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.

The meeting began with a word delivered by Dr. Michel Abs, in which he said, “MECC believes, within its ecumenical vision of matters, and its monitoring of the paths that social phenomena take in our countries... that the media constitutes an essential tool for spreading awareness and facing these phenomena, in parallel, of course, with developmental and educational work. The media is the cognitive tool par excellence that fights ignorance, fanaticism, divisive speech, and hatred... The media plays a fundamental role in bringing the groups of society closer together and spreading the basic Christian value, love. If ecumenism is essentially a path of rapprochement between Christians, then it is a fortiori, a path of rapprochement between all components of society, and thus, it constitutes a key to civil peace.”

In his turn, Dr. George Sabra delivered a word in which he pointed out that “our school attended many of the MECC theological and social activities, as mentioned by the Secretary General, and cooperation still exists on more than one level. Today we are pleased to strengthen this cooperation with a new project dealing with Christian media in partnership with Télé Lumière TV channel. Everything that leads to consolidating and strengthening cooperation between Christian institutions and Churches in this East, and everything that contributes to spreading the ecumenical Christian message... we put all our capabilities at its service. This cooperation today is the fruit of the work of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs who we appreciate his continuous efforts to extend bridges between Churches and Christian institutions.

For her part, the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary addressed a word in which she said, “I thank Brother Nour for his trust. I also thank Dr. Michel Abs, and also Dr. George Sabra who gave us this place, the Near East School of Theology, which in itself promotes the ecumenical spirit with MECC. Télé Lumière, who is 34 years old, is also ecumenical par excellence and includes all sects. Brother Nour’s love is embodied in the entire Church without distinction between one Church and another. His goal is for the media to be an open Gospel in all parts of the world.” She recalled the words of Brother Nour, “We are one hand, one family, one heart. Our concern is the Good News in a world of challenges.”

Following the words, Father Rifaat Bader congratulated the signatories on this cooperation, hoping to strengthen it in order to form an association of cooperation between all media centers in the Middle East.

With this new media cooperation, together we affirm that God is the Grantor of success and the gates of hell will not prevail against the work of the Holy Spirit.