CCA Prays for a successful Inter-Korean Peace Summit

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.

26 April 2018

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As North and South Korean leaders are preparing for an inter-Korean summit, the Christian Conference of Asia’s (CCA) staff community organized a special prayer at the CCA headquarters in Chiang Mai, Thailand for a successful outcome of the summit.

The historic summit will take place on the southern side of the truce village of Panmunjom on Friday 27th  April 2018, only the third of its kind after two in Pyongyang, North Korea the last 11 years ago.

In a statement issued by CCA on Inter-Korean Peace Summit, the General Secretary Dr. Mathews George Chunakara, stated: “It is our fervent prayer and hope that the North and South Korean leaders will work out a suitable solution based on equality, mutual respect, mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence”.

“It is also our sincere hope  that a successful  inter-Korean meeting will pave the way for a highly anticipated encounter between the North Korean leader Kim  Jong Un and the U.S. President Donald Trump”.

The CCA General Secretary further stated that “President Trump's support to North and South Korea “to discuss the end of the war” is a significant turning point in international relations and diplomacy. However, sustained efforts to keep the momentum of the new enthusiasm are vital to pursue the spirit of the new initiative”.

 As the two Koreas technically are still at war with each other, the relaxation of tensions between the two Koreas is long overdue.  

Dr. Mathews George Chunakara further added: “CCA and its member constituencies in Asia are encouraged that the two Koreas are forging a path towards peace. The CCA unswervingly reiterates its support to the call by the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) and member churches to replace the 1953 Armistice Agreement with a Peace Treaty”.

CCA urged its members and all peace-loving people around the world to pray for the success of the inter-Korean summit, as the leaders of both Koreas are committed to work together this week towards reconciliation and peaceful coexistence in the Peninsula.


Click here for the full text of CCA’s Statement on Inter-Korean Summit