CCA mourns the passing of former Moderator of Church of Bangladesh, Most Revd Michael S. Baroi

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.

19 May 2025

Chiang Mai, Thailand: The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) expressed condolences on the passing of Most Revd Michael S. Baroi, former Moderator of the Church of Bangladesh (CoB) and the first Bishop of the Diocese of Kushtia.

He passed away on 17 May 2025 at the age of 80.

Born on 26 October 1944, Bishop Baroi was consecrated as the first Bishop of the Kushtia Diocese in 1990. Throughout his life and ministry, he was deeply committed to sharing the Gospel, nurturing future generations of leaders, and building a spirit of unity and community among believers. He took early retirement in 2009 while serving as the Bishop of Dhaka and the Moderator of the Church of Bangladesh.

CCA General Secretary Dr Mathews George Chunakara said, “Bishop Michael S. Baroi’s life and ministry were marked by a deep commitment to Christian faith, values, and witness of the Gospel. He served with humility and compassion for the downtrodden, always willing to support the poor and needy in society, irrespective of their faith or ideological allegiances”.

Recollecting his association with Bishop Michael S. Baroi during his tenure as Asia Secretary of the World Council of Churches, Dr Mathews George Chunakara added, “He was a man of integrity who served the people with humility and held his colleagues and friends in high esteem. Bishop Baroi always demonstrated a passion for ecumenism and ecclesial unity. It was during his tenure as the Moderator of the Church of Bangladesh that CoB reconciled with the National Council of Churches in Bangladesh (NCCB) and revived its membership in the NCCB”. 

The CCA extends its heartfelt condolences and prayers to Bishop Baroi’s bereaved family and to the faithful members of the Church of Bangladesh.

He is survived by his wife, Mrs Mary Baroi, and their two sons.