Today, St. John the Baptist Anglican Church in Maadi hosted the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, organized by the Council of Churches of Egypt in cooperation with the Middle East Council of Churches, under the theme: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope of your calling” (Ephesians 4:4). The event was attended by Rev. Osama Fathy, pastor of the church, Rev. Yeshua Bakhit, General Secretary of the Council of Churches of Egypt, and representatives of the participating denominations.
Rev. Osama welcomed the attendees, saying: “Dear brothers, esteemed clergy, it gives me great pleasure and honor to welcome you to our church. The unity of the Church is our highest goal, and we strive to achieve it through prayer and joint action. On behalf of Archbishop Dr. Samy Fawzy, I extend my sincere greetings and appreciation to you all.”
Rev. Yeshua Bakhit said in his speech: “In a world increasingly in need of unity and reconciliation, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity comes as a living expression of Christ’s call to meet in love and walk together in a shared witness of faith. Christian unity is not a theoretical slogan or a postponed dream; it is a divine commitment rooted in the essence of faith in Christ, a church responsibility lived practically in a spirit of love and gentleness. While we recognize that the path to unity is filled with challenges due to historical divisions, hope remains present through sincere prayer, honest dialogue, and constant efforts toward reconciliation, as a way to fulfill God’s will for the unity of His Church.”
Among those attending were Canon Bahig Ramzy, Chair of the Executive Committee of the Council of Churches of Egypt; Rev. Faiz Nady, member of the Prayer Committee of the Council of Churches of Egypt and pastor in the Anglican Diocese; Rev. Michel Milad, pastor of the Good Shepherd Anglican Church in Giza; Rev. Hany Samir, pastor of the Redeemer Anglican Church in 6th of October City; and Rev. Emmanuel Sabana, pastor of the Sudanese ministry at St. John the Baptist Anglican Church in Maadi.
Also present were Bishop Thomas Adly, Coptic Catholic Bishop of Giza, October, Fayoum, and Beni Suef; Bishop George Shehyan, Maronite Church Bishop; Bishop Ashod, Armenian Orthodox Bishop of Egypt and Africa; Fr. Nathan Samir, pastor of St. Mark’s Church in Nahda, Maadi; Fr. Mina Nabih, pastor of the Church of the Virgin Mary and Anba Bishoy in Attaba; Fr. Yohanna Saad, pastor of Mother Teresa Catholic Church in Ezbet El Nakhl; Rev. Nagy Fawzy, Chair of the Clergy Committee of the Council of Churches of Egypt and pastor of the Evangelical Church in Shubra El-Kheima; Rev. Rifaat Fikry, Co-General Secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches; and Rev. Naseem Fadl, pastor of the Evangelical Church in Maadi.
It is noteworthy that the Week of Prayer, held annually, aims to unite hearts in prayer for the unity of the Church and for our beloved country, Egypt. During the week, prayers are distributed across the five participating denominations.