Letter of solidarity with member churches in Pakistan

Programme Review and Programme Direction

Two key deliberative sessions during the 15th CCA General Assembly are the Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions.

The Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions will both be conducted in three groups relating to the CCA’s programme areas, namely, (i) General Secretariat (GS), (ii) Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF); and (iii) Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia (PD).

Assembly participants will have the option to join one of three groups for both the Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions. For the sake of coherence, the assigned group will remain the same for both sessions.

General Secretariat

The General Secretariat oversees the coordination of programmatic, administrative, and financial activities of the organization. The GS comprises various departments such as church and ecumenical relations, relations with ecumenical partners, finance, administration, and communications, which provide crucial support and services for the implementation of programs and contribute to the overall functioning of the CCA.

Programmes: Relations with member churches and councils, ecumenical partners; advocacy at the United Nations; ecumenical responses to emerging issues in solidarity; income development and finance; and communications.

Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF)

Under the MU programme area, the CCA accompanies Asian churches to strengthen their mission and witness in multi-religious contexts, revitalise and nurture church unity and the Asian ecumenical movement, and develop contextual theological foundations.

Programmes: Asian Movement for Christian Unity (AMCU); Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS); Asian women doing theology in the context of wider ecumenism; contextualisation of theology in Asia and ecumenical theological education.

The EF programme area focuses on nurturing and developing ecumenical leaders in Asia. The programme aims to enhance spiritual formation and theological understanding, enabling people to actively engage in ecumenical dialogue and collaboration.

Programmes: Ecumenical Enablers’ Training in Asia (EETA); Asian Ecumenical Institute (AEI); Youth and Women Leadership Development; Ecumenical Spirituality and Nurturing of Contextual Liturgical Traditions; Asia Sunday

Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia and Advocacy (PD)

The BP programme area is dedicated to promoting peace, justice, and reconciliation in Asia’s diverse contexts. Through training, advocacy, and dialogue, the programme addresses the root causes of conflicts, empowers communities, and fosters sustainable peacebuilding initiatives.

Programmes: Pastoral Solidarity Visits; Churches in Action for Moving Beyond Conflict and Resolution; Young Ambassadors of Peace in Asia (YAPA); Ecumenical Women’s Action Against Violence (EWAAV); Eco-Justice for Sustainable Peace in the Oikos.

The PD programme area focuses on promoting justice, human rights, and social transformation in Asia. Through advocacy, capacity-building, and raising awareness, the programme addresses systemic injustice, empowers marginalised communities, and advocates for prophetic actions and meaningful change.

Programmes: Human Rights advocacy; Migration, Statelessness, and Trafficking in Persons; Asian Ecumenical Disability Advocacy Network; Asian Advocacy Network on the Dignity and Rights of Children (AANDRoC); Ecumenical Solidarity Accompaniment and Diakonia in Asia (ESADA); Health and Healing; Good Governance; Action Together to Combat HIV and AIDS in Asia (ATCHAA).

No preference updated.

25 August 2012
christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity

To   
The Member Churches and National Council of Churches in Pakistan

Greetings of Peace!

It is with great shock and disbelief that we received the news about Rimsha, a Christian girl with Down syndrome, in Pakistan, who may be punished by death after she was seen holding burning pages of the Quran. We are also dismayed that she has been arrested under the blasphemy law in Pakistan, which states that defaming Islam is a capital offence. The news reached us during the Asian Church Leaders Theological Conference, convened by the CCA, at Hsinchu city in Taipei from 22 – 27 August 2012. All the 56 participants are equally distressed about this news, have prayed with deep concern and convey feelings of solidarity to all the Christians in Pakistan.

It is unfortunate that this incident has been blown out of proportion by the public who have not taken the time or the effort to consider the vulnerability and innocence of this helpless girl who is now in a state of shock and to make matters worse is separated from her parents who are also under protective custody, fearing the anger of the public. We also view with concern the religious tensions that have forced Christians to temporarily flee Mehrabad, the Islamabad neighborhood where Rimsha resides, and the disruption it has caused in the lives of people.

While expressing our solidarity with the churches in Pakistan and those who are always under the threat of the law that hangs over them as a Damocles’ sword, we hope and pray for a review of this draconian Blasphemy law that does not take into account the helplessness of differently-abled children who are defenseless and unaware of any act of theirs. We would urge the Church and Civil society to call for a revision of not only the Blasphemy law but all such laws that discriminate and punish people on the basis of religion and gender, so that democratic institutions remain just and fair and can function without fear or favor. Please let us know if we can do anything to be of assistance.

In solidarity and prayers,

Sincerely

Rev. Dr. Henriette Hutabarat Lebang
General Secretary