CCA Organises Ecumenical Theological Education Training for Teachers of Bible Schools in Refugee Camps

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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09 November 2018

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As part of the Christian Conference of Asia’s (CCA) initiative of facilitating ecumenical formation at the grassroots, CCA organized the fourth ecumenical theological training for teachers of six Bible Schools located inside refugee camps on Thailand-Myanmar border.

The training is being held from 6 to 10 November 2018 at the Hill Light Theological Seminary located inside of a refugee camp at the Huay Nam Khun Karen village, near Maesot, a small township in west Thailand close to the Myanmar border.

During the first three days’ sessions the participants reflected on the concept of wider ecumenism and ecumenical movement in Asia, interconnection and relevance of Missio Dei in Karen context, critical and contextual reading of the Bible from the Karen perspectives, construction of Karen Diaspora theology and the future of theological education of Karen refugees and stateless people.

The Bible schools in refugee camps provide education facilities, which is the higher level education they can undergo while being confined inside the refugee camps. Many students enroll for three-year theological courses managed and run independently by refugees themselves through six Bible schools inside the refugee camps.

Most Myanmar refugees and undocumented migrants are the Karen ethnic people who have fled armed conflicts and persecution in Myanmar.

Although Karen refugees have lived in the camps for more than thirty years, they live only in temporary shelters inside the camps

The Karen Christians have maintained their strong sense of Karen ethnicity and Christian faith. They built their churches and Bible schools inside the refugee camps.

While sharing their experiences, the participants expressed their concern on the recent decision by the Thai government and UNHCR to close down all refugee camps on the Thailand-Myanmar border before the end of 2019.

Though Karen refugees were forcibly displaced from their homeland and settled in camps, they have made consistent efforts to maintain their dignity and hope. However, the Bible schools in six refugee camps are seriously concerned about the decision to close-down of the camps.

The Kwathoolei Karen Baptist Bible School(KKBBSC) which is the oldest and biggest Bible school in Maelah Refugee camp is exploring a possibility to build a new campus in Myanmar, but no initiative has been taken yet to concretize the plan.

“Many of us were born in the refugee camps and have never been to Myanmar. We suffer due to the serious confusion of our identity; we will not be welcomed in Myanmar as we are stateless aliens in Thailand”, stated the Academic Dean of KKBBSC Dr. Alwyn. ,

“Now we do not know where to find our new home. We need to be independent and develop our capacities to realize our visions for the Karen community. We trust God’s mercy and guidance for the whole Karen people including the Karen diaspora”, Alwyn added

Rev. Dr. Ngurliana told the Bible school teachers, “Jesus Christ was a refugee, who was excluded,  marginalized, and persecuted. We all follow the same Christ who lives in our midst and we need to believe that Jesus Christ is in complete solidarity with the Myanmar refugees, who are excluded, marginalized, oppressed and persecuted by the powers and principalities. .”

“God of Ebenezer will always be with you and guide you in your struggle and journey”,  Rev. Grace Moon told the participants during the opening session.

Thirty-five Bible school teachers from six refugee camps are participating in the fourth training programme annually organised by CCA since 2015.

The training was facilitated by CCA staff members Rev. Dr. Ngurliana and Rev. Grace Moon together with Dr. Thra Tee Toh, Director on Mission of Kawthoolei Karen Baptist Churches, Dr. Wado and Dr. Alwyn of KKBBSC, Dr. Yenyen, the Principal of Hill Light Theological Seminary, and Dr. Saw Shwe Gyan, Dean of Karen Baptist Theological Seminary.