CCA Mourns the Passing Away of Former President Ms. Margaret Rodgers AM

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).

First Preference:
General Secretariat (GS)
Second Preference:
Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia and Advocacy (PD)
05 July 2014
christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity

Margaret Rodgers AM (18 December 1939- 31 May 2014)

The Christian Conference of Asia regrets to announce the passing away of  Ms. Margaret Rodgers AM on 31 May 2014. A prominent Deaconess and lay person in the Anglican Diocese of Sydney, Margaret was joint President of the Christian Conference of Asia from 1995–2000 and member of CCA General Committee from 1990-1995; an observer of the World Council of Churches and an  Anglican representative of the National Council of Churches of Australia from 1994 to 2007.

Ms. Rodgers has served as a board member of the Anglican Deaconess Institution; of World Vision, Australia and Chairperson of New College, University of New South Wales. She won great acclaim as the first chief executive officer of Anglican Media, a post she held from 1994 to 2003 and as Media Officer to the Archbishop from 2004 to 2007. John Sandeman, who worked with Ms. Rodgers on the Anglican Media Council, referred to her extraordinary ability to get positive press in the general media for the Anglican Church in Sydney, and for the wider Anglican Communion.

Ms. Rodgers was a versatile person whose interests and academic achievements were  instrumental in her serving on a number of committees of the Anglican Church  dealing with Social Issues; Mission, Evangelism, Ministry and Training;  the Doctrine Commission of the General Synod; and the Ecumenical Affairs Committee of the Diocese of Sydney.

In January 2014, Rodgers was made a ‘Member of the Order of Australia (AM),’ for "significant service to the Anglican Church of Australia through governance and representational roles, and to ecumenical affairs."

Paying tribute to Ms. Rodgers, Archbishop Glenn Davies described her as “a scholar of significant intellect” and “for many years the leading laywoman of the Diocese of Sydney. She made her mark not only on the Anglican Church in Sydney but also on the National Church and the Anglican Communion as a whole.”

Hailed as a person who is passionate about women’s ministry, particularly the order of deaconesses and about lay ministry, she provided the Diocese with a model of reason, compassion and servant leadership in the various ministries that she undertook, Archbishop Davies said.

In the Christian Conference of Asia, Ms. Rodgers will always be remembered as an ecumenical leader who excelled in ecumenical relations and ecumenical formation; for her valuable contributions as member of General Committee and as a member of the Presidium of the CCA; her leadership qualities and excellent management skills. Her passion for women and lay ministries gave vision and direction and led to many path-breaking decisions in the life and activities of the CCA.

She leaves behind a legacy of her many talents and achievements and also her much acclaimed high profile as a prominent Christian Communicator. We thank the Lord for her life and her gifts that enabled her to serve the church in many ways, and for the excellent example of a blessed life in the service of the Lord.

May she rest in peace.

 

Photo credit:
Picture of Margaret Rodgers by Ramon Williams
From Eternity Newspaper