CCA initiates Asian Ecumenical Youth Assembly (AEYA)

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.

19 January 2018

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Focusing on the theme ‘Lord, Send Your Light and Truth to Lead Us’, the Asian Ecumenical Youth Assembly (AEYA) initiated by the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) is scheduled to take place in Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia from 6 to 13 April 2018.

The AEYA will aim at engaging youth from across Asia in an ecumenical platform to express their views on a wide range of emerging Asian issues, and examine, reflect and unpack the underlying concerns faced by young people in a fast changing Asia.

Organised jointly with the local hosts, Gereja Masehi Injili Minahasa (GMIM) and the Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI), the AEYA intends to provide a common platform for selected young Asian Christians to develop a viable regional ecumenical youth network, in order to meaningfully affirm the prophetic witness, as well as helping them to drive a transformative change in their societies.

Prospective participants, between the age of 20 and 35, are encouraged to apply with endorsement by respective member churches or councils. CCA and local hosts will arrange board and lodging for all participants.

Limited travel bursaries will be made available upon requests to participants from South and South East Asian countries.

The deadline for receiving applications at the CCA Secretariat will be on 15 February 2018.

Dr. Mathews George Chunakara, General Secretary of the CCA stated that “although several issues surrounding young people in the world today are not new, the underlying issues faced by young people are much different from yester years. The society we currently live pushes many young people to beyond their physical and mental limits as myriad issues continue to threaten the Asian youths. In this context, the AEYA will inspire young representatives from Asian churches to come together to beseech divine guidance to lead them in light and truth amidst complex realities”.

“As most Asian societies are still grappling with issues of varied magnitude, Churches in Asia should come forward to identify and prioritize the key issues and concerns faced by the young people and such issues should be a priority of Asian churches”, added the CCA General Secretary.

An Asia Easter Celebration, organised and facilitated by the Indonesian churches, will also be held on 8 April 2018 in conjunction with the AEYA.

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