About MECO Canada
THE PAST
MECO Canada has never been a large organization.
Officially known as “Middle East Christian Outreach Canada”, it was incorporated as a Canadian charity in 1978, following the amalgamation of three mission agencies with a long history of service in the Middle East.
Two of the missions were founded by women.
In 1860, Elizabeth Bowen Thompson left England to go to Lebanon to help Christian women and children, whose husbands and fathers had been killed during a civil war. Realizing that education was the key to their future, she established 23 schools in nine years. One of those schools still exists in Beirut. In 1864 she established what eventually became known as the Lebanon Evangelical Mission.
Annie Van Sommer left England in the late 1800s to distribute Christian tracts to British soldiers serving in the Middle East. When she discovered that Arabic speaking Christians in Egypt didn’t have Christian literature in their own language, she returned to England, was given a press, had it shipped to Egypt, and began the Nile Mission Press in 1878. That Mission would eventually become known as the Arabic Literature Press. Its publications were distributed to Arabic speaking Christians throughout the Middle East.
It was also Annie Van Sommer’s vision that led to the establishment of the third mission that would form MECO. Founded in 1905 by seven men from Belfast, Ireland, the Egypt General Mission was involved in starting schools, hospitals, medical clinics, orphanages and churches.
When these three missions came together to form Middle East Christian Outreach, they recognized that the Church in the Middle East in the 1970s was quite capable of carrying out its own ministry. For that reason, they determined that MECO’s role would be to assist Middle Eastern churches and Christian organizations by mobilizing prayer support for them, as well as people to serve with them in ministry, but only where they were wanted and needed.
THE PRESENT
In 2016 MECO Canada’s ministry vision widened.
As Canada opened its doors to more than 30,000 Syrian refugees, we suddenly found ourselves assisting two Middle Eastern churches in the Greater Toronto Area, who were reaching out to those refugees. We did that by mobilizing churches of all denominations in the GTA to help them. Today, we continue to be engaged in helping Canadian churches, Christian organizations, and individuals as they reach out to the millions of Middle Eastern people who now call Canada “home”.
Despite that new direction for our ministry, we haven’t forgotten the Church in the Middle East. As more and more Christians leave the region, the need to come alongside congregations there is greater than ever. They need prayer support – and to know people are praying for them – and they need people to come and assist them; people who are humble of heart, willing to learn and willing to help implement, not direct, the ministry Middle Eastern churches are carrying out among their neighbours.
THE FUTURE
Where and how MECO Canada will serve in the days ahead depends entirely on God’s leading. As Jesus said, we are the branches and He is the vine. Apart from Him we can do nothing. The one thing we do know is that the only way forward is on our knees.
OUR CORE VALUES
CHARACTER: MECO Canada is an interdenominational, non-profit charity that is dependent on God for guidance and direction. As we carry out our work, we do so as unto the Lord.
AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE: We seek to conduct our lives and our work according to the teaching of the Bible.
SERVANTHOOD: We seek to live out Philippians 2:3-8.
DEPENDENCE ON GOD: We look to God in prayer, both corporately and individually, to direct us to the work He wants us to do and to provide the resources to carry out that work. We also recognize that the fruit of our labour is His to provide and we may never see it in our lifetime.
STRATEDGY FOR SERVICE: We are committed to working in alliance not only with churches and individual Christians, but also with other Christian agencies.
CHRISTIAN COMPASSION: We demonstrate compassion for others by sharing the ‘good news” we have received from Jesus, and through offering practical help.
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT: We believe in the need to be well trained, professionally, and biblically, and that training must be ongoing. We also believe that language acquisition – Arabic, Kurdish etc. must be a priority for those serving as missionaries.
CONSULTATION AND AUTHORITY: The leadership of MECO Canada – the Board, President, Field Leaders – prayerfully accept the leading of the Lord with regards to the calling and service of others within MECO Canada. Accordingly, it is expected that all those serving within MECO Canada will prayerfully accept the advice and respect the authority of those in leadership.
OUR TEAM
As a Canadian Charity, MECO Canada is governed by a Board of Directors who are responsible for determining the organization’s mission and strategy, as well as setting goals and seeing that those goals are met. The Board is also responsible for ensuring that MECO Canada complies with all laws.
Our administrative personnel, made up of the President and the office staff, are responsible for the day-to-day operation of MECO Canada, including the recruitment of missionaries and providing assistance to them so they can carry out their ministries.
MECO Canada missionaries come from all denominations, professions, trades, walks of life and age groups. They serve both long term (three years or more) and short-term (four weeks to 12 months). Some are financially self-supported. Others are able to carry out their work because of donations that MECO Canada receives from their churches, family members and friends, in support of their ministries.