CCA Mourns the passing aways of Mr. Tony Waworuntu

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).

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16 August 2015
christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity

Tony Waworuntu passes away

Mr. Tony Waworuntu, a prominent church and ecumenical leader in Asia, and a member of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches passed away early morning today, 16 August, at his home in Jakarta, Indonesia.

The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) deeply mourns the passing away of Tony Waworunto and expresses condolences to his bereaved family and the members of the Gereja  Protestan di Indonesia bagian Barat ( GPIB). Tony was an executive secretary of Christian Conference of Asia for eight years.

Dr. Mathews George Chunakara, General Secretary of the CCA in a condolence message said, “With the passing away of Tony our dear friend and ecumenical colleague in CCA for the past many years, the Asian ecumenical movement lost one of its most committed lay leaders”.

Mathews George recollected Tony’s various ecumenical involvements during the past four decades and said that “he has been a tenacious supporter of people’s movements and has accompanied people’s struggles for human rights, justice and peace, freedom of religion and rights of persecuted minorities in various Asian countries”.

Tony Waworunto served on various committees of CCA at different times: as member of CCA Executive and General Committees as well as the International Affairs Program committee.  He was on the staff of CCA for eight years from 2000 to 2008 as Executive Secretary for Justice, International Affairs and Development and Service (JID).

He was 63 years old. Tony is survived by his wife Diana and sons Mr. Asa Waworuntu and Mr. Gatra Waworuntu.

His funeral will be held on Monday 17 August in Jakarta.
Please read the full text of the Condolence letter 

Condolence Message from the CCA General Secretary  on the passing away of  Tony Waworuntu

Mrs. Diana Waworuntu, Mr. Asa Waworuntu, Mr. Gatra Waworuntu and members of the family,

Members of the Gereja Protestan di Indonesia bagain Barat (GPIB),

It is with great sorrow that we received the news of the sad demise of Mr. Tony Waworuntu, our long time ecumenical colleague and dear friend, who was called to eternity today, 16 August. On behalf of the Christian Conference of Asia and the Asian ecumenical family, I express our heartfelt condolences to Tony’s wife Diana, his sons, and other members of the bereaved family as well as the members of the GPIB.

With the passing away of Tony our dear friend and ecumenical colleague in CCA for the past many years, the Asian ecumenical movement lost one of its most committed lay leaders. He was a well-respected and committed church and ecumenical leader in Asia, who demonstrated his leadership in church and society in various ways. I have had a very close relation and friendship with Tony for about three decades and I can recollect with great appreciation, his various ecumenical involvements. Tony tenaciously fought for justice and peace concerns as part of his Christian faith and convictions and he stood with the people’s movements and their struggles for justice, peace and human rights, freedom of religion and rights of persecuted minorities.

He served in the leadership of the Student Christian Movement in Indonesia, the Gereja Protestan di Indonesia bagian Barat (GPIB), the Communion of Churches in Indonesia, and the Christian Conference of Asia (Asia) in various capacities. He was a member of various committees of CCA at different times; member of the CCA Executive Committee, General Committee, and International Affairs Committee and served as Executive Secretary of CCA for Justice, International Affairs and Development (JID) from 2000 to 2008 in Hong Kong and in Chiang Mai. He was also a member of the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs of the World Council of Churches (1999-2006) and a member of the Board of the Life and Peace Institute in Sweden. As a delegate to the Tenth Assembly of WCC in Busan, Korea and as a member of the newly constituted Central Committee of WCC, Tony has been actively participating both at the Busan assembly and at the last Central Committee meeting of WCC in Geneva in July 2014. His service to the nation as a Member of Parliament in Indonesia, although it was for a brief stint was a recognition for his services to the people and society at large in Indonesia.

We thank God almighty for Tony’s life and witness. He will be known and remembered as a servant of God who stood for the values of God’s kingdom. When Tony is called to eternity we are reminded of the divine assurance that, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labours, for their deeds follow them!” (Revelation 14:13).

May his soul rest in peace

Mathews George Chunakara

General Secretary, CCA
Chiang Mai

16th August 2015