CCA Mourns the Passing Away of Dr. Habil James Massey

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.

04 March 2015
christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity

Dr. Habil James Massey

The Christian Conference of Asia received with great sadness the news of the passing away of Rev. Dr. Habil James Massey on 2 March 2015 in Patna, India, where he was undergoing heart treatment.

In a letter addressed to Mrs. James Massey and family, Rev. Dr. Henriette H Lebang, General Secretary, wrote: “Dr Massey is very close to the heart of many ecumenical friends in Asia. He participated in and contributed his thoughts in many ecumenical programs in Asia through which I had the privilege to know him. He had a strong but genuine passion to promote the rights of marginalized people especially the Dalits. We thank God for the life and ministry of Dr. James Massey. May God comfort you and grant you peace in this time of bereavement.”

Dr. Massey, originally from Punjab, India, was one of the pioneers and proponents of Dalit Theology and has contributed immensely to the field of theology and theological formation. He translated the Bible in Punjabi and authored and edited more than twenty books, most of which are in-depth studies on Dalits and other subaltern communities in India. One of his major contributions is the Dalit Bible Commentary. He also served the minority communities in India in the capacity of member of the National Minority Commission.

He served as General Secretary of ‘Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (ISPCK)’ from 1985–1996, Secretary of the Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College (BTESSC) for two terms and Chairperson of NCCI’s Communications Unit from 1998–2004. He was the founding director of Centre for Dalit/ Minorities Studies (CDS) and Community Contextual Communication Centre. He also passionately worked for the betterment of people living in the slums of New Delhi, the dispossessed and the marginalized.

Dr. Massey was an ordained minister of the Church of North India (CNI) and considered one of the most prominent and resourceful persons of the Church.

He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Kala Massey, and daughters, Jyoti, Ujwala and Kiran. We pray for God’s peace and comfort to the bereaved family.

With Inputs from NCCI News