CCA Pastoral Letter to the Philippines

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.

04 October 2011
christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity

03 October 2011

To:     National Council of Churches in the Philippines

Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches

Episcopal Church in the Philippines

Iglesia Filipina Independiente

Iglesia Evangelica Unida de Cristo

Iglesia Metodista en las Islas Filipinas

Lutheran Church in the Philippines

United Church of Christ in the Philippines

United Methodist Church

Beloved Sisters and Brothers in the Philippines -

We are deeply worried with you, brothers and sisters in the Philippines as you suffer again another disaster (super typhoon Pedring, internationally codenamed Nesat), leaving in its wake 21 people dead, 33 missing, 5,000 homeless and an estimated Php 982 million in damages to agriculture and infrastructure…this after barely coping with the destruction of previous typhoons.

Beloved in Christ, the CCA member churches and councils around Asia are ardently praying with you, with the assurance that our God is a refuge to the needy in their distress (Isaiah 25.4, NRSV). Be assured of our solidarity and pleadings to God Almighty, that perseverance and abiding faith be yours as we uphold you in prayers. May the needed help and comfort to the afflicted be soon on their way, as we find ways to reach out to you further.

May I appeal again to CCA members to lend support and offer prayers to our Filipino sisters and brothers. You may contact the Rev. Rex R.B. Reyes, General Secretary of NCC Philippines to convey your support (Tel: Tel: +63-2-928 8636/ 929 3745; Fax: +63-2-926 7076; Email – [email protected]).

I reiterate here our plea for CCA members and partners to continually support the CCA Emergency Fund. (Acct. Name: Christian Conference of Asia, Hang Seng Bank, Acct No.: 295-4-709594, Hankow Road Branch, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China; Swift Code – HASEHKHH; Account Type: Multi-Currencies Account). This is our way of affirming our being one in God’s household in times of calamities and pain.

We may feel desperate and frightened, but the God of love and compassion embraces us all.

Yours in Christ’s service,


HENRIETTE HUTABARAT LEBANG

General Secretary

cc.:  CCA Members, General Committee Members, PAC Members

       CCA Ecumenical Partners