CCA invites applications for ecumenical formation and leadership development training, Asian Ecumenical Institute (AEI)–2023

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.

29 May 2023

AEI–2022 participants at CCA headquarters in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai, Thailand: The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) invites applications for the Asian Ecumenical Institute (AEI), a month-long ecumenical training programme organised annually by the CCA, which focuses on the ecumenical formation and leadership development of prospective Asian youth leaders.

The AEI–2023 will be held in conjunction with the 15th CCA General Assembly in Kottayam, India, from 27 September to 4 October 2023. The intensive month-long ecumenical formation training programme of the CCA will give opportunities for the AEI–2023 participants to attend the 15th CCA General Assembly and other related events such as the Youth Pre-Assembly.

The AEI–2023 will be held from 7 September to 5 October 2023, with two components, online and in-person. The online component of the AEI will be held from 7 to 15 September 2023. Classes will be conducted via online mode on Zoom, on weekdays for three hours each day. The in-person component of the AEI will be held from 21 September to 4 October 2023 (arrivals on 20 September and departures on 5 October). The students will be allowed to participate in the CCA General Assembly from 28 September to 3 October. The valedictory session of the AEI–2023 will be on 4 October 2023.

The theme of the AEI–2023 is “Young Asian Ecumenists for Renewal and Restoration of God’s Creation”. A team of prominent resource persons with expertise at the international level will lead the AEI–2023.

Admissions to AEI–2023 will be limited to 20 students between the ages of 25 and 35 who have an official letter of recommendation or endorsement from the CCA’s member church/council or ecumenical organisation/institution. Selections will be made on the basis of competence, prior ecumenical and ecclesial experience, gender and confessional balances, national and sub-regional representation, and the ability to communicate effectively in English.

All applications will be accepted online via Google Form: https://forms.gle/c4VV4oru6Jtr5Ae27

The deadline for receiving applications for AEI–2023 is 13 June 2023.

For additional details, please go through the information in the documents below:

AEI–2023: Background Information
AEI–2023: Letter to Member Churches and Councils