report about the importance and goals of the awareness sessions on the types of violence and its risks, that are being implemented by the Middle East Council of Churches, Diakonia and Social Service Department, Lebanon’s Office, throughout the year, emphasizing the necessity of living in dignity and gender equality. As well as, you can find details and photos about the Early Recovery and Livelihood Business Development Project in the Akkar Lebanese Region, which was launched recently by MECC.
Furthermore, the Middle East Council of Churches, Communication and Public Relations Department, issued the Ecumenical Calendar for March 2024. You can also find Ecumenical reports, the weekly Prayer, videos, and news of the Middle Eastern Churches. In addition to a socio-economic overview of the Middle East during January 2024 and the latest updates of the Coronavirus in the region.