CCA General Assembly registration opens

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.

22 May 2023

Chiang Mai, Thailand: Registrations for all categories of participants who are intending to attend the 15th General Assembly of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) have opened.

The General Assembly of CCA will be held in Kottayam in the southern Indian state of Kerala, from 27 September to 4 October 2023 under the theme ‘God, Renew Us in Your Spirit and Restore the Creation’.

The venue of the Assembly, Kottayam, is an ancient historic centre of Indian Christianity, with churches belonging to various confessional families that trace their origin to the first century. Christianity is the third-largest religion in Kerala and Christians make up a significant 20 percent of the state’s population.

The various categories of participants include official voting delegates representing member churches and councils of CCA, special invitees, interfaith guests, representatives of ecumenical partners from Asia and beyond, delegated observers by member churches and ecumenical organisations, pre-Assembly event participants, registered visitors, stewards, accredited media, and others participating as facilitators of workshops and exhibitions.

The registration for attending the 15th CCA General Assembly is processed entirely online, and details must be submitted on the site:  https://www.cca.org.hk/user/register

The deadline for Assembly Registration is 10 June 2023.

The information to be provided at the time of registration is related to one’s personal and contact details and passport particulars, which are essential for submission to the Ministry of External Affairs in India in order to obtain official Conference visas. The 15th General Assembly of CCA is officially registered with the Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs in India, and all participants are expected to obtain Conference visas approved by the Government of India and issued by the respective overseas Indian Missions. Thus, all those who are intending to attend the CCA General Assembly in Kottayam will have to register online with the required personal details.

Participants are advised to ensure their passports will have a validity of six months beyond 4 October 2023 or their expected departure from India after the Assembly.

With the participation of almost 500 attendees expected, the CCA 15th General Assembly will be another historic milestone in the Asian ecumenical journey; an occasion to celebrate the unity of the churches and to express the common vision for the future direction of the CCA.

Pre-Assembly events which will be organised in conjunction with the 15th General Assembly include the youth and women Assemblies, the annual Asian Ecumenical Institute (AEI), and an Asian Ecumenical Migrants Advocacy Network (AEMAN) forum.

The General Assembly, the highest governing body of the CCA, usually meets every five years; the 15th General Assembly will be held after an eight-year interval due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For information about the Assembly, visit:  https://www.cca.org.hk/assembly

For queries, please write to: [email protected]