Conference examines condition of Christian communities in the Middle East

The conference focused on the demographic decline of historic Christian communities in countries such as Iraq, Syria, Palestine, and Lebanon, addressing the structural causes and wider consequences of this development for regional coexistence, democratization, interreligious relations, and the preservation of the Middle East’s multicultural and multi-religious character. It also explored the political and legal status of Christian churches in the region, geopolitical transformations, inter-confessional and interreligious dialogue, and the future of religious pluralism.

The conference brought together international scholars and experts in eastern Christianity and Middle Eastern studies. Through an interdisciplinary approach combining history, geopolitics, law, international relations, and religious studies, the conference contributed to the broader academic and public discussion on the future of Christianity in the Middle East and the preservation of the region’s religious and cultural diversity.

A special section of the conference was dedicated to the role of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in the Middle East, with a contribution by Prof. Elias El Halabi, director of the Christian-Muslim Studies Center at the University of Balamand, and co-moderator of the WCC Reference Group on Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation; This section highlighted the significant work of the WCC through humanitarian initiatives, advocacy for peace and justice, interfaith dialogue, refugee support, and efforts to safeguard the historic presence of Christian communities in the region.

El Halabi, in his contribution entitled “Christian Presence, Ecumenism and Christian-Muslim Dialogue in the Middle East: Challenges and Prospects,” emphasised: “Despite its historical resilience, the Christian presence in the Middle East is today facing an existential threat. Political instability, the declining role of the Christian intelligentsia, and the rise of religious extremism have triggered multiple processes, including recurrent waves of emigration, psychological alienation, and a reduced impact at the national level. Arab Christianity was a strategic choice rooted in a Christian vocation to live Christ in the land of Islam, in full faithfulness to theological orthopraxy. The challenge facing Christians in the Middle East today is how to redefine their Christian vocation and reinvigorate their Christian presence beyond demography, in a region marked by existential political turmoil and various antagonistic religious and eschatological pretensions.”

Prof. Dr Stylianos Tsompanidis, a specialist in the ecumenical movement at the School of Theology of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and Prof. Dr Angeliki Ziaka, WCC programme executive for Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation, also contributed in the same section.

Tsompanidis, in his presentation entitled “From Local to Global: The Collaboration between the WCC and the Middle East Council of Churches for Peace and Justice,” offered a detailed analysis of the WCC’s current initiatives and longstanding support for the churches of the Middle East. He described “the relationship between the WCC and the Middle East Council of Churches as a characteristic example of ecumenical cooperation at both global and regional levels.” He underlined “the council’s role as an ecumenical actor committed to peacebuilding, solidarity, advocacy, and the defence of vulnerable communities.” His contribution drew particular attention to the WCC’s contemporary engagement in the region, showing how ecumenical action today is not limited to theological reflection but also extends to concrete support, public witness, reconciliation efforts, and the promotion of justice and coexistence amid ongoing conflict and displacement.

Ziaka, in her presentation entitled “The Theology of Dialogue in the Middle East: The Witness of WCC Member Churches in Christian-Muslim Dialogue,” highlighted the pivotal role of the WCC in amplifying and bringing into the global ecumenical sphere the theological voices of the Middle Eastern churches and their lived experience of Christian-Muslim coexistence.”Through the witness and thought of influential figures such as George Khodr, George Massouh, Tarek Mitri, Riad Jarjour, Naim Stifan Ateek, Munib Younan, and many other voices emerging from WCC member churches, dialogue was presented as a form of Christian witness, shared responsibility, and an enduring cry of anguish for the region,” she said.