100 Years of the National Council of Churches in India

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).

First Preference:
General Secretariat (GS)
Second Preference:
Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF)
14 February 2014
christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity

2014 NCCI Centenary Year: Towards Integral Mission and Grass-root Ecumenism

Hearty congratulations and many prayerful wishes to the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI), on the occasion of the Centenary year celebrations that was launched in Kolkata in the first week of February 2014. Inaugurating the celebrations at a Thanksgiving service held at St. Paul's Cathedral, marking a major milestone in the history of the NCCI and the ecumenical journey of the churches in India, Rt. Rev. Dr. Taranath S. Sagar, President of the NCCI said, “The Triune God is still working in our midst. The 100 year journey was not an easy one. Our Parent God accompanied us step by step and many people have served this movement with dedication and zeal.” The striking 168 year old Cathedral, a heritage building in Gothic Revival style with stained glass windows and two frescoes in Florentine Renaissance style, added a sense of hallowed antiquity and a quiet ambience of bygone days to the solemn thanksgiving service.

Everybody was pleasantly surprised to participate in the Centenary Commemoration Service organized at the YWCA House in Kolkata, where exactly 100 years ago, the National Missionary Council, the fore-runner of the NCCI, was formed. Delivering the sermon at the Centenary Commemoration Service Rev. Dr. Collin Cowan, General Secretary, Council for World Mission said, “We stand today at a very special moment in time, at the very same location, place, where 100 years ago, one of the first expressions of ecumenism, was born. Ecumenism is a gift of God, inspired and strengthened by the Holy Spirit. So we should beware of the sin of despair and sin of pride.” Greetings were also brought to NCCI by Rev. Dr. K B Rokaya, member of the CCA Presidium, on behalf of CCA and NCC Nepal, and by other ecumenical leaders.

Felicitating NCCI, Rev. Dr. Henriette H. Lebang, General Secretary, CCA, sent messages of congratulations and wishes saying, “It is a great privilege for me to bring you warm greetings from the Christian Conference of Asia, a fellowship of 101 member churches and 17 National Councils of Churches/National Christian Councils in 21 countries in Asia, spreading from Iran in the West to Japan in the East; Nepal in the North to New Zealand in the South of our large Asian continent, on this very special occasion of the launching of the centennial celebration of the National Council of Churches in India, Ceylon and Burma. This is a historic moment of remembering the first formation of the ecumenical platform for the churches in Asia."

"We share in the mood of festivities that celebrates the "Centum Glorious" of the NCCI in a country that is made vibrant and colorful by its kaleidoscopic blend of culture, languages and religions, and to which it has contributed in nation building through education, health and other services; and has done a lot in uniting and strengthening churches,” she wrote.

“I bring you best wishes and prayers in colors and streams of thought that are as varied as Asian pluralism, and hope that though 100 years old, the NCCI will remain "Forever Young" with the eagerness, excitement and freshness of thought of the young” she concluded.

The three day celebrations brought together South Asian church leaders, ecumenical leaders and partners, representatives of NCCI member churches and other related organizations. NEYA, a national youth festival organized by the Commission on Youth, in conjunction with the celebrations, brought to the youngsters the flavors of joy and festivity, and the responsibility of carrying the torch forward.

CCA wishes NCCI a grand Centenary Year.

Photo credit: NCCI
Clockwise from top left: 1. Students Cultural Show; 2. Rt. Rev. Taranath Sagar at the Thanksgiving Service in St. Paul's Cathedral; 3. Rev. Dr. Roger Gaikwad, Chief Minister of Mizoram and his wife, Dr. Augustine Jeykumar and Rt. Rev. Taranath Sagar at the Commemoration service; and 4. Centenary Group photo at the historic YWCA House.

Note: This comes to you as news from CCA Member Churches