Standing Together Towards a More Sustainable Partnership

The General Secretariat of the Middle East Council of Churches held its annual meeting with its international and regional partner organizations and institutions, online, on Thursday, March 24, 2022. The meeting aimed at exchanging point of views and experiences in order to develop the MECC role and to ameliorate the work mechanisms in order to achieve the desired goals, and work together for a more effective future partnership.

In the new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Communication and Public Relations Department of the Middle East Council of Churches you can find an invitation from MECC to participate in an online discussion about Anti-Racism and Anti-Segregation, on Wednesday 30th of March 2022. As for the message of the Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, it was entitled this week “The Middle East Council of Churches: Towards the Twelfth General Assembly”.

Saint Georges’ School Bsalim: A Model of the Struggle of Lebanese Schools

Turn to the abyss! These words were said years ago about a sector considered one of the most crucial basic facilities for building societies. The Lebanese education sector has always formed a major lifeline and has been a factor for prosperity and progress, but today it is reaching rock bottom. This is a bitter reality that the educational institutions in the Middle East must now faceat the ional, especially following the outbreak of the economic and cost-of-living crises in the midst of the dangerous health conditions that were manifested by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Communication and Public Relations Department of the Middle East Council of Churches presents the news about the visit of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs heading a delegation from the General Secretariat to His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, aiming at giving him an invitation from His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, to participate in the MECC 12th General Assembly. As for the message of Dr. Abs, it was entitled this week “Collateral Damage”.

Why Is the World Celebrating It?

It is true that the world celebrates the Day of Happiness on the 20th of March, but can we find happiness in a wounded world full of crises and conflicts and which its people are suffering from wars, diseases, poverty and famine...???

Despite this situation, we will stress on happiness and join the United Nations in celebrating the world day of happiness, which was added to the UN calendar of international days. With this day, the United Nations recognized the relevance of happiness and well-being as universal goals and aspirations in the lives of human beings amidst the difficulties that our world is witnessing.

Days Before Mothers’ Day, Who Are the Holy Mothers?

“Behold, your mother” Said Jesus on the cross to one of his disciples. “Behold, your mother” … She has become our mother, the mother of the Church and of the whole of humanity. She is the Mother of The Lord and the Queen of Peace. The mother who endured constant hardship with patience and obedience, overcame evil and chose to cultivate holiness crowned with compassion and humility, to become a source of life of grace and a fountain of hope.

In this volatile world, the Mother of God protects us from all evil whims, especially from an illness that His Holiness Pope Francis called “spiritual orphanhood”, which besieges us whenever we lack the feeling of belonging to family, people, land, and one God.

The new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Communication and Public Relations Department of the Middle East Council of Churches presents the news about the visit of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs heading a delegation from the General Secretariat to His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi, aiming at giving him an invitation from His Holiness Pope Tawadros II to participate in the MECC 12th General Assembly. As for the message of Dr. Abs, it was entitled this week “In Sebastia, There Were Martyrs, and There Was Martyrdom”.

Rev. Rifaat Fikri: The Evangelical Conference of Cairo is Part of the Evangelical Synod of the Nile

The MECC 12th General Assembly in Egypt Is a Blessing

Last week, the Evangelical Church in Egypt witnessed new elections. The Associate Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Rev. Rifaat Fikri was elected as a new president by acclamation of the Evangelical Conference of Cairo in its 159th session, which was held on February 25, 2022. Thus, we can ask many questions; what is the Evangelical Conference of Cairo? and what is the mission of the new president?

What Is the Triodion Period?

“Lord, I have cried out on to Thee,” ... “Let us all make haste to humble the flesh by abstinence, as we set out upon the divine and unblemished Fast...” “I beseech Thee: cleanse me in the waters of repentance, and through prayer and fasting make me radiant…” with these hymns, the Orthodox Church prepare on the eve of the Vespers of Forgiveness Sunday for the journey, a fasting journey towards the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Communication and Public Relations Department of the Middle East Council of Churches presents the message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, entitled this week “Affiliation and Cultural Mutual Maturation”. In the issue also, the MECC General Secretariat extended its warmest congratulations to Rev. Rifaat Fikri, MECC Associate Secretary General after his election as President of the Evangelical Conference of Cairo by acclamation.

