CCA Mourns the Passing Away of Rev. Dr. Mangisi S.E. Simorangkir

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:
Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF)
Second Preference:
Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia and Advocacy (PD)
05 January 2014
christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity

The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), regrets to announce the sad demise of Rev. Dr. Mangisi S.E. Simorangkir, Moderator of the CCA Program Area Committee on Faith, Mission and Unity (2010-2015), on Sunday, 22 December 2013.

In a condolence letter addressed to his wife Mrs. Sonya Simorangkir-Lumbantobing, Rev. Dr. Henriette H. Lebang, General Secretary, CCA, wrote,

“On behalf of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) and its 101 member churches and 17 national council of churches in 21 Asian countries, let me convey our deep condolences to you and the Simorangkir-Lumbantobing family at the loss of a great ecumenical leader, Rev. Dr. Mangisi S.E. Simorangkir.

We note with sincere appreciation the leadership of Rev. Mangisi S.E. Simorangkir in the ministry of the Gereja Kristen Protestan Indonesia or GKPI (Protestant Christian Church in Indonesia), a member church of CCA,  as a youth pastor in Medan (1978-1979), a pastor of  a local congregation in Lubukpakam, North Sumatera (1979-1981), an exchange pastor in Bonn, Germany (1982-1987), Chair of Diaconia Ministry of GKPI (1989-1993), General Secretary of GKPI (1993-1999), and the Bishop of GKPI (2005-2010).  He also contributed meaningfully in the ecumenical movement in Indonesia and globally. Since 2011 he served as a faculty member of the Theological Seminary of the Nias Protestant Church in Gunung Sitoli, Nias. He actively participated in the leadership of the United Evangelical Mission (UEM) and Lutheran World Federation (LWF).  We specially appreciate his deep commitment and contribution in the life and ministry of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), as Moderator of the Pogram Area Committee on Faith, Mission and Unity (2010-2015).  We will miss his creative and friendly leadership.”

Thanking God for the life and rich talents that Rev. Mangisi Simorangkir was gifted with, Rev. Dr. H H. Lebang, said that his spirit and commitment to strengthen the life and witness of the churches in Indonesia, in Asia and around the world, will continue to inspire us and the next generation of ecumenical leaders.

 Let us uphold his beloved family in our prayers.