CCA extends greetings at NCC Korea Centennial Celebration

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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23 September 2024

During NCC Korea's centennial celebrations in Seoul, South Korea, a special memento of recognition and appreciation for NCCK's prophetic witness and mission was presented to Rev. Kim Jong Seng, General Secretary of NCC Korea, by CCA Moderator Bishop Reuel Norman O. Marigza and Dr Mathews George Chunakara.

 

Seoul, South Korea: The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) General Secretary extended greetings and congratulations to the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) on the occasion of its 100th anniversary celebrations held at Yeondong Church, Gimsangok-ro, Seoul, on Sunday, 22 September 2024.

The special commemorative ecumenical worship service with eucharistic celebrations was attended by a large number of people from NCCK member churches, as well as representatives of churches and ecumenical organisations from different parts of the world.

During the event, messages of greetings were extended by the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay; the General Secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia, Dr Mathews George Chunakara; a representative of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Metropolitan Nikolaos of Mesogaia & Lavreotiki; and Yu In Chon, Minister of Culture, Religion, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea.

Dr Mathews George Chunakara addressed the gathering and extended greetings on behalf of the Asian churches and the Asian ecumenical movement. He stated, “The NCCK’s role and rich heritage of speaking and acting on behalf of the Korean churches and standing with the people and churches in their struggle for democratisation, human rights, and peace with justice have been highly valued by the Christian Conference of Asia and its member churches and councils in Asia. The CCA has been privileged to be part of the ecumenical accompaniment with the NCCK and the Korean churches ever since CCA was founded in 1957.”

He also noted that the NCCK’s steadfast commitment to promoting reconciliation and Korean unification has been recognised and respected by the global ecumenical community for several decades.

The CCA General Secretary lauded the NCCK for being a beacon of prophetic witness and missional engagement since its inception in 1924. During the Korean War in 1950, the NCCK's leadership immediately called for international support to halt the conflict and embarked on a mission to promote peace with justice and reconciliation.

Despite adversities, the NCCK has consistently championed the cause of inter-Korean peace and reunification, remaining a symbol of hope and resilience, Dr Chunakara further added.

In recognition and appreciation of NCCK’s prophetic witness over the century, a memento from CCA was presented to the General Secretary of the NCCK, Rev. Kim Jong Seng, by the Moderator of CCA, Bishop Reuel Norman O. Marigza.

The NCCK organised an “International Conference for the 100th Anniversary of the NCCK” at the Convention Hall of Hanshin University on 20 -21 September 2024 with the theme “God of Life, Renew All Creation in Your Love”. The conference was opened by the WCC General Secretary, Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay.

Dr Mathews George Chunakara delivered a keynote address titled “Geopolitics in Northeast Asia, and its Impact on Peace and Security in the Korean Peninsula – Ecumenical Responses” on 20 September 2024.

The full text of the message from the CCA General Secretary at the NCCK Centennial Celebrations on Sunday 22 September, and a photo gallery can be found here:

CCA General Secretary Message at the NCCK Centennial Celebrations, September 2024

NCCK Centennial Celebrations Photo Gallery