Applications invited for the CCA’s Asian Ecumenical Institute (AEI)–2021

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.

20 August 2021

The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) invites applications for the Asian Ecumenical Institute (AEI), the annual ecumenical formation training programme, which will be held from 18 October to 19 November 2021.

The programme will be conducted virtually (online) this year, given the ongoing restrictions on international travel.

The month-long intensive training brings together young people from various Asian countries to gain in-depth insights into ecumenism and the ecumenical movement, as well as into the emerging challenges and the wider impacts of COVID-19 in today’s world.

The theme of the AEI-2021 will be within the framework of the concepts and principles of wider ecumenism, with a specific focus on ‘God’s Assurance of Healing and Restoration’.

The programme will be a unique opportunity for the students to learn about emerging trends in ecumenism under the guidance of internationally renowned teaching faculty.

The students of AEI–2021 will also participate in other CCA programmes which will be held in parallel, focusing on leadership and governance, and mission and evangelism.

Admissions to AEI–2021 will be offered to 30 students between the ages of 25 to 35 with basic theological backgrounds. Prospective students will be selected on the basis of competence, gender, and confessional balances, national and sub-regional representation, and the ability to effectively communicate in English.

The deadline for receiving applications for AEI–2021 is 15 September 2021.

For additional details and the application form, please go through the information in the documents below:

  1. Background Information Note
  2. Invitation Letter to Member Churches and Councils
  3. Application Form (online Google form available here: https://bit.ly/AEI2021-application)
  4. Flyer