Pope Francis will make the first papal visit ever to Iraq in March to encourage the dwindling faithful. War and terrorism have hemorrhaged the nation’s Christians, but he hopes they might return.
Meanwhile in Lebanon, Michel Abs, recently selected as the new leader of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), agrees with the pontiff. But in an interview with CT, he said that schools and hospitals have distinguished Christians, who he hopes might even increase in number—and quality.
And Protestants, he said, have a lever effect that raises the whole. Representing only 7 percent of the regional Christian population, they have a full one-quarter share in the council.
The MECC was founded in 1974 by the Protestant, Greek Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox denominations. Catholics joined in 1990 to complete its diverse Christian mosaic.
According to the Pew Research Center’s 2010 Global Christianity report, Orthodox believers represent 65 percent of the Middle East’s Christians, with Catholics an additional 27 percent.
But it was the Protestants who helped give birth to the ecumenical movement that joined them together. The 1934 United Missionary Council became the Near East Christian Council in 1956, and the Near East Council of Churches in 1964.
It was renamed the Middle East Council of Churches when the Orthodox joined 10 years later. Today it includes Protestant church associations in Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Sudan, Iran, Kuwait, Algeria, and Tunisia.
Council leadership rotates between the four denominations. Last September, Patriarch John X. Yazigi of the Greek Orthodox Church nominated Abs for the Eastern Orthodox four-year term. (Protestants are next in line.)
“Despite the difficulties we face today, being one is the solution,” Abs said in his acceptance address last October.
“This vine that the Lord planted two millennia ago will continue to spread, to include ever-growing areas of the planet.”
A Lebanese Orthodox, Abs represents the ecumenical diversity of the Middle East. His father was educated by Protestants, and married a Catholic. An economist and sociologist, he is a lecturer at the Jesuit St. Joseph’s University in Beirut.
CT interviewed Abs about the regional influence of Christians, the nature of persecution, and the witness of the gospel in the Middle East:
Congratulations on your election as general secretary. From this position, how do you describe the current situation of Christians in the Middle East?
It has been a difficult decade. The emerging movement of fundamentalism has harmed both Christians and Muslims. Everyone is in danger. We have to deal with turbulent times with much wisdom and solidarity. We need a long-term vision.
But I don’t think we will be eradicated from this area. Maybe we will diminish in numbers, or increase later on, but numbers are not the most important thing, despite their importance and their psychological effects.
The quality of their presence is important too. Christians are known for the quality of what they do. With respect to others, they developed efficient institutions, like universities, schools, and media. This helps, but I am still concerned with…
This article was originally published at Christianity Today on February 19, 2021. Please click here to read the full text.
Jayson Casper 
One reply on “Interview: The Middle East Church Must Resemble Salt, not Rabbits”
Very interesting, Jayson. At first, I thought the title might a spelling mistake, like “It took many rabbits and many years to write the Talmud,” but realized the point was quality–not quantity! In many ways, it is encouraging to hear that most Muslims want Christians to stay in the M.E., and that Muslims in Egypt love Christians. It’s also great to hear of the goal to reach out on the practical level (more institutions), but I was a bit disappointed that Michael Abs doesn’t feel bringing Muslims to Christ is his responsibility. It almost seems like the goal is simply to stay in the M.E. All the best, Warren Larson
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