3rd International Conference on the East Japan Disaster

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.

11 March 2014
christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity

Photo: We Pray and We Work: Youth Volunteers at the Earthquake Site Pray  

Against the Myth of Safety of Nuclear Energy

Tohuku Gakuin University, Sendai
11-14 March 2014

Three years after the Triple Disasters in Japan rudely jolted the world into sitting up and taking note of the risks of having nuclear power plants, especially in places that were prone to earthquakes, about 270,000 residents of the area, who had lost their homes, are still said to be living in temporary shelters. The official death toll after the disasters had confirmed 15,884 deaths and 2,636 missing. After the Tsunami and the nuclear meltdown, about 300 tons of radio-active water continues to leak from the plant everyday into the Pacific Ocean. Today, more deaths occur due to depression and hopelessness as the evacuees do not find any reason to hope for a better future.  The effect of radioactive contamination is still of great concern, and experts say that the effect will manifest itself in children for generations. Lest the world forget these stark realities and dangers, the United Church of Christ in Japan (Kyodan) conducts an Annual International Conference on the East Japan Disaster in Sendai. This year is the 3rd Anniversary of the disasters. 

Gathering at the Rahauser Memorial Chapel, Tohuku Gakuin University in Sendai, a solemn memorial Service brought back the horror, the trauma and painful memories of our brothers and sisters. Approximately 234 people, including staff and visitors from overseas, listened spell bound to the sermon by Rev. Takahashi Kazuto recounting his memories and experiences that triggered fear, and the moment of truth when people began to ponder over the spiritual and the divine, and found comfort in God. The Memorial service started at 2 pm commemorating the time and day on which the earthquake struck.

The memorial lecture was delivered by Prof. Dr. Kang Sang –Jung from the Seigakuin University. Recalling his memories of the days immediately after the disasters when he visited the affected areas, he said that he knew what fear was at that moment and shivered violently. He thought that nothing other than prayer could help anyone at that time.  In spite of  Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the experiences of Three Mile Island and Chernobyl, people were convinced about the potential of developing this energy, as  they were lulled by the deep-seated myth about the absolute safety of the power plants.

One of the hymns sang at the Memorial worship took a new meaning altogether, bringing to us the poignant moments when the people would have turned to God for comfort and peace:

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand.  

More information and reflection is expected to be shared over the next two days in deliberation of the topic “Against the Myth of Safety of Nuclear Energy”.