The General Assembly of the MECC
The four families of the Middle East Council of Churches (Orthodox, Oriental, Catholic and Evangelical) gathered in Amman for its 11th General Assembly from 6th to 8th of October 2016. The General Assembly was hosted by Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem and was supported by the welcoming of King Abdullah II of Jordan.
The Assembly has elected Rev. Badr as president of MECC on behalf of the Evangelical Family. He will serve a 4-year term along with Patriarchs Youhanna X Yaziji of the Orthodox (Antiochene) Family, Ignatius Aphrem II of the Oriental (Syrian) Orthodox Family and Louis Roufael Sako of the (Chaldean) Catholic Family. Father Michel Jalkh (far right) was elected General Secretary of MECC for a second term.
The Council reasserted the unity of the churches and called to strengthen the relationship between them and the Churches in the West, having in mind particularly the mass Christian immigration from the Middle East to the West, which has escalated and reached dangerous limits in the last 5 years. However, "we are not hopeless.. because Christ is in our midst".
See the Final Communique (ARABIC)
(Left: Bp. Munib Younan, Patr. Yussef Younan, Rev. Dr. Habib Badr, Patr. Afrem Karim, Patr. Theophilos, Patr. Youhanna Yaziji, Catholicos Aram Keshishian, Fr. Michel Jalkh)
