CCA congratulates new leadership team of Church of Christ in Thailand

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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26 October 2022

1. Dr Sint Kimachandra officiating the installation service of the new CCT Officers; 2. CCA General Secretary (middle) with the new Officers of the CCT: from left; Rev. Pongsak Sintumud (Vice Moderator), Rev. Dr Boonratna Bauyen (Moderator), Surapong Mitrakul (General Secretary), and Visal Mahachavaroj (Treasurer)

Chiang Mai: The Church of Christ in Thailand (CCT) elected a new leadership team for the period 2023 to 2026 at its Biennial General Assembly, held at the Payap University Campus from 18 to 21 October 2022. 

Rev. Dr Boonratna Bauyen (Moderator), Rev. Pongsak Sintumud (Vice Moderator), Surapong Mitrakul (General Secretary), and Visal Mahachavaroj (Treasurer) are the newly elected officers of CCT.

The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) General Secretary, Dr Mathews George Chunakara, congratulated the newly elected leaders of CCT who will lead this member church of the CCA in Thailand for the next quadrennium, starting from 1 January 2023.

“May God bless you as you undertake your great tasks. CCA will continue to work with you, the newly elected leaders of CCT, when you continue to be engaged in manifold ministries," the CCA General Secretary told the new officers at their installation on 21 October. 

The new leaders of the CCT come from diverse professional backgrounds with rich experiences.

Rev. Dr Boonratna Bauyen, a well-known preacher, theological educator, and author of several books, served previously also as the Moderator and General Secretary of CCT. 

“Boonrat” is a household name among CCT members across the country, and he served the CCT in various capacities during the past several decades. He was Dean of the McGivalry College of Divinity of the Payap University as well as Vice-President of the Payap University and President of its Board of Trustees. 

Surapong Mitrakul, a lawyer by profession, is a lay leader of the CCT and comes from Southern Thailand. He has now been elected to a second term. He served as General Secretary of CCT from 2015 to 2018. He is also known for his contribution to the area of education.

The CCT represents over half of the Protestant Christian community in Thailand and has done extensive work in the field of evangelism, education, health care, social development, and Diakonia. The church runs two universities, thirty schools, two theological seminaries, seven hospitals, a rehabilitation institution for leprosy patients and other physically disadvantaged persons, and a ministry among the elderly. Social development work is carried out among ethnic hill tribes, refugees, and HIV and AIDS-affected people.