Young ecumenists called to embody hope and unity as AEI 2026 concludes

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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31 July 2026

AEI 2026 Participants

Chiang Mai, Thailand: The month-long Asian Ecumenical Institute (AEI) 2026, the annual ecumenical formation programme organised by the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), concluded at the CCA headquarters in Chiang Mai on 31 July 2026.

Following a moving worship service led by the participants, CCA General Secretary Rev. Jung Eun Grace Moon delivered the farewell address.

Congratulating the participants on successfully completing the month-long programme, Rev. Moon reminded them that AEI 2026 was not the end of a learning experience but the beginning of a shared ecumenical mission. She encouraged them to embody hope, foster unity, and serve as agents of liberation and transformation in their churches and communities. She also urged them to remain anchored in the ecumenical fellowship that nurtures and sustains them.

“The future of the ecumenical movement in Asia depends not on institutions alone, but on people like you—formed, committed, and courageous—who are willing to embody unity in fragmented contexts and hope in times of despair,” Rev. Moon said.

Reflecting on the theme of AEI 2026, “Hope for Liberation Amidst the Groaning of Creation,” the CCA General Secretary noted that participants came to recognise creation’s groaning not as an abstraction but as a reality reflected in the cries of violated communities and a suffering earth. Throughout the programme, they listened to these realities not as distant observers but as disciples seeking to discern God’s voice within them. They encountered a vision of Christian hope that is not passive optimism but active participation in God’s mission of justice, reconciliation, and the renewal of creation.

CCA Programme Coordinator Ms Arceli P. Bile expressed heartfelt appreciation to the AEI 2026 cohort for their active participation and commitment to listening, critical reflection, sharing insights, and learning from one another throughout the programme.

Ms Bile, who led the coordination of AEI 2026, said, “As you return to your families, local churches, and communities, may you continue to shine the light that God has entrusted to you. May you be the salt of the earth, bringing the flavour of hope, compassion, and justice to those who need it most.”

“May we continue to share the hope of liberation amid the groaning of creation. And whenever one of us feels weary or loses hope, may we encourage one another, reminding each other that God’s hope, justice, and love continue to sustain us,” she added.

Twenty-three young ecumenists gathered in Chiang Mai to participate in AEI 2026, held from 5 to 31 July 2026.

Over the four-week programme, participants engaged critically with issues at the forefront of church and society through lectures, workshops, group discussions, and presentations. They learned from theologians, biblical scholars, ecumenical leaders, and practitioners, while also taking part in exposure visits and interfaith dialogues that broadened their perspectives beyond the classroom.

Photos from the AEI 2026 Valedictory Session are available here.