CCA Executive Committee provides direction for 15th General Assembly planning

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.

11 August 2021
CCA Executive Committee–2021

CHIANG MAI: A meeting of the Executive Committee of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) held virtually on 9–10 August 2021 provided further direction for the planning of the CCA’s 15th General Assembly.

Given the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and slow vaccination processes in most Asian countries as well as international and domestic travel and mobility restrictions, the Executive Committee, which is the highest decision making body of the CCA in between General Assemblies, decided not to conduct the next Assembly any sooner than mid-2023.

The General Secretary of CCA, Dr Mathews George Chunakara in his report to the Executive Committee shared the current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic and said, “The number of infected people in most Asian countries has been increasing drastically and the government restrictions with regard to international travels, airlines operations, and other health-related warnings are still in place. Proof of vaccination or of recovery from infection is increasingly being demanded, not just for international travel but also within countries.”

The General Secretary further informed the governing board of CCA saying, “Foreseeing the possibility of a major Asian gathering in any Asian country which involves international travel is unrealistic at this stage. This warrants the need for us to think about changing the date of the Assembly from mid-2022, preferably to 2023.”

The Moderator of CCA Bishop Willem T.P Simarmata opined that postponing the General Assembly to 2023 would be more realistic and it will provide ample time to develop preparations that adhered to COVID-19 protocols and enable the delegates to travel and meet in-person.

The Vice Moderator Rev. Diana Tana also suggested that the safety and wellbeing of the delegates, other attendees, and the organisers be given prime importance rather than conducting the General Assembly in a hasty manner.

The new venue of the 15th General Assembly was considered and shortlisted as to be held either in Indonesia or Thailand, with the Executive Committee authorising the General Secretary to make the necessary negotiations with churches and councils in prospective host countries.

The Executive Committee decided to reconvene for a special meeting to deliberate upon the final choice of venue for the Assembly.

The 2019 Executive Committee’s decision was to hold the Assembly in September 2020 in Kerala, India, but this decision was revisited last year. In the context of the spread of COVID-19, the Executive Committee in its meeting in November 2020 agreed that the proposed dates and venue would have to be determined in lieu of the travel restrictions, mandatory quarantine or isolation requirements, and the health and safety of all delegates and participants while they travel.

The latest decision of postponing the General Assembly to mid-2023 was mainly due to the absence of any sign of substantial improvements in the COVID-19 situation in most Asian countries.

The Executive Committee, which is the governing board of CCA, conducted its meeting online, for the second time in the history of the CCA.