Intercultural Bible Reading 2016
In December 2016 the Youth Group of our church participated in the Intercultural Bible Reading project. The project was organized for our church and some of Evangelical churches in Nederland. Different youth groups in the two countries exchanged Biblical reflections and also friendship via email. Some of the youth from Nederland even had the chance to visit Lebanon, last summer, and shared many experiences with our youths in order to learn about the Christians, their faith and traditions in the Middle East. And now, it was the term for our youth to do the visit to Nederland. So, three representatives of our church youths visited Nederland at Christmas time in 2016. This was an occasion for them to learn about the churches there, their culture and faith-traditions. This was an enriching experience for our youths and an occasion to widen their perspective about faith and people in the world.
Fellowship of the Middle East Evangelical Churches: General Assembly
The 7th General Assembly of the Fellowship of the Middle East Evangelical Churches (FMEEC) took place in Beirut from 22nd of November to 25th, 2016. FMEEC consists of three Evangelical churches in the ME: Anglican, Lutheran and Reformed. The General Assembly was also combined with the 3rd International Conference on the Evangelicals and Christian Presence in the Middle East. This conference comes as a continuation to FMEEC's previous conferences on the same topic (Cairo - Egypt, 2014 and Beirut 2012).
The opening session took place in Haigazian University of Beirut while the Conference was at Gefinor Hotel. The speakers presented the theme in two days and focused on the complex role of Protestant Churches in bridging the gap between East and West and promoting understanding between different societies.
Lutheran-Catholic Commemoration of Reformation
A Lutheran-Catholic Common Commemoration of the Reformation took place at Lund Cathedral in Sweden on 31st of Oct. 2016. The theme of the common prayer was taken from John 15: “From Conflict to Communion”. Both Pope Francis and Bishop Younan (president of The Lutheran World Federation) signed a joint declaration aiming at deepening cooperation and solidarity between the two churches.
Rev. Habib Badr attended the celebration as the president of the Evangelical Family in the Middle East Council of Churches to witness this ecumenical moment in history between the Protestant and the Catholic churches.
While the past cannot be changed, what is remembered and how it is remembered can be transformed. So, the document stated: “We pray for the healing of our wounds and of the memories that cloud our view of one another. We emphatically reject all hatred and violence, past and present, especially that expressed in the name of religion. Today, we hear God’s command to set aside all conflict. We recognize that we are freed by grace to move towards the communion to which God continually calls us.”
“Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me” (John 15:4).
Read the JOINT STATEMENT HERE
To see the YouTube of the whole service CLICK HERE
Launching the 500th Anniversary of Reformation in Lebanon
Through a press-conference, hosted by Bishop Boulos Matar, Maronite Bishop of Beirut with Father Abdo Abou Kassm the head of the Catholic Media Center (C.E.C.S) in Lebanon, the Protestant Churches launched the celebrative event of the 500th anniversary of Reformation. This step came as the outcome of long ecumenical relations between Catholic and Protestant churches in the Middle East, particularly in Lebanon. In the line of celebrating the Reformation-anniversary Pope Francis also will visit Sweden on 31st of October, 2016 to join an ecumenical commemoration of Reformation. At that time Rev. Habib Badr similarly will travel to Sweden, Lund (where the Lutheran World Federation was formed), to participate in that event. The joint commemoration is a witness to the love and hope in the One Lord, and a sign of reconciliation and cooperation between the two communities.
(Rev. Adeeb Awad, vice president of the Evangelical Synod in Syria and Lebanon, and Rev. Nabil Mamarbashi attended the press conference with some ladies of our NEC Church).
Memorial Service for Kenneth Bailey
Kenneth E. Bailey is a Biblical scholar, professor, author, Presbyterian missionary and international lecturer. He passed away on 23 May, 2016. The Near East School of Theology (NEST), family and friends who loved Kenneth and his teaching remembered him on Sunday 9th of Oct. 2016 at special memorial service at NEST.
"Many of us who new Kenneth," said Rev. Badr in his words of comfort, "his steadfast faith, his contentedness in life, his penetrating way of thinking specially as a teacher and Biblical exeget, as well as his creative artistic work... all these show his lasting effect on many of us." Rev. Badr mentioned also the cross that Kenneth made from the nails of the Old Mission Compound in Downtown of Beirut which is still in the National Evangelical Church. He (and Dr. George Sabra) mentioned about another cross made by Kenneth from two big pieces of wood taken from Dhour Shweir (Mount Lebanon) and is placed in the small chapel of NEST, and is still there. Dr. Kenneth was indeed a source of strength and inspiration. May Kenneth's memory live eternally!
You may see the service on YouTube
