CCA condemns escalation of war in Iran and other West Asian countries, calls for immediate de-escalation

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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01 March 2026

Photo credit: Al Jazeera 

Chiang Mai, Thailand: The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) has condemned the escalating war in Iran and the West Asia region, including in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries such as Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, and has called for the immediate cessation of hostilities and urgent de-escalation by all parties.

In a statement issued today, the CCA General Secretary Dr Mathews George Chunakara expressed grave concern over the recent military actions which have resulted in irreparable loss of life following indiscriminate strikes launched by the United States of America and Israel against Iran on Saturday, 28 February, leading to the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“The continuing military strikes and retaliatory missile attacks endanger the lives of millions of civilians and risk precipitating a wider international conflict with catastrophic humanitarian consequences”, stated the CCA General Secretary. 

Describing the situation as a grave escalation, the CCA General Secretary expressed deep concern that the ongoing hostilities threaten to unleash uncontrollable violence and draw key regional actors into a broader war involving countries beyond the region, further destabilising an already fragile region and undermining peace and security beyond West Asia.

The statement also called upon all states, particularly those exercising significant global influence, to uphold the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, including the peaceful settlement of disputes and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“We appeal to all parties involved in the conflict in West Asia to demonstrate political will for de-escalation, to respect international law, and to exercise maximum restraint in order to prevent further hostilities, deaths, and destruction. Reasoned engagement, dialogue, and mature and sincere diplomatic initiatives to end the war at the earliest are urgently needed at this moment,” said Dr Chunakara.

The CCA General Secretary also expressed deep concern over the plight of hundreds of thousands of international passengers stranded across GCC countries due to the closure of international airspace, as well as the disruption of communication channels preventing contact with the CCA member constituency in Iran.

The General Secretary urged CCA member churches and councils to “pray fervently for the restoration of peace and security in the West Asia region, and for wisdom, courage and moral clarity among leaders to choose the path of restraint, protect civilian lives, and ensure peace with justice and reconciliation”.

The full text of the CCA General Secretary’s Statement on the escalation of war in Iran and the West Asia region can be found here: