Early cooperation Protestant churches and missions were one of the early proponents of ecumenism and inter-church cooperation in the Middle East. In 1911, an inter-Protestant effort was initiated in
Beirut leading to the establishment of the
United Missionary Council in 1920. A parallel development occurred in 1924 when a
Conference for Workers in Moslem Lands was convened in
Jerusalem leading to the eventual formation of the
Western Asia and North Africa Council in
Helwan in 1927. These various groups eventually united as the
Near East Christian Council in 1927.
Middle East Council of Churches In 1964, dialogue began to form a larger ecumenical organisation in the Middle East incorporating the various Church traditions present in the region. This meant that the Protestants had to intentionally take a smaller administrative role in coordinating inter-church work. The result of this dialogue was the establishment of the
Middle East Council of Churches in 1974. A Protestant specific fellowship was also retained and became formally known as the
Fellowship of Middle East Evangelical Churches in the same year.
Current developments Efforts continue to be made to establish full fellowship and communion between the member churches of the FMECC. In 1997, the FMECC tabled a
Proposal for the Unity of the Evangelical Churches in the Middle East but failed to achieve agreement between the member churches. A renewed effort was made in 2005 focusing on member churches of the
Reformed and
Lutheran traditions and in 2006 an agreement was reached in
Amman for full communion was reached with the signing of the
Amman Declaration of Lutheran and Reformed Churches in the Middle East and North Africa. The declaration established the mutual recognition of baptism, eucharist, ministry and ordination between the signatory churches. ==Member churches==