Asian Ecumenical Women’s Assembly (AEWA) 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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22 November 2019
Opening Session NR photoParticipants of the Asian Ecumenical Women's Assembly (AEWA)

HSINCHU, Taiwan: The first-ever Asian Ecumenical Women’s Assembly (AEWA) organized by the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) was opened in a celebrative worship service held at the Presbyterian Bible College (PBC) auditorium in Hsinchu, Taiwan. The Assembly has convened around the theme, ‘Arise, Be Awake to Reconcile, Renew, and Restore the Creation’.

Archbishop Dr Willem Simarmata, CCA Moderator, who opened with a powerful observation stated, “I see the reality of our global Christianity, especially in Asia, that the churches have been transformed into ‘churches of women’. The power of women is extraordinary in determining the future direction of Christianity.”

In his introductory remarks and welcome address, Dr Mathews George Chunakara, the General Secretary of the CCA said, “Improvements in the status of women are evident in different fields, and these transformations have been made possible by strengthened institutions and legal systems, demographic transitions, and a more dynamic civil society. However, we are on the trajectory towards a less inclusive and more unequal world.”

The CCA General Secretary said, “The expected outcome of AEWA is not merely to address or talk about gender representation within churches, but to reflect and strategize ways in which church and society can be further sensitized.”

He appealed to the participants of the ecumenical gathering by saying, “It is our collective task to create conditions for identifying, motivating, building, and enabling a diverse range of women leaders to hone their talents and bear formidable challenges.”

“To reconcile is to renew and restore relationships. AEWA offers the space to interpret the multiple meanings of the theme and apply them practically in our contemporary contexts,” said Dr Mathews George.

Rev Kyrie Kim, the Moderator of the CCA’s Programme Committee, and Rev Lyien Chieng-Mei, extended greetings at the opening session.

The opening worship was led by participants from various Asian countries, together with members from the host chuch, the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan.

Rev Dr Henriette Hutabarat Lebang, Chairperson of the PGI (Persekutuan Gereja di Indonesia) and former General Secretary of the CCA delivered a homily based on the text Isaiah 32:9-20.

Rev Dr Henriette described the biblical text as a ‘disturbing call to repentance’, stating that the complexity and interconnectedness of today’s problems inherently affect everyone. Due to growing polarization, competition, and pervasive individualism, she said that the ‘whole creation is suffering due to the greed of a few people who exploit all others and nature beyond its limit’.

“In this Asian Ecumenical Women’s Assembly, we are called by the Prophet Isaiah to pause for a while, to look at the face of our world today, the suffering of many people due to injustices,” said Dr Lebang to the participants.

More than 250 women from different denominations and churches are attending the Assembly.

Four thematic presentations based on the main theme and sub-themes, panel presentations on various Asian subjects, participant-led Bible Studies, workshops, and inter-faith dialogue sessions will be part of the agenda of the five-day assembly.