From the General Secretary of the International ACT Alliance Mr. Rudelmar Bueno de Faria

From the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Reverend Professor Dr. Jerry Pillay

Entitled “Disaster Risk Management and Churches Response”

The Middle East Council of Churches held a training session in the Governorate of Akkar, entitled “Disaster Risk Management and Churches Response,” with support from Tearfund.

The session took place in the hall of Our Lady of Salvation Melkite Greek Catholic Church in the town of Sheikh Mohammad – Akkar, and was attended by more than fifty participants from various Churches and professional backgrounds.

The meeting began with a Prayer prepared by Father Spiridon Tannous, titled “The Church of Antioch’s Response to the Famine in Jerusalem.” After this, the participating youth introduced themselves and became acquainted.

Subsequently, Father Spiridon divided the youth into groups and organized training workshops, which generated significant interest among the attendees.

Later, Father Basilios Ghafari and the Journalist Lea Maamary gave lectures on different types of disasters, their impact on individuals and society, and the importance of local churches taking action to respond to crises by forming and effectively organizing emergency committees.

A Meditation of Hope During the Christmas Season - Produced by MECC

Watch with Us the Second Episode of this Program

Produced by “The Platform of the Word” at the Middle East Council of Churches

As part of its new program network, "The Platform of the Word" at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) presents the second episode of the program "Dawn from the East".

A program that addresses the youth, their concerns and aspirations, especially in light of the difficult circumstances that our countries are passing through. It also highlights their various activities and humanitarian initiatives during Christmas.

A Special Christmas Episode with Father Charbel Al Khoury and the MECC Secretary General Professor Dr. Michel Abs

On the occasion of the Glorious Christmas, “The Platform of the Word” at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) presents a special Christmas episode entitled "We are awake... Waiting for Our Return", from the Church of Our Lady of Amchit in Lebanon. Guests were the Parish Priest Father Charbel Al Khoury and the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Dr. Michel Abs. They were interviewed by the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, the Director of "The Platform of the Word" and the Coordinator of Church and Media Relations at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC).

The episode centered around Christmas topics, as well as about human and social, existential issues. It also highlights Bethlehem - the Church of the Nativity, which was embodied by Father Charbel Al Khoury in his Parish. It carries many messages confirming that the Light of Christ is the only one who illuminates the darkness of the earth.

From the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Dr. Michel Abs

From Father Charbel Al Khoury, Parish Priest of Our Lady of Amchit - Lebanon

From His Eminence Bishop Michel Kassarji, Head of the Chaldean Community in Lebanon

From His Eminence Metropolitan Antonios Al Soury, Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Zahle, Baalbek and their Dependencies, and Member of the Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

From His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Louis Raphaël Sako, Chaldean Patriarch in Iraq and the World, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

“Do you believe this?” (John 11: 26)

The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) releases the Arabic version of the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” booklet 2025, under the title “Do you believe this?” (John 11: 26), based on the Biblical Text 11: 17-27.

The booklet presents resources that were prepared by a group of brothers and sisters of the Monastic Community of Bose in Northen Italy. The resources were jointly edited and published by the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity (DPCU) and the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches (WCC), and were translated into Arabic by the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), as every year.

The title of this year has been chosen to emphasize once again the necessity of adhering to faith, hope, and unity in Prayer, at a time when the world and the Middle East are suffering from many wars, conflicts, crises and divisions amidst a wave of injustice, inequity and hate speech...

Professor Dr. Michel Abs

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

What is happening in the Middle East—specifically its Levantine part—is almost beyond description.

Utter chaos engulfs the region, spreading crime and corruption everywhere: fighting, looting, kidnapping, and oppression under the waning of certain regimes and the emergence of others whose contours remain unclear.

As if all this were not enough, rumors—some spontaneous, others organized or deliberately planted—further add to people’s psychological confusion, intensifying their loss, misery, and distress.

The situation is alarming, and we all look to the future with apprehension, fearing what the coming days may hold. Our fate is unknown, leaving individuals unsettled, with no choice but to bear these psychological and material burdens and wait.

Yet everyone has become convinced that we are victims of conspiracies hatched against us in the shadowy corners of the “deep state” that controls the world’s resources and devours its peoples. None of what is happening is a coincidence: from the extermination of scientists in Iraq more than a decade ago to the assassination of scientists in Syria during the current events. The killing of intellectuals is but the tip of the iceberg in a Levantine conspiracy that has persisted for over a century.

