Asian Ecumenical Youth Assembly set to commence

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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16 April 2026

Chiang Mai, Thailand: The Fifth Asian Ecumenical Youth Assembly (AEYA) organised by the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) is set to commence tomorrow, 17 April 2026, at the Sirindhorn Learning Resource Center, Payap University, in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Around 200 youth representing CCA member churches, national councils of churches, and youth organisations from across Asia will participate in the five-day youth assembly.

The theme of AEYA-2026, “Break Every Yoke” (Isaiah 58:6), serves as a prophetic call inviting participants to discern and respond to the manifold challenges confronting youth in contemporary Asia.

The deliberations will feature a rich combination of thematic addresses, panel discussions, Bible studies, and youth-led dialogues.

The fifth major Asian ecumenical youth summit underscores the urgent need to address the various forms of “yokes” that burden young people today, while calling for prophetic witness and Christian obedience amidst challenges.

AEYA-2026 will begin with an opening worship in the afternoon on 17 April, which will be followed by the inaugural address by CCA General Secretary Dr Mathews George Chunakara.

Thematic addresses will be delivered in five different sessions by Rev. Dr Ho Young Ma, Yonsei University, Republic of Korea (“Break Every Yoke: Moving Towards the Fullness of God’s Purpose”); Dr Mathews George Chunakara, General Secretary of CCA (“Asia Navigating Amidst the Evolving Geo-political and Geo-Economic Challenges”); Rev. Dr Jeniffer Fresy Pelupessy-Wowor, Duta Wacana Christian University,  Indonesia (“When Faith Under the Yoke, Affirm Identity in Christ”); Dr Kochurani Abraham, feminist theologian and ecumenical enabler from the Roman Catholic Church, India (“Reclaiming the Prophetic Vision of the Household of God”); and Rev. Eric P. Baldonado, theological educator at Union Theological Seminary, the Philippines (“Youths Overcome Barriers to Transform Ecumenism”).

The panel presentations will focus on “Impact of Migration of Young Asians Beyond Their Borders” and “Does Technology Make Us Less Human? Impact of Social Media on Youth in Asia”.

Various dialogue sessions will include topics such as economic hardship, unemployment, forced migration, climate crisis, political instability, migration, conflicts and violence, peace and security, geopolitical challenges, climate crises and ecological responsivity, integrity leadership and good governance, mental health struggles, social media captivity, impact of Artificial Intelligence, and systemic injustice.

AEYA-2026 deliberations will conclude on 21 April 2026.

Previous Asian Ecumenical Youth Assemblies organised by CCA were held in Dumaguete City, the Philippines (1964), New Delhi, India (1984), Manado, Indonesia (2018), Kottayam, India (2023).

The Asian Ecumenical Youth Assembly Resources can be accessed here: