Asian Theologians are Called to Respond for a New World Order Leading to Fullness of Life for All

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).

First Preference:
Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia and Advocacy (PD)
Second Preference:
Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF)
19 April 2016

IMG_5787"Our theological endeavours today have to respond to the chaotic situation and work for a new world order that can lead to justice, peace and fullness of life for all",  said Dr. Huang Po Ho, a prominent Asian theologian from the Chang Jung University in Taiwan, in a keynote address delivered at the Eighth Congress of Asian Theologians being held in Kochi, Kerala, India from 19 to 22 April.  

"Theologically speaking, globalisation is a contemporary human attempt to overmaster the house of God with market principles under a dominant power of capitals," said Dr Huang Po Ho.

Though "it is in Asia that all world religions including Christianity were born and nurtured, Christian theologies were imported to Asia as missionary instruments to convert people under the wider circumstances of political contexts of colonisation”, added Dr. Po Ho.

Organised by the Christian Conference of Asia ( CCA) and hosted by the Senate of Serampore College ( University), more than  one hundreds Asian theologians from various Asian countries are participating in the Eighth  Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS VIII).

During the opening session of  CATS, the president of the Senate of Serampore Bishop Dr. Issac Mar Philexinos said, "we gather for the Eighth  Congress of Asian Theolgians to feel the wider theological pulse of Asia". Bishop Philexinos added that, “what the churches want are not 'arm-chair' theologians but 'grass-root' theologians concerned with issues relevant to the local churches”.

While delivering introductory remarks and welcoming participants, Dr. Mathews George Chunakara, General Secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia said that, " The new governing board and programme committee of  CCA has already affirmed commitments with a greater sense of ownership of CATS by Asian churches”.

“CCA will continue to be committed to provide space for more frequent engagements for Asian theologians in the coming days and years, although we face constraints in terms of financial and human resources”, added CCA General Secretary.

Bishop Dr. John S Sadanananda, master of the Senate of Serampore, in his Biblical reflections at the opening session reiterated the need to "hear and learn afresh what is to speak and sing in our own land among the contemporary people of God."

CATS was initiated by CCA in 1997.