CCA Condemns terrorist attack against Christian Worshipers in Quetta, Pakistan

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.

20 December 2017

 

The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) in a statement condemned the terrorist attack against the worshipers during a Sunday worship service in Pakistan which killed at least nine people and wounded up to 56.

The attack by two suicide bombers on a packed Bethel Memorial Methodist Church in Quetta, capital of Baluchistan province in southwestern Pakistan, is the latest incident of organised attack against Christians in Pakistan.

The General Secretary of CCA Dr. Mathews George Chunakara in a statement said that the Christian Conference of Asia condemns in the strongest possible terms the cowardly acts to deter Christians from professing and practicing their faith.

The CCA General Secretary urged churches around the world to be in solidarity with the persecuted Christians in Pakistan, and offer prayers for the victims and their families.

He further added that CCA called on the authorities in Pakistan to continue their commitment in protecting the well-being and rights of religious and ethnic minorities in the country.

The Christian Conference of Asia has been engaged in international advocacy against the persecution of Christians in Pakistan.

A seven member delegation of CCA representatives from Pakistan and other Asian countries participated at the United Nation’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) session on Pakistan held in Geneva, Switzerland from 12 to 17 November 2017.

 

Statement

 

     CCA’s Statement on attack against Christian worshipers in Quetta, Pakistan

The attack by two suicide bombers on a packed Bethel Memorial Methodist Church in Quetta, capital of Baluchistan province in southwestern Pakistan on Sunday 17 December, killing at least nine people and wounding up to 56, is the latest incident of organised attack against Christians in Pakistan. Minority Christian Pakistanis continually experience persecution and attacks from hardline Islamists. Islamic extremist groups continue to attack innocent Christian minorities in Pakistan. The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) condemns in the strongest possible terms the cowardly acts which aim to deter Christians from professing and practicing their faith.

CCA urges churches around the world to be in solidarity with the persecuted Christians in Pakistan and offer prayers for the victims and their families. We call on the authorities to continue their commitment in protecting the well-being and rights of religious and ethnic minorities in Pakistan.

May the Lord God console and provide strength to their bereaved families and loved ones who bear the suffering of the loss of lives. May the Christian community in Quetta be steadfast in their faith at this time of difficulties. We hope and pray that together, Muslims and Christians continue to be united to respond to such heinous crimes and reinvigorate our inter-religious commitment to nurture tolerance, dialogue, and alliances in order to promote harmony among people of different religions and peace with justice for all.

Mathews George Chunakara
General Secretary, CCA