CCA offers prayers and condolences amid widespread loss of life following disasters across Asia

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.

28 November 2025

Flooding in Southern Thailand

Chiang Mai, Thailand: The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) has expressed deep sorrow and concern over the recent disasters across Asia, which have claimed hundreds of lives, displaced millions, and left countless people in urgent need of help.

Across the region, communities are grappling with the impact of ongoing floods, landslides, fires, and typhoons. In Indonesia, floods and landslides in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra have affected thousands of families, killing at least 69 people, with many still missing, and leaving entire communities cut off.

In Hong Kong, a massive fire in a high-rise public housing complex in Tai Po district has destroyed seven of eight tower blocks, killing at least 94 people, injuring 76, and leaving many missing.

Severe rains and flooding have also affected Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand, with at least 98 deaths in Vietnam and tens of thousands of homes submerged; over 19,000 people displaced in Malaysia; and more than 2 million affected in Thailand, including over 80 deaths.

Sri Lanka continues to suffer heavy rains and landslides, which have killed 56 people, left 21 missing, and affected nearly 44,000 people. Earlier this month, Typhoon Kalmaegi struck the Philippines, claiming 188 lives, illustrating the ongoing toll of extreme weather across the region.

In a statement released on 28 November 2025, CCA General Secretary Dr Mathews George Chunakara said, “CCA stands in solidarity with churches, national ecumenical councils, and partners actively engaged in relief work, joining them in prayer for courage, endurance, and divine guidance as they serve communities in urgent need. We lift up the bereaved, families awaiting news of missing loved ones, and all those affected, praying for comfort, hope, and protection in these times of deep suffering.”

Emphasising the impact of climate change, the General Secretary stated, “These disasters, intensified by extreme weather and climate change, remind us of our shared responsibility to care for creation and protect vulnerable communities. The scale and simultaneity of these crises across the region underscore the urgent need for coordinated regional and global action for mitigation of climate change and environmental degradation.”

CCA also prays for the safety, resilience, and perseverance of rescue personnel, volunteers, and emergency workers responding to floods, landslides, and fires. The General Secretary called on CCA’s member churches, councils, ecumenical partners, and the international community to uphold affected communities in prayer and extend humanitarian support as the region continues to face severe disasters.

The full text of the CCA General Secretary’s Statement can be found here: