CATS-X sub-theme ‘Ecclesial Synchrony: Oneness in Faith, Witness and Withness’ calls to affirm a shared journey of faith in Christ

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.

27 October 2024

From left to right: Prof. Dr Johnson Thomaskutty (India), His Grace Bishop Daniel (Australia), Dr Rasika Pieris (Sri Lanka)

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Embracing the spirit of CATS-X, the first plenary session on the second day focused on the sub-theme “Ecclesial Synchrony: Oneness in Faith, Witness and Withness”. Three distinguished scholars presented on the importance of ecclesial unity rooted in the Nicene Creed's affirmation of “one holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.”

His Grace Bishop Daniel of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Sydney and Affiliated Regions in Australia presented on “Brief Idea about the Coptic Orthodox Church and its Role in the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea.” Bishop Daniel’s presentation highlighted the foundational role of the Coptic Orthodox Church, established by Saint Mark, and its significant contributions at the First Ecumenical Council at Nicaea in 325 AD, where it defended the doctrine of Christ’s divinity against Arianism.

Head of the diasporic Coptic Orthodox Church in Australia, Bishop Daniel highlighted how the Coptic Church has historically embodied unity and solidarity, serving as a model for ecumenical collaboration. Urging modern churches to draw on this legacy, he reaffirmed that "it is not only our hope but also our responsibility in front of God to understand and empower the ecumenical movement on all levels," stressing the duty of churches to promote unity and sound theology.

Dr Rasika Pieris from The Sisters of the Holy Family, Sri Lanka, focused her presentation on “Oneness as a Heterogeneous Reality in Asia,” exploring how the Christian ideal of oneness resonates within Asia’s culturally and religiously diverse context.

A Roman Catholic nun and theologian, Sr Rasika called for an Asia-centric approach to Christianity that moves away from Eurocentric models and embraces the Asian landscape’s distinct values of interconnectedness and interdependence. “For the church of Asia to be the church in Asia, it must distance itself from the roots of Western and colonial idioms,” she asserted, adding that such a shift aligns with the Nicene Creed’s teachings on divine unity and can promote a harmonious, inclusive church that values marginalised voices.

Sr Rasika envisions a church that embodies oneness not just in doctrine but also in action, fostering solidarity among diverse communities as part of a global Christian witness. “The unity of God makes us a unified people. Therefore, our mission is to witness to the oneness”, she stated.

Prof. Dr Johnson Thomaskutty’s presentation on "Echoes of John 17 in Nicaea: A Paradigm for Wider Ecumenism and Dialogue” explored how the theme of unity in John 17 and the Nicene Creed propose a model for church unity and dialogue. Focusing on the divine oneness of the Father and Son as a foundation, he highlighted how the belief of homoousios, or “same substance” creates a theological basis for oneness among believers, echoing the Nicene Creed’s call for shared faith and communal harmony.

A professor of New Testament at the United Theological College in Bengaluru, India, Dr Thomaskutty argued for a varied model that reflects the Nicene Council's ecumenical goal of unity across denominations to guide modern churches in embracing collaborative witness and promoting inclusivity.

“A Johannine-Nicaean way forward can be considered as a paradigm in our ecumenical journey against the prevailing exclusive and parochial approaches to ecumenism,” stated Dr Thomaskutty, a member of the Assemblies of God church in India.

The first sub-theme of CATS-X, “Ecclesial Synchrony: Oneness in Faith, Witness, and Withness” calls different Christian communities to a shared journey of faith, emphasising collaboration and mutual support as one unified body in Christ. Reflecting Jesus' prayer for unity in John 17:20-23, the sub-theme encourages Christian communities to embody oneness in faith, witness, and service, demonstrating the unifying power of the gospel and upholding the Nicene Creed’s vision of ecumenical solidarity.

For more pictures of Day 2 of Tenth Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS-X) please click here.