CCA Congratulates Dr. Erlinda N. Senturias

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:
General Secretariat (GS)
Second Preference:
Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF)
23 March 2014
christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity

Dr. Erlinda N. Senturias, physician, educator, ecumenical activist and former staff of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) and World Council of Churches (WCC), was appointed Member of the new Human Rights Victims’ Claims Board of the Philippines, by President Benigno Aquino III, on 13th February 2014.

The nine-member independent and quasi-judicial body, to be chaired by former two-star Police General Lina Castillo Sarmiento, will determine levels of compensation for persons whose human rights were violated during the period of martial law from 1972 to 1986 under the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. The budget for financial restitution comes from funds of about 10 billion Philippine pesos (approx. 163 million euros) recovered from Marcos’s wealth.

In a congratulatory note to Dr. Erlinda, CCA General Secretary, Rev. Dr. H H. Lebang wrote, “It is so nice to hear about your new appointment by President Benigno Aquino III, to the nation's new Human Rights Victims' Claims Board. This is such an honorable and prestigious position. Please be assured that the CCA family upholds you in our prayers. May God grant you strength and wisdom to undertake this challenging responsibility. Congratulations!”

A medical doctor by profession, Dr. Erlinda Senturias has been engaged with health issues from a Christian perspective for more than twenty years. She worked with the Christian Conference of Asia from January 2009 to December 2011 as a Consultant, for the CCA Program on HIV and AIDS. During her tenure she played a major role in launching a long term program on ‘Building HIV and AIDS competent churches and communities.’ She had served the WCC from 1989 to 1997 as a programme executive in the office of Health and Healing. Dr. Erlinda N. Senturias is from the United Church of Christ in the Philippines.

In an interview with the WCC she said that she strongly feels that “A church has to embrace its sick, go out in the world, and work with its people to heal the communities.”

Dr. Alphinus Kambodji, current Consultant for the CCA program on HIV and AIDS,  attended the installation ceremony of Dr. Erlinda on February 14, 2014.

The CCA family is proud of you, Dr. Erlinda, and prays that God will continue to bless you with wisdom, courage and good health to undertake the challenging tasks ahead.