The Middle East Council of Churches Participates in the General Assembly of the “Danmission” Organization in Denmark

You can find some photos at the end of the text.

The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), represented by Father Dr. Antoine Al Ahmar, the Director of the Theological and Ecumenical Department, participated in the General Assembly of the “Danmission” organization held in the Danish city of Nyborg, between 31 August and 1 September 2024.

The first meeting was with the “Danmission” Board, in the presence of the new Secretary General of the organization Mrs. Julie Koch, and the participation of representatives of the organizations invited to the General Assembly, including Reverend Dr. Andrea Zaki, President of the Evangelical Churches in Egypt and the Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services, and Dr. Nayla Tabbara, Director of Adyan Foundation.

The General Assembly included a special session entitled “Tour of the World,” during which each of “Danmission’s” partners gave a presentation about the organizations and regions they represent, accompanied by the regional Directors of these regions. During this session, the part dedicated to the Middle East region was moderated by Mrs. Kristen Auken, the Director of the region in “Danmission”, where she highlighted the circumstances that the Middle East is passing through.

In his turn, Father Dr. Antoine Al Ahmar spoke about the history of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), its structure, goals, and the activities it implements, in addition to the experience of cooperation with “Danmission” and the aspirations for future joint work. He also talked about the situation of the Church in the region and the challenges it faces, especially in responding to the crises taking place in the Middle East.

In parallel with the Assembly's work, the representatives of the invited organizations participated with the regions’ Directors in "Danmission" in a workshop about the topic of leadership and democracy. Participants exchanged ideas and experiences regarding the cooperation with "Danmission" and ways to enhance effective participation in programs’ development.

The first day of the Assembly ended with an Evening Prayer Service in the Vindinge Church, led by Reverend Michael Hvistendahl Munch, during which the Sermon was delivered by Reverend Dr. Andrea Zaki. At the end of the Prayer, Father Dr. Antoine Al Ahmar granted the Apostolic Blessing in Syriac.

It should be noted that the program designated for Father Dr. Antoine Al Ahmar on the occasion of his participation in the General Assembly of the “Danmission” organization included two visits. The first visit was to the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the National Council of Churches in Denmark, to meet with the Secretary General Mr. Emil Bjørn Hilton Sagga, where a Theological and Ecclesiastical discussion took place about the mission of both Councils, their goals and work, in addition to the challenges that surround them and ways to confront it.

The second visit was to the Faculty of Theology at the University of Copenhagen, where Ftaher Dr. Antoine met with the Head of the Department of Systematic Theology Mrs. Christine Svinth-Værge Põder, and discussed with her some Theological topics. They also talked, in particular, about the Sixth World Conference of the Faith and Order Committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC), which will be held in Egypt on the occasion of the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea.

At the end, a dinner was held in honor of the representatives of the organizations, at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of “Danmission”. It was attended by Church Delegates who are members of the General Assembly. Following the dinner, Father Dr. Antoine Al Ahmar, as well as the representatives of the other organizations, gave a brief presentation about the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) and its message and objectives, and the most prominent programs it implements.