A Synaxis of the Primates of Eastern Orthodox Churches in the Middle East met in Cyprus on 27 March to discuss the situation of Christians in the region and to agree on common approaches to solidarity, strengthening and support of Christian communities struggling to maintain their presence in their historic homes.

Pope Shenouda III, spiritual leader of the Egyptian Coptic Church since 1971 and a WCC president from 1991 to 1998, passed away on Saturday. In a letter to the church, the WCC general secretary paid tribute to Pope Shenouda’s unwavering pursuit of Christian unity and peace throughout the Middle East and the world.

In The Ecumenical Review of March 2012, Christian experts survey the current position of churches throughout the Middle East. According to the editors, past year’s historic events in the Arab world “have highlighted the aspirations to citizens for their dignity and freedom”, yet these same developments “have also raised new and serious challenges for the many Christian communities there.”

The WCC congratulates Palestinian Lutheran pastor Rev. Dr Mitri Raheb on receiving the 2011 German Media Prize. The award recognizes his individual work and Palestinian churches’ efforts for peace.

The WCC Executive Committee issued a statement expressing concern over the disappearance of asylum seekers from the Horn of Africa and northern Africa, falling prey to human traffickers in the Sinai desert while crossing borders between Egypt and Israel.

The members of the WCC Executive Committee have sent a pastoral message to the churches in Syria extending solidarity as they face enormous challenges due to the ongoing violence in the country.

“Ecumenism is a quality of life that needs to be articulated in all aspects of a Christian’s life” said Catholicos Aram I of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Holy See of Cilicia, speaking to a WCC consultation.

In June 2011, the California-Pacific Annual Conference of the United Methodist church adopted a resolution that has now been sent as a petition to the General Conference 2012. The resolution calls for a just and lasting peace for all Israelis and Palestinians, including an end to all military sales to the whole region.

In 2011, seven UMC annual conferences have passed near-identical resolutions in this direction to this for their...

The WCC general secretary reaffirmed churches’ commitment to justice and peace in the Middle East, while stressing the importance of a common vision for living together by Christians and Muslims in the Arab world.

On the occasion of Christmas, Heads of Churches of Jerusalem recognizing that the  Middle East is going through a time of uncertainty and ambiguity, issued a message calling on leaders and faithful ones of the church to "search for peace based on justice and reconciliation among all those who are affected in one way or the other by the recent developments within our Middle East".Read full text