Asian Ecumenical Institute (AEI)–2021 students renew commitments to strengthen wider ecumenism and walk together on the uneasy path towards the unity of all God’s creation

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.

24 November 2021
Students of AEI–2021 during the Valedictory session

CHIANG MAI: The Christian Conference of Asia’s (CCA) annual month-long ecumenical formation and leadership training programme, the Asian Ecumenical Institute (AEI)–2021, concluded with the valedictory session held on 19 November 2021.

The 25 students, representing different member churches of the CCA, attended the month-long ecumenical leadership development training and expressed their renewed commitments to wider ecumenism, while also stating that the course had prompted them to “walk together on the uneasy path towards the unity of all creation” and helped them “find the hope for the healing of wounds”.

They further appreciated the change in their perspectives during the different sessions conducted by 18 internationally reputed AEI faculty members, as they began to formulate and contextualise independent theological thinking.

The CCA General Secretary, Dr Mathews George Chunakara, offered words of encouragement and inspiration to the students during the valedictory ceremony.

“This month-long leadership training programme can be considered as your initiation into the horizons of the ecumenical movement. The beauty of the ecumenical movement is that we expand our networks of fellowship and friendship each time we meet—and this is evinced in the small community you have formed over the past month. As part of this international fraternity, you now embark on a lifelong journey. The training you received will undergird your future leadership roles in the Asian ecumenical movement or even at the global level. May God bless you all to become great church and ecumenical leaders wherever you are placed,” said Dr Mathews George Chunakara.

The training programme, held from 18 October to 19 November 2021, addressed two distinct areas; the first being ecumenism and the ecumenical movement in Asia, grounded in biblical-theological bases, and the second being the specific thematic thrust, ‘God’s Assurance of Healing and Restoration’.

The students received opportunities to learn from and speak with eminent leaders of the Asian ecumenical movement through intergenerational interactions termed ‘Ecumenical Conversations’ during the training programme, and also attended the CCA’s Good Governance training programme from 9 to 11 November 2021.