Asia Sunday 2025 with focus on ‘Nicaea-1700: Enduring Faith and Embracing Unity’ observed at historic St. Paul’s Cathedral 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).

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02 June 2025

Kolkata, India: Asia Sunday 2025 was observed at the historic St. Paul’s Cathedral, Kolkata, India, on Sunday, 1 June 2025, during a Holy Eucharist service led by Bishop Paritosh Canning of the Church of North India (CNI).

Asia Sunday is observed every year by member churches and councils of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) across Asia, on the Sunday before Pentecost. This year’s Asia Sunday, falling on 1 June, focused on the theme, “Nicaea-1700: Enduring Faith and Embracing Unity.”

Members of St. Paul’s Cathedral joined with members of other Christian denominations in Kolkata to attend the Asia Sunday service at the Cathedral—the seat of the Diocese of Calcutta of the Church of North India. St. Paul’s is one of Asia’s oldest Anglican churches, consecrated in 1847.

Rt. Rev. Dr Paritosh Canning, Bishop of the Calcutta Diocese, in his homily, explained that unity is not a mere abstract concept, but the fruit of virtues such as love, care, concern, integrity, service, sacrifice, discipline, and obedience. He emphasised that when these values are lived out in community life—across denominational lines—they become the bedrock of genuine Christian fellowship.

Mrs Basanti Biswas, member of the CCA Executive Committee, extended greetings on behalf of the CCA. She highlighted the significance of Asia Sunday as a shared witness to ecumenical faith and a celebration of unity among churches in the Asian region.

Participants of the national workshop on “Good Governance and Stewardship in Parish Ministry”, organised by the CCA in collaboration with the Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College (BTESSC) from 31 May to 3 June 2025, also joined the Asia Sunday service.