At the Welcome and Well-Wishes Meeting with His Excellency
The President of the Lebanese Republic,
General Joseph Aoun
Republican Palace – Baabda
28.07.2025

Your Excellency,

It is with joy and hope that we visit you today, as a delegation from the Middle East Council of Churches, composed of the associate secretaries general and heads of central departments within the Council.

We had hoped that the four Presidents of the Council, Metropolitan Anba Antonios, His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian, and His Beatitude Patriarch Raphael Bedros XXI Minassian, as well as members of the Executive Committee could lead the delegation. However, due to some being abroad and the short notice between the date of invitation and this visit, that was not possible. We will make up for this by visiting you all together during the upcoming Executive Committee meeting scheduled in Lebanon in early December. It is worth noting that visiting the head of state is a tradition observed by the Council whenever its Executive Committee convenes in a country where its member churches are present.

The Middle East Council of Churches is entering the second 50 years of its age, which we hope will be long and fruitful. It is a regional institution licensed in Beirut and includes 21 churches from all over the Middle East, grouped into four ecclesial families based on their theology.

The Council has its main office in Lebanon and additional offices in Syria (Damascus, Daraa, Aleppo), Jordan (Amman), Jerusalem, Nazareth, Gaza, with a Cairo office being reopened in Egypt, and offices planned for reopening in Iraq and Cyprus…

The President of the Lebanese Republic General Joseph Aoun, met with a delegation from the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), headed by its Secretary General Professor Michel Abs. At the beginning of the meeting Professor Abs said, "It is with joy and hope that we visit you today, as a delegation from the Middle East Council of Churches, composed of the Associate secretaries general and heads of central departments within the Council." He added, "visiting the head of state is a tradition observed by the Council whenever its Executive Committee convenes in a country where its member churches are present."

He said, " The Middle East Council of Churches is entering the second 50 years of its age, which we hope will be long and fruitful. It is a regional institution licensed in Beirut and includes 21 churches from all over the Middle East, grouped into four ecclesial families based on their theology. The Council has its main office in Lebanon and additional offices in Syria (Damascus, Daraa, Aleppo), Jordan (Amman), Jerusalem, Nazareth, Gaza, with a Cairo office being reopened in Egypt, and offices planned for reopening in Iraq and Cyprus"…

Celebrating Archbishop George Khodr: An Eastern Pen for Literature in the Heart of God

"Archbishop George Khodr, an Eastern Pen for Literature in the Heart of God," was the title of the "104 Meeting" celebration, organized at the invitation of "Liqaa" in cooperation with AUT University – Halat, and with the blessing and presence of His Eminence Archbishop Silouan (Moussi), Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Byblos, Batroun and Dependencies (Mount Lebanon).

The ceremony was attended by representatives of prominent figures and authorities, most notably President General Michel Aoun, Represented by Lawyer Wadih Akl; the Vice President of the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council, Represented by Sheikh Mohammad Haidar; Bishops Michel Aoun and Simon Faddoul; Sheikh Ahmad Al-Lakkis; and MP Dr. Salim Sayegh. The ceremony was also attended by the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs; the General Directors, Jean Gebran and Hassan Al-Akra; as well as Representatives of Orthodox associations, spiritual figures, intellectual, political and academic personalities, and friends of Archbishop Khodr.

Under the supervision of Secretary General Professor Michel Abs, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) continues its training course on graphic design, organized by the MECC Communication and Media Department with Father Spyridon Tannous, Parish Priest of Sharbila in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Akkar and its Dependencies, at the MECC headquarters in Beirut.

The second part of the training, which extends over several weeks, was held on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, with the participation of the media team and colleagues from various departments in Lebanon and Syria, in person and online.

In this context, participants were able to explore modern electronic techniques and tools related to graphic and electronic design, in addition to applying basic skills through different exercises that consolidate the acquired knowledge by learning specialized programs and applications according to the given course

As well as, the attendees exchanged views and experiences on various design topics that would benefit them in their respective fields of expertise and work.

The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), through its Service and Relief Department – Diakonia, continues its efforts to support the livestock sector and enhance livelihoods and food security in rural areas, as part of its ongoing mission to assist the most vulnerable families and alleviate increasing living burdens.

In this context, 134 livestock breeders in the villages of Deir al-Bukht, Khirbet Ghazaleh, and Al-Kutaybeh in rural Dara’a were supported through the distribution of 220 rations to cover 220 heads of cattle. Each ration consisted of 900 kilograms of mineral-fortified pelleted fodder and 720 kilograms of hay. In addition, veterinary services, medications, and vaccines were provided, along with one food basket for each of the 134 breeders’ families.

The beneficiaries also attended training sessions on proper cattle care, ways to manage common livestock diseases, and optimal nutrition practices to improve the quality and quantity of milk production.

He Delivers a Speech Entitled “The Purest Witness”

"These ceremonies are attitudes, standards of behavior, and ethics of leadership... Ashura is a tragedy that is repeated every day"

Under the patronage and attendance of the Vice-President of the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council His Eminence Sheikh Ali Al-Khatib, the Council began commemorating Ashura this year, on Thursday, June 26, 2025, at the Council's headquarters in Beirut. The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs participated on Thursday, July 3, and delivered a speech entitled “The Purest Witness”, along with many personalities.

