The Middle East Council of Churches
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Non- Governmental and Other Organisations
- Christianity
- مجلس كنائس الشرق الأوسط
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Makhoul Street, Deeb Building,, Beirut, Lebanon
PO Box 2238, El-Horriya, Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt
Abdoun, Ibrahim Tahrir Street, Bldg. 8, Fl. #1, Amman, Jordan
PO Box 4889, Quosr Khateeb, Jaddat Kendy, Farah Bldg., Damascus, Syria
- mecc
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Aim
To work towards the unification of visions, perspectives and attitudes among Eastern churches, especially on issues related to Christian presence and witness in the Middle East and Muslim-Christian relations and to remove prejudices and barriers between churches, bringing together the vast majority of Christians and churches in the Middle East.
History
Foundation in 1974 by merger of Near East Christian Council and Near East Council of Churches. Expanded, 1990, by inclusion of seven Catholic churches from the Middle East.
IRD Activities
- Faith, Unity and Christian Presence in the Middle East
MECC believes that dialogue between religions is a corner-stone of maintaining coexistence, tolerance, and peace between people and nations. Religions are unfortunately been monopolized and used as tools for aggressive and violent actions against humanity and its dignity. Human dignity is abused in its very origin. The MECC and its member churches are convinced that dialogue between religions requires accepting others as they are. It also requires a dose of openness, acceptance of the differences, and search for what is common among the people of God without bargaining about one's own faith. Dialogue can remedy all types of stereotyping and lead to true reconciliation, trust and cooperation. Christians and Muslims in the Middle East have a responsibility before God to find ways and means of preserving the dignity of human beings. One of these means is to move the dialogue of religions and life from "top" of the pyramid of the society to the grassroots level. The aim of the project is to strengthen and unite the member churches with different Christian traditions through dialogue as well as promoting dialogue between Christians and Muslims in the Middle East.
Main Focus Countries of Activities
Egypt - Syria - Armenia - Lebanon - Jordan - Kuwait - Iran - Sudan - Algeria - Tunisia - Israel - Iraq - Turkey - State of Palestine - Cyprus