CCA grieves the passing away of noted theological educator and activist Rev. Prof. Stephen Suleeman

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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10 November 2021

In a tribute issued from Chiang Mai, the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) paid its respects and expressed sympathies to the family, friends, and colleagues of noted theological educator and professor of the Jakarta Theological Seminary, Rev. Prof. Stephen Suleeman, who passed away on 8 November 2021.

While expressing condolences on the untimely demise of Indonesia's activist-theologian, the CCA General Secretary Dr Mathews George Chunakara said, "Rev. Stephen Suleeman has been known for tenaciously articulating his convictions on faith and praxis, and the need for developing a culture of tolerance and inclusivity in church and society."

The CCA General Secretary recalled Rev. Suleeman's active involvement in the CCA's HIV and AIDS programmes, especially his contributions during study sessions on gender and sexuality as well as his participation at various theological summits of the CCA's Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS), including most recently the CATS–IX held in 2019.

An ordained minister of the Gereja Kristen Indonesia (GKI), Rev. Suleeman had taught at the Jakarta Theological Seminary for 27 years. He had completed his Doctorandus in Social Sciences in 1987 from the University of Indonesia and began his academic career at the Jakarta Theological Seminary that same year. He also held two Masters' degrees in Theology in Peace Studies (1991) and History and Christian Thought (1992).

Rev. Suleeman had lived by the principle of 'Memberikan suara kepada yang dibungkam', or 'giving a voice to the silenced'. Throughout his life, he strove to support and uplift the weak and marginalised, and those who had been ostracised by society.

He was a strong ally of the LGBTQI community in Indonesia and was responsible for introducing sexuality studies in the formal education and training of new pastors and theologians in Jakarta, also coordinating the Field Education Programme that sent students to interact with LGBTQI communities in order to better understand them and promote inclusion in churches.

Rev. Suleeman had strongly vocalised, "There is nothing like this pure theology that came from God. Our understanding of sexuality and religion is actually socially constructed and influenced by so many cultural factors. It is only a matter of perspective."

He has translated over 50 theological books from English to Bahasa and was also a former member of the PGI's Christian Religious Education curriculum team.

Rev. Stephen Suleeman was 67 years old. He is survived by his wife, Dini, and two daughters, Hortensia and Lavender.