Asian Ecumenical Institute (AEI)–2021 commences

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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18 October 2021
Students of AEI–2021

The Christian Conference of Asia’s (CCA) annual month-long ecumenical formation and leadership development training course, the Asian Ecumenical Institute (AEI)–2021, commenced on 18 October 2021.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to prevent in-person meetings in Asia, the annual programme is being conducted online. 28 young people from across Asia and beyond, selected from a pool of 50 applicants, are attending the training programme that is being held from 18 October to 19 November 2021.

The theme of AEI–2021 is ‘God’s Assurance of Healing and Restoration’. The sessions of AEI–2021 will discuss the ecumenical responses to the challenges of COVID-19 and provide a strong biblical-theological undergirding that will be based on examining God’s promises of restoration through healing and the divine mission of rehabilitating the dignity of creation.

Welcoming the students of AEI–2021, the CCA General Secretary Dr Mathews George Chunakara said, “The CCA is glad to once again organise and initiate this ecumenical formation and leadership development training programme for young prospective ecumenical leaders in Asia and beyond. This year’s course has been designed keeping in mind the role of the ecumenical movement in addressing contemporary challenges and in strengthening not only ecclesial unity but the unity of all of God’s creation.”

The CCA General Secretary assured the participants of the positive learning they could expect to gain from the experience: “Despite not being able to share this fellowship in person, we are confident that the online AEI–2021 will offer great insights and value as well as the space to build ecumenical bridges for you [students] as you journey in different capacities and ministries.”

The faculty of AEI–2021 includes internationally reputed ecumenists, theologians, academicians, and social scientists from different ecclesial traditions who have worked in the global ecumenical movement over the decades, such as Dr Mathews George Chunakara (CCA), Dr Wesley Ariarajah (Sri Lanka), Dr K.M. George (India), Bishop Daniel Thiagarajah (Sri Lanka), Dr Henriette Hutabarat-Lebang (Indonesia), Dr Fernando Enns (Germany), Supaporn Yarnasarn (Thailand), Dr Joas Adiprasetya (Indonesia), Dr Sharon Bong (Malaysia), Shirin Samuel (India), Dr Tik-Wah Wong (Malaysia), Dr Ji Zhang (Australia), Stephen Arulampalam (Sri Lanka), Dr Joseph Komar (Malaysia), and Rev. Ejodia Kakoensi (Indonesia), as well as CCA staff members Rev. Grace Moon, Dr Ronald Lalthanmawia, and Rosiana Purnomo.

The upcoming week will feature sessions on ‘Ecumenism and the Ecumenical Movement in Asia’, ‘Biblical Perspectives on Ecumenism’, ‘Wider Ecumenism: Restoring Harmony among Faith Communities’, and ‘Future of Ecumenism: Challenges and Prospects in Asia’, among others.