The ceremony began with a recitation of Verses from the Holy Quran, and attendees were Professor Laure Abi Khalil, Coordinator of the "Dialogue, Social Cohesion and Human Dignity" program at MECC, the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, Media Officer and Coordinator of the Church and Media Relations at MECC, and the TV Director Johnny Antoun, Social Media Officer at MECC.

Attendees were also Religious Scholars, and political, judicial, military, educational, cultural, and social figures, as well as citizens.

“Ecumenical Horizons” is a weekly program that features spiritual, cultural, intellectual, educational, youth and environmental topics.

Implements Emotional Support Sessions for Youth Girls in Lebanon

With the intensification of daily challenges, the Diakonia and Social Service Department, Lebanon’s Office, at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), organized a program titled "Emotional Support for Youth Girls" with two groups of adolescent girls aged 12-14 years and 15-17 years. The program aimed to empower them, enhance their mental health, and help them overcome the difficulties they may face.

This program, which extended over many weeks, comes at a time when both parents are obliged to work to sustain their households, and many children and adolescents are left alone without the proper guidance and the necessary counseling of their loves ones. As such, they are left to deal with the different hurdles in school or society in general without getting the proper chance to talk about what they go through.

Continues Its Regional Program “Trauma Healing and Spiritual Counseling”

Spiritual and Psychological Support Sessions in an Ecumenical Framework

Stemming from its belief in the importance of spiritual and psychological support, the Theological and Ecumenical Department at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) continues organizing its regional program " Trauma Healing and Spiritual Counseling." It held a new workshop between June 1 and 6, 2025, at the Monastery of Notre Dame du Puits in Beqanaya – Lebanon, in the presence of the MECC Associate Secretary General Reverend Dr. Refaat Fikry.

Participants were a group of Clergy, Nuns, lay people, and pastoral workers, representing various Church Families and countries of the Middle East such as Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, and Egypt. Noting that they had previously participated in national workshops organized in their countries as part of the same program, and are now trained to develop their capacities to provide support within their communities.

The workshop aimed to develop the participants' capacities regarding the concept of trauma and ways to heal it through pastoral ministry. It empowered them and provided them with the necessary skills to support others spiritually and psychologically in the face of the challenges imposed by the difficult circumstances casting a shadow over the region due to various crises.

“Strengthening Christian Faith Unity: The 1700th Jubilee Of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea”

The MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs: We must develop a new text… which includes a commitment to the Ecumenical contract, as a new form of spreading the Christian message

The President of the Romaian Cultural Society Professor Najib Jahshan: Carry the banner of the Cross as Constantine the Great did, and be assured that through it alone you will triumph

In commemoration of the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) and the Romaian Cultural Society held the Fifth Scientific Conference under the title “Strengthening Christian Faith Unity: The 1700th Jubilee Of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea”. It was presided over by the MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs, with the presence of the Society's President Professor Najib Jahshan, on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at the Liqaa Center, Rabweh - Lebanon.

The conference included four sessions attended by Priests, specialists from various fields, and official, cultural, intellectual, and social figures, as well as members of the Romaian Cultural Society and the Middle East Council of Churches’ team.

The event, which was broadcasted live on Télé Lumière and Noursat TV Channel, began with the Lebanese National Anthem and the Constantinople Anthem, followed by an opening speech delivered by the conference's host, the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, the Head of the Media Committee at the Romaian Cultural Society, and the Media Officer and the Coordinator of the Church and Media Relations at MECC. She noted, "The seventeenth century witnessed the Council of Nicaea, a momentous event that brought together elite Christian Leaders from around the world to discuss a serious matter. It resolved doubt with certainty, blocking the path to heresies and the distortion of the right belief"…

MECC Organizes a Health Awareness and PSS Training for Deaf and Mute Women

In a first-of-its-kind initiative, MECC, through its Service and Relief Department – Diakonia, organized a health awareness and psychological support (PSS) training for deaf and mute women in Damascus.

Twenty-four women participated in the training which focused on delivering information through sign language using simplified methods that take into account their specific needs.

After the training, the participants visited five families that include deaf and mute individuals, where they shared the useful information they had received.

This initiative falls within the framework of efforts to effectively integrate deaf and mute women into society and to empower them by expanding the circle of beneficiaries and spreading awareness in the community.

One of the participating women, aged 30, said: “this was the first time ever she had attended a health awareness and PSS training tailored for the deaf and mute.”

زار الأمين العام لمجلس كنائس الشرق الأوسط البروفسور ميشال عبس، غبطة البطريرك روفائيل بدروس الحادي والعشرين ميناسيان، كاثوليكوس بطريرك بيت كيليكيا للأرمن الكاثوليك، ورئيس مجلس كنائس الشرق الأوسط عن العائلة الكاثوليكيّة، وذلك يوم الجمعة 30 أيّار/ مايو 2025، في مقرّ البطريركيّة في الرميل – بيروت.

