Young Asian ecumenical leaders encouraged to explore a holistic vision of ecumenical diakonia at CCA virtual workshop

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).

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06 August 2026

Chiang Mai, Thailand: Young ecumenical leaders from across Asia were encouraged to embrace a holistic vision of ecumenical diakonia as Rev. Jung Eun Grace Moon, General Secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), affirmed that Christian service must go beyond addressing immediate human needs and engage with the structural and systemic realities that perpetuate injustice.

Speaking at CCA’s Capacity Building Workshop on Youth Leadership in Ecumenical Diakonia on 5 August 2026, Rev. Moon underscored the urgency of the Church’s diaconal calling amid growing social and environmental challenges across Asia.

During the session on “Biblical and Theological Foundations of Ecumenical Diakonia”, Rev. Moon reminded participants that diakonia lies at the heart of the Church’s identity and mission. She emphasised that diakonia is more than charitable service; it is the Church’s faithful participation in God’s mission of healing, justice, reconciliation, and hope, and a fundamental expression of Christian discipleship.

Rev. Moon highlighted that diakonia must hold together compassion and advocacy, service and transformation, and local action and global solidarity, while remaining attentive to the interconnected cries of both the earth and the poor.

Reflecting on the realities confronting Asia, the CCA General Secretary noted that the region is marked by deep inequalities, forced migration, labour exploitation, armed conflict, environmental degradation, and increasing vulnerability among marginalised communities. In such a context, she stressed that the Church cannot remain silent, distant, or inward-looking, but is called to become the presence of Christ among those who suffer by listening to their pain, sharing their burdens, and working towards a more just and peaceful society.

Affirming the role of young people in the Church’s mission, Rev. Moon said the three-day workshop provides an opportunity to nurture their calling as leaders who connect faith with the realities of the world today. She reiterated that their voices, insights, and leadership are indispensable in advancing social transformation through diakonia.

Dr Manoj Kurian, Director of the Commission of the Churches on Health and Healing of the World Council of Churches, led the session on “Understanding Diakonia in the Contemporary Asian Context,” where he emphasised that worship is the source from which diakonia flows.

Drawing from the Hebrew concept of avodh, he stated that worship, work, and service are inseparable dimensions of Christian discipleship, reminding participants that true service begins with an encounter with God and finds expression in faithful witness to the world.

Examining the Asian context, Dr Kurian noted that although Christians constitute a minority across much of the region, they remain a dynamic and vibrant community called to bear witness through ecumenical diakonia. He highlighted three interrelated dimensions of diakonia embodied by churches and ecumenical organisations across Asia: accompaniment and service, capacity strengthening, and advocacy with prophetic action.

Stressing that accompaniment must never become patronage, Dr Kurian reminded participants that the Church is called to walk alongside communities in solidarity rather than merely provide assistance. He challenged the expression “the voice of the voiceless,” arguing that every person already has a voice and that the Church’s responsibility is to create spaces where marginalised people are empowered to speak and be heard. “We have to raise up leaders and make sure that we speak truth,” Dr Kurian said, emphasising that prophetic witness remains an indispensable dimension of ecumenical diakonia.

The virtual workshop, taking place from 5 to 7 August 2026, brings together more than 37 participants from across Asia for theological reflection, contextual engagement, and discussions on youth leadership, climate justice, community resilience, sustainable development, and strengthening regional collaboration through CCA’s Ecumenical Diakonia Network in Asia (EDNA).