August 27, 2020
As churches worldwide remain largely empty to mitigate health risks of COVID-19, profound questions are being asked about the very nature of church. Virtual formats indeed provide many congregations with valuable engagement methods, but prolonged physical distancing is proving a daunting and disorienting ordeal for faith communities. 2020 is an […]
July 23, 2020
COVID-19 has disrupted all areas of life, not least of which is the area of education. These past months have revealed the many ways in which prevailing models of instruction and learning come into direct conflict with measures required to minimize health risks of the pandemic. The impact of this […]
June 24, 2020
2020 has been an unprecedented year of lockdowns, disruptions, and restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The semblance of “normal life” has been forced into a sudden pause worldwide with new senses of normalcy emerging slowly and cautiously. While the crisis is disorienting, even devastating to many, biblical faith encourages […]
May 28, 2020
By Wissam Nasrallah I have always enjoyed going grocery shopping on weekends to buy what my family needs for the week. However, for the past two months, grocery shopping in Lebanon has become quite the psychological and spiritual experience. It is not the gearing up with facemask, gloves and hand […]
May 14, 2020
Since its launching in 2004, the Middle East Consultation (MEC)has annually gathered individuals from around the world to explore important issues confronting the Church in the Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) region and beyond. When the COVID-19 global crisis struck during the early months of 2020, it became apparent […]
May 7, 2020
by Brent Hamoud Humanity is spending a lot of time at home these days. Stay-at-home orders have largely limited us to private confines resulting in some staggering consequences: half the world’s population was under lockdown at one point, 9 out of 10 students have been left out of school and […]
April 2, 2020
by Caleb Hutcherson A mu’azzin calls people to pray at home, rather than coming together to pray. A church cancels its Sunday services, moving to online broadcasts. A seminary pivots to online instruction, temporarily closing in-person classes. In ordinary times, any of these local changes would barely make the news. […]
March 12, 2020
by Elie Haddad Many of us continue to write about the recent uprising in Lebanon exploring how the people of God can respond to a crisis such as this. We continue to wrestle with the big question: What is the role of the Church in society? Our June consultation will […]