Asia Sunday 2025 observed by Korean churches at St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral in Seoul

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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03 June 2025

Photo credit: The National Council of Churches in Korea

Seoul, South Korea: Asia Sunday 2025 was observed at St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral in Seoul, South Korea, on 1 June, through a moving ecumenical worship service enriched by traditional Korean music.

Organised by the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK), the service reflected the unity and diversity of the Asian Churches, grounded in the theme: “Nicaea – 1700: Enduring Faith and Embracing Unity.”

Representatives of NCCK’s member churches, along with several Korean ecumenical leaders engaged in the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) and the wider ecumenical movement gathered to affirm their shared faith in the Triune God. The service celebrated the diversity of ecclesial traditions and called upon the Churches to overcome social polarisation and rising intolerance in Asia, and affirm the rich traditions of religiously and culturally pluralistic societies. A special prayer and offering were also dedicated to the victims of the recent earthquake in Myanmar.

Worship was led by a diverse group of facilitators representing various church traditions in Korea, including clergy, laity, youth, and women. Among them were Rev. Dr Choi Sang Do; Dr Young Mi Cho, a member of the CCA Executive Committee; Rev. Dr Park Do Woong, WCC Central Committee member; Bishop Kim Jang-hwan Elijah of the Seoul Diocese, Anglican Church in Korea; and Rev. Dr Ahn Jae Woong, former General Secretary of the CCA.

His Eminence Metropolitan Ambrosios of the Orthodox Metropolis of Korea and Moderator of NCCK, who delivered the homily at the service, reflected: "The Church is called to preserve our unity in true faith and love, visible only when ‘true faith’ and ‘mutual love’ meet. Real unity is realised when we embody love in our daily lives, our workplaces, and our communities. True love is respecting others’ dignity and embracing their differences.”

Rev. Kim Jong Seng, General Secretary of NCCK, stated, "As we live in a society marked by diverse cultures, politics, economies, and religions—and as polarisation deepens, especially in Korea, this is a crucial time for the Church to pray for unity in the Triune God, who leads us to affirm our faith and our diversity in unity.” 

For photos of the Asia Sunday 2025 observance in Seoul, please click here. (Photo Gallery)