Restoring human dignity where people suff er most is the ultimate calling for churches in the Middle East and their partners worldwide, stated an annual partners meeting of the Middle East Council of Churches held in Ain el Qassis, Lebanon in May.

Prayer, theological dialogue and diakonia – or service to others – have been fundamental concepts of the council’s work, healing divisions and building bridges in the fragmented region of the Middle East today. Around 40 partners of the Middle East Council of Churches – churches and church-related organisations from around the world – gathered in Lebanon to discuss how the work of the council can be supported and strengthened.

The Department of Services to Palestinian Refugees, part of the council’s work since its founding in 1974, now works in 23 refugee camps across the region. Altogether 5.15 million Palestinian refugees have been registered in the region, with the highest influx in Jordan and Lebanon.

Contributing to the healthy lives and economic sustainability for Palestinian refugees, the department co-ordinates vocational training, health services, education and business loans, including encouraging women to start their own businesses. “If the situation aff ects human rights or human dignity – we have to be there”, said Dr Bernard Sabella, director of the council’s Department of Services to Palestinian Refugees, urging the council’s partners to work together for a greater good.

Pastor Habib Badr, senior pastor of the National Evangelical Church of Beirut, said: “When engaging in such situations, we are not asking questions on our theologies or doctrines – we are concerned with how to restore the dignity of people from whom it has been taken away. Going to places where there is hell, suff ering, is not easy. We are risking our lives. But that is exactly what we are called to do.”

The Middle East Council of Churches brings together 27 churches – Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Evangelical and Catholic churches – from eight countries across the Middle East and North Africa. Strengthening the Christian presence and witness in the Middle East, the council serves as a bridge builder between churches in Middle East and the churches around the world, and contributes to the common Christian voice in the region.

(WCC)

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