Read Sajida’s Story

White mask, palette of 6 colors: yellow, pink, blue, violet, black and gold.

A 12-year-old girl took a brush and chose the blue and black. She painted the mask with these two colors and then chose the yellow to paint the remaining white part of the mask.

The story of the mask and colors was narrated by Sajida Ismail Dib who hid her sadness by her smile.

“Building bridges, standing together,” is the slogan of the Middle East Council of Churches, which pledged since its establishment to be a Christian platform that crosses all religions, reflecting the Christian reality in the Middle East in a unified voice emanating from the cradle of Christianity towards all the world.

In the constant pursuit to reinforce the council's ecumenical and human mission and to shed lights on all the Churches in the East through all media platforms, a new channel is now launched on the Telegram application.

A Workshop on Media and Advocacy, the Preparations Begun!

With great hope, the Middle East Council of Churches General Secretariat, continues its preparations for its 12th General Assembly of the Council under the title “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27), between May 16 and 20, 2022, hosted by His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, in Egypt. Given the importance of the media's role in shedding the light on Christian reality in the East and serving mankind, the General Assembly has included in its activities a workshop on Christian Media in the Middle East.

Report: February 2022

While may not be acknowledged or observed due to the events happening around the world, Egypt will be a main player in the socioeconomic development of the region. Fueled by satellite images of scientific discoveries in Egypt and North Africa, major sources of energy are being continuously discovered which allow it to assume a leadership not only at the level of the Middle East but also at the level of the world.

The new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Communication and Public Relations Department of the Middle East Council of Churches presents the message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, entitled this week “Human Folly”.

The issue also includes a news about the ATIME meeting aiming at continuing its work on its bylaws. In addition to details on the launching of the Season of Creation 2022 and its theme for this year.

The Church is Preparing for the Feast of Feasts, Are we ready yet?

Few days and Christians will start a season that is considered one of the holiest Christian stations in history. It is the season of Holy Lent, the safe path towards the Feast of the Resurrection, the feast of feasts and the Holy Season. Hence, the Lent is a time of spiritual renewal and a journey during which Man passes from danger to safety, sin to salvation, and anxiety to contentment.

Christians prepare for their Lenten Journey following the path of Jesus Christ who was led, just after his baptism, by the Holy Spirit into the desert where he fasted for 40 days and defeated Satan.

The Communication and Public Relations Department at the Middle East Council of Churches have now issued its online Ecumenical calendar for the month of March 2022. It includes the Ecclesiastical and Liturgical feasts of the various families of Churches in the Middle East. In addition to international days identified by the United Nations, and which are related to the MECC identity and its spiritual and human mission. Noting that the remaining months of the year will be published consecutively.

The new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Communication and Public Relations Department of the Middle East Council of Churches presents the final statement of the MECC Executive Committee meeting held online on February 11, 2022. As for the weekly message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, it was entitled “Social Justice and the Misery of Humanity”.

International Endeavors to Contain Post-Covid-19 Stage

Is the End of the Pandemic Near?

The Middle East continues to suffer from the Covid-19 pandemic and all of its countries are registering continuous daily increases in infection and death rates. Hence, appeals to advance vaccination campaigns and the demands for equitable distribution of vaccines between the different countries continue, as was mentioned in the final statement of the executive committee meeting of the Middle East Council of Churches which was held on the 11th of February, with the goal of ending the pandemic and preparing for the containment of the next stage of the pandemic which has caused a massive increase in poverty and unemployment.

You can find a video prepared by the Middle East Council of Churches in Syria shedding light on the reconstruction work at the Private Secondary School of the Armenian Orthodox Church in Aleppo, Syria. The school was restored and rehabilitated within the “Restoration Fund for Rehabilitation of Faith-based Social Services & Religious Infrastructure Damaged During the Crisis in Syria” program implemented by MECC in cooperation with Kerk in Actie in Netherlands, in various Syrian governorates.