CCA General Secretary meets with Church and ecumenical leaders in South Korea

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.

21 October 2022

CCA General Secretary Dr Mathews George Chunakara with Church and ecumenical leaders during the reception organised by NCCK on 17 October 2022 in Seoul

The CCA General Secretary Dr Mathews George Chunakara was accorded a reception in a special function organised by the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) and held on 17 October 2022 in Seoul, South Korea, in collaboration with the CCA member churches in South Korea.

Rev. Dr Lee Hong Jung, General Secretary of the NCCK, in his address of welcome to the CCA General Secretary, expressed appreciation for the solidarity and accompaniment with the Korean churches that had been extended by CCA during the past several decades, and especially for CCA’s commitment in advocating for peace and reconciliation in the Korean peninsula. 

Dr Lee stressed the need for strengthening ecumenical advocacy in the peace and reconciliation process as tensions continued to build and as nuclear negotiations remained stalled. 

The NCCK continued to commit to and work for peace and justice in the Korean peninsula and Asia, said Dr Lee, an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church of Korea (PCK) who has served as the General Secretary of PCK. He was also a former Executive Secretary of CCA. 

Rev. Dr Kim Jong Gu, a member of the Executive Committee of CCA, in his speech appreciated the role of the CCA General Secretary, especially in the manifold programmes and activities CCA has been carrying out under his leadership ever since the beginning of the new programme phase initiated after the last General Assembly.

Despite the pandemic and other constraints, CCA has achieved a lot in terms of inspiring and motivating its member churches through various programmes, added Rev. Kim Jong Gu, a minister of the Korean Methodist Church who has been serving on the Executive Committee as well as being a Trustee of the CCA Hong Kong Board.   

Dr Mathews George Chunakara conveyed the message of CCA’s ongoing commitment to peace and reconciliation between the divided Koreas, and he appreciated the commitment of its Korean member churches in collaborating with CCA to strengthen the Asian ecumenical movement.  

The CCA General Secretary shared information about the 15th General Assembly of CCA to be held in 2023. 

Participants at the special event included officials and representatives of CCA member churches in Korea as well as national ecumenical organisations: Rev. Kim Bo Hyun, General Secretary of Presbyterian Church in Korea (PCK); Rev. Kang Yeon Hong, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea (PROK), Rev. Kim Chang Joo, General Secretary of PROK; Rev. Oh Il Young, Executive Secretary of the Korean Methodist Church (KMC), Rev. Dr Park Do Woong, Central Committee member of the World Council of Churches (WCC); Rev. Han Se Jong, Secretary of Korea Salvation Army; Rev. Dr Kim Young Joo, former General Secretary of NCCK; Rev. Shin Seung Min, Christian Institute for the Study of Justice and Development; Kim Kyung Min, General Secretary of Korean YMCA; Rev. Dr Park Sung Kook, Ecumenical Relations Coordinator of PROK; Rev. Chae Song Hee, Ecumenical Relations Coordinator of PCK; Rev. Dr Yun Shin Young, Secretary of the Medical Mission of PCK; Ms Yang Da Eun, Programme Coordinator of Korean YMCA; Do Im Bang Joo, General Secretary of Korean Student Christian Federation; NCCK Programme Coordinators, Rev. Kim Min Ji and Rev. Choi Gyu Hee. 

The CCA General Secretary was visiting Seoul together with CCA Programme Coordinator Rev. Jung Eun Moon in conjunction with the Global Christian Forum (GCF) Conference held from 14 to 17 October 2022 at the Myungsung Church Shalom Centre, Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-gu, in Seoul, South Korea.

Photo Album attached: Please click here.