The MECC to Jordan: Towards a New Era

Dr. Michel E. Abs

The Secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

At the beginning of the coming week, a delegation from the Middle East Council of Churches is heading to the blessed Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The delegation is hosted by the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Jordan, His Excellency Archbishop Christoforos Atallah. The purpose of this visit is to inaugurate the new office of the MECC in Amman, the capital of the Kingdom. This comes after His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, Patriarch of the Holy City, hosted the office of the Council and supported it for a long period of time.

This visit was preceded by months of developments, during which interaction and exchange of views continued between the Archdiocese and the MECC. Changes occurred in the nature of the support provided by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Archdiocese of Jordan, blessed by the Lord. This visit was also preceded by a preparatory visit by a delegation from the MECC to follow up on some matters.

The MECC looks forward to re-strengthening its regional presence, which has declined for a while, for many reasons that cannot be entered into here. In doing so, it is counting on the churches to provide support to launch any work it does and every action. The Working Group does not lose sight of the fact that MECC was established, since its foundation, to serve the Church and society. It has no aims of its own, outside the framework of this service to which the founders themselves were dedicated and delegated it.

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, this prosperous country, has witnessed, and continues to witness, tangible development at all levels: scientific, technical, intellectual, and cultural. In this country, Christians, like all its citizens, live a life of serenity and stability, despite its presence at the most dangerous political-security intersection in the world.

Living together, regardless of religious, ethnic, or other backgrounds, is an essential feature of the kingdom. This is not surprising, since it is due to the ancestor of the royal family that the bulk of Armenians and Syriacs survived the massacres that affected them at the beginning of the twentieth century, which stripped them of their country, their lives, and their wealth.

Who among us does not know the letter sent by Hussein Bin Ali al-Hashimi, the Sharif of Mecca, in 1917 to the people of the Arab region and its army there? He instructed them to protect the Armenians and Syriacs and preserve their lives during the Armenian Genocide. It’s a testimony to history.

The text of the letter, as shared by the sources that published it, stated:

The Hashemite Royal Court

In the Name of God, The Compassionate, The Merciful We Thank Only God And No One But God

From Al-Husayn Ibn 'Ali, King of the Arab Lands and Sharif of Mecca and its Prince to The Honorable and Admirable Princes — Prince Faisal and Prince Abd al-'Aziz al-Jarba — greetings and the compassion of God and His blessings. This letter is written from Imm Al-Qura (Mecca), on 18 Rajab 1336 [April 29, 1918], by the praise of God and no God except Him. We ask peace upon God's Prophet, his family and his companions (may peace be upon him). We inform you that in our gratitude to Him we are in good health, strength and good grace. We pray God that He may grant us and you His abundant grace. What is requested of you is to protect and to take good care of everyone from the Jacobite Armenian community living in your territories and frontiers and among your tribes; to help them in all of their affairs and defend them as you would defend yourselves, your properties and children, and provide everything they might need whether they are settled or moving from place to place, because they are the Protected People of the Muslims (Ahl Dimmat al-Muslimin) — about whom the Prophet Muhammad (may God grant him His blessings and peace) said: "Whosoever takes from them even a rope, I will be his adversary on the day of Judgment." This is among the most important things we require of you to do and expect you to accomplish, in view of your noble character and determination. May God be our and your guardian and provide you with His success. Peace be upon you with the mercy of God and His blessings.

Al-Husayn Ibn 'Ali

This spirituality, and this mentality as well, are the cornerstone of the historical consciousness on which the Kingdom has behaved. Thanks to this, Christians and their compatriots in Jordan live a life of equality, harmony, and stability.

In the same vein, it is this psyche that underlies the Kingdom’s care, protection, and care for the holy places.

Our interaction with the working group of the Diocese, led by His Eminence the Archbishop of Jordan, has shown us how much they have the characteristics that ensure success. We say this in the context of description rather than evaluation, and how promising ecumenical work is in the near future.

The Middle East Council of Churches will remain a meeting place for Christians to meet each other. Moreover, as its history proves, it is a meeting place between Christians and all their fellow countrymen, in a social and humanitarian orientation based on the love on which our faith is built. Social cohesion is a priority in the MECC’s strategic directions.

Since its establishment, our work in Jordan has been officially licensed by the government and the Royal and governmental embrace. This is a continuation of what has been done by successive management and work teams that have framed and accompanied the activities of the MECC there. Our projects have been diverse and in interaction with the socio-economic and cultural environment in the Kingdom, and under the supervision of the member churches. We are in the process of expanding the scope of these activities to include new areas of social, economic, and cultural development, in harmony between the orientations of the churches and the general state policies in various sectors.

In conclusion, we must emphasize that MECC is at the service of the Church, and in the service of society through the Church. Therefore, it will be, with its modest resources, which will increase as work progresses, a support for all that leads to continued progress, stability, civil peace, and social solidarity in this blessed country.

May God grant success, and His hand is with the people when united!