Watch with Us the Second Episode of the Program “And the Family Remains”

Produced by “The Platform of the Word” at the Middle East Council of Churches

As part of its new program network, “The Platform of the Word” at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) presents the second episode of the program “And the Family Remains”, under the title “Mother and Christmas”.

The program raises issues related to the family, motherhood and childhood, in addition to the Church’s view and response to the challenges, especially in light of the difficult living conditions that the region is passing through.

A New Program Produced by "The Platform of the Word" at the Middle East Council of Churches

Watch with Us the First Episode!

As part of its new program network, "The Platform of the Word" at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) presents the first episode of the program "Dawn from the East".

A program that addresses the youth, their concerns and aspirations, especially in light of the difficult circumstances that our countries are passing through. It also highlights their various activities and humanitarian initiatives during Christmas.

Ecumenical Youth Empowerment in a New Leadership Training: Together for a Better World!

In continuation of the Ecumenical Youth Camp “Youth Leadership Building" in Lebanon, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) implemented a new training within this program, stemming from its belief in the importance of empowering youth and developing their capabilities. It was held on Saturday, December 7, 2024, at Moore Conference Center & Guesthouse in Mansourieh - Lebanon. Noting that the program was organized in partnership with Kerk in Actie (KIA) organization, Bible Society, Youth for Christ (YFC), and Ithraa Center in Lebanon.

Attendees were 36 youth and 11 leaders from different Church Families, who participated in the previous Ecumenical camp. The course comes at a time when young people face many challenges that may often hinder their usual activities. Therefore, this meeting aimed to develop the skills of the participants, motivate them to serve, and train them on the foundations of leadership, thus contributing to the formation of youth networks capable of making positive change in societies.

The course included various games that brought the participants closer together, as well as dynamic sessions that focused on leadership skills, as well as how to deal with crises and ways to work together to build a brighter future in peace.

A New Program Produced by "The Platform of the Word" at the Middle East Council of Churches

Watch with Us the First Episode Entitled “Displacement and Christmas”

As part of its new program network, “The Platform of the Word” at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) presents the first episode of the program “And the Family Remains”, under the title “Displacement and Christmas”.

The program raises issues related to the family, motherhood and childhood, in addition to the Church’s view and response to the challenges, especially in light of the difficult living conditions that the region is passing through.

Details in This Video

As part of the activities of the Fiftieth Year of the Founding of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), Télé Lumière and Noursat broadcasted a special episode of the program “Zawaher” ("Phenomena"), entitled "The Jubilee Journey of the Middle East Council of Churches", with the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Dr. Michel E. Abs, and the Coordinator of the Church and Media Relations and Director of the "The Platform of the Word" in the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, on Wednesday, December 11, 2024. The program is prepared and presented by Mr. Charbel Zouein.

You can watch the full episode in this video.

What Issues Did the Meeting Discussed?

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Dr. Michel Abs, held an environmental meeting with Dr. Habib Maalouf, who is Environmental Writer and Journalist and Advisor to the Lebanese Minister of Environment, and Dr. Dany El-Obeid, who is an Environmental Expert and University Professor, in the presence of Father Dr. Antoine Al Ahmar, the Director of the MECC Theological and Ecumenical Department who participated online. It took place on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, at the offices of the MECC General Secretariat in Beirut.

During the meeting, the attendees discussed various current environmental issues and matters and talked about the issue of climate change and its negative repercussions on human life. They also spoke about the general environmental situation in the Middle East and discussed sustainable measures aimed at preserving the natural resources and ecosystems of the region.

Details in the program "Dawn from the East"

Under the patronage and presence of His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, the Youth Pastoral Office and the Pastoral Office for People with Disabilities in the Maronite Patriarchate - Bkerke, organize a recital entitled "Your Birth is Lighting Our Country", on Friday, December 13, 2024, at 8 pm, at the Patriarchal Edifice - Bkerke, Lebanon.

Details of this evening in an interview with Guy Darwich, from the Patriarchal Youth Pastoral Office Bkerke Jeune, as part of the "Dawn from the East" program that will soon be broadcast on the platforms of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), and Télé Lumière and Noursat TV Channel.