خلال اللّقاء، رحّب غبطته بالأمين العام مطّلعًا منه على آخر مستجدّات عمل مجلس كنائس الشرق الأوسط على مختلف الصعد ومثنيًا على كلّ المشاريع والمبادرات والبرامج الّتي تقوم بها دوائر المجلس. كما شدّد غبطته على ضرورة بناء الجسور وتضافر الجهود والعمل معًا لما فيه خير الكنيسة والمجتمع.

Organizes a Regional Workshop as Part of the of the “Trauma Healing and Spiritual Counseling” Program

The Secretary General Professor Michel Abs Visits the Participants and Supports Them

The Theological and Ecumenical Department at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) implemented a new workshop to train the trainers, as part of the regional program "Trauma Healing and Spiritual Counseling". It took place between May 25 and 30, 2025, at the Monastery of Notre Dame du Puits in Beqanaya - Lebanon.

Participants were a group of Clergy, Nuns, lay people, and pastoral workers, representing various Church Families and countries of the Middle East such as Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, and Egypt. Noting that they had previously participated in national workshops organized in their countries as part of the same program, and are now trained to develop their capacities to provide support within their communities.

This workshop was held in response to the urgent psychological and spiritual needs of communities suffering from crises and instability in the region. Therefore, the program aimed to enhance participants' awareness of the concept of trauma and ways to heal it through pastoral ministry, as well as to empower them to support others in similar areas.

MECC Presents the Constantinople Hymn

Praying for the Ascension Thursday

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs presided over the weekly meeting of the MECC General Secretariat, with an online participation of the Associate Secretary General Reverend Dr. Refaat Fikry, and colleagues from various departments, in person and online. The meeting took place on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at the MECC headquarters in Beirut.

As is customary, the meeting began with a Biblical Reading, which this week focused on the Gospel of Luke 46: 24-53 and Acts 1: 1-14. The attendees then raised their Prayers on the occasion of the Ascension Thursday, saying together, "Lift with you, O Lord, our souls and minds from emptiness and temporal concerns to divine understanding and truth."

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs received Deacon Royce Bahjat Samir Malak Hanin, Head of the Committee of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Lebanon, appointed by His Grace Anba Antonios, Metropolitan of Jerusalem and the Near East for the Coptic Orthodox Church, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Eastern Orthodox Family. The meeting took place on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at the MECC headquarters in Beirut.

Attendees were Ms. Nina Hallak, the Director of the Beirut Office in the Diakonia and Social Service Department at MECC, the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, the Media Officer, Coordinator of the Church and Media Relations, and Director of the Platform of the Word at MECC, and the Council's Media Team.

The MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs Participates in the Graduation Ceremony of the Near East School of Theology in Beirut

In the presence of Reverend Dr. Paul Haidostian, President of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE), President of Haigazian University in Lebanon, and President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) for the Evangelical Family, Dr. Martin Accad, President of the Near East School of Theology (NEST), and Reverend Dr. Rima Nasrallah, Dean of NEST, the MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs participated in the graduation ceremony of the Near East School of Theology (NEST) in Beirut, on Saturday, May 24, 2025, in the NEST Church.

During the ceremony which was attended by Professors, parents and friends, Mr. John Sagherian delivered a word in which he called the graduates to consider their primary task to make Jesus' presence felt through their service.

The ceremony included various hymns and ended with a toast for the occasion.

The Middle East Council of Churches and the Romaion Cultural Association

The 1700th Jubilee of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea

Speech of the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs

Distinguished guests, those interested and following the affairs of the Council of Nicaea, and members of the media,

Welcome to the General Secretariat of the Middle East Council of Churches, in the first year after its fiftieth anniversary, and after decades of tireless work towards unity among the churches, as well as social unity, promoting and defending the values of justice and peace.

This is the first joint project between the Middle East Council of Churches and the Romaoin Cultural Association, and it marks the beginning of promising joint activities in the field of intellectual interaction, openness, and dialogue among the components of Christianity in our region and the world.

It is also the fifth scientific conference of this association, which is active in the field of Romaion culture, now and in the future, and whose members include an elite group of scholars and thinkers from our country, with some of the MECC’s staff as its members.

It is a given in faith-based cultural work that those concerned with unity initiatives meet around an intellectual and research project of such historical importance, as this represents a consolidation of Christian faith unity and brings believers closer together based on shared faith aspirations.

On the thirty-first of May 2025, more than two thousand years after the birth of Christianity in our blessed and troubled East, and seventeen centuries after the Council of Nicaea was held, Christians are gathering around this great event in the history of the Christian mission. They will review its details, dynamics, and the events surrounding it, shedding new light that will increase the understanding of believers and scholars of this chapter in the Church's life…

Based on the importance of capacity building in line with modern developments, the Media of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) participated in a training on "Artificial Intelligence and Its Use in Publishing" with the Jordanian trainer Mr. Emad Hanna. The course was organized by the Christian Publisher League (CPLL) at the Bible Society in Lebanon on Thursday, May 22, 2025, at the Society's headquarters in Beirut.

This course is the sixth in a series of training sessions on the subject of Christian publishing, bringing together representatives from various organizations and publishing houses.