CCA to hold Asian Ecumenical Women’s Conference in November 2025

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.

15 September 2025

Chiang Mai, Thailand: Ten years after consistent engagement with Asian women through the Ecumenical Women’s Action Against Violence initiated in 2015, the CCA is now organising an Asian Ecumenical Women’s Conference (AEWC-2025) which will be held in Chiang Mai, Thailand from 11 to 15 November 2025. 

The theme for the conference will be “For Such a Time as This”: Towards Ending Violence Against Women in Asia.

Drawing on the biblical and theological undergirding of Esther 4, AEWC-2025 will address the emerging contexts of violence against women in Asia, enabling and motivating participants to be changemakers in confronting these challenges.

AEWC-2025 will convene Christian women leaders, theologians, ecumenical church representatives, and women’s rights advocates across Asia to strengthen advocacy, amplify collective impact, and build a united commitment to end violence against women and promote gender justice.

“Empowering women is not only a developmental imperative but also a theological one. Women can engage in advocacy, influence policy, and lead community transformation more effectively when equipped with theological, political, and practical tools,” said Dr Mathews George Chunakara, the General Secretary of CCA.

“By bringing together representatives of Asian churches and ecumenical organisations, the AEWC-2025 hopes to increase the advocacy efforts for a strengthened impact and cultivate a shared commitment to combat violence against women and ensure gender justice,” Dr Chunakara emphasised.

Those who are interested to attend the AEWC-2025 are encouraged to submit their application with the endorsement of CCA member churches/councils or other ecumenical organisations/institutions.

CCA will provide board and lodging, as well as local transportation in Chiang Mai, for all selected participants. Limited international travel subsidies will be available upon request for selected participants from South and Southeast Asian countries. Participants from South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Aotearoa New Zealand, and Australia are kindly encouraged to make their own travel arrangements and to seek sponsorship through their respective churches or organisations, or self-sponsor their participation.

The deadline for receiving applications at the CCA Secretariat is 2 October 2025.

For the Application Form and more details about the Asian Ecumenical Women's Conference (AEWC) 2025, please click the following links:

(1). Concept Note.pdf

(2). Google Application-Form