CCA releases Assembly Theme Study Document: ‘God, Renew Us in Your Spirit and Restore the Creation’

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.

02 August 2023

 

The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) released a special Study Document on the theme of the upcoming 15th CCA General Assembly, ‘God, Renew Us in Your Spirit and Restore the Creation’.

Prepared by a team of eminent Asian theologians, the Study Document is an essential resource for not only the participants of the 15th CCA General Assembly but for all Christians across Asia.

The newly unveiled Study Document includes in-depth insights and analyses on the theme itself as well as on three sub-themes, namely, ‘Renewal and Restoration of Creation: Affirming the Will of God’, ‘Renewal and Restoration of Creation: Dwelling in Harmony’, and ‘Renewal and Restoration of Creation: Towards Attaining Life in Its Fullness’.

The Assembly theme and sub-themes carry paramount significance and resonate with the pressing global and climatic challenges that confront the world today: “Never before has humanity had such a great capacity to influence the ecosystem, the basis for the sustainability of all life on earth, yet the fears and anxieties concerning the future of creation have never been greater. We will soon reach planetary boundaries and tipping points for the earth’s capacity to sustain life, and if we do not heed God’s call of renewal and restoration, the impending catastrophe will be impossible to avert…” reads a portion from the Preface by the CCA General Secretary Dr Mathews George Chunakara.

“The 15th CCA General Assembly Theme, ‘God, Renew Us in Your Spirit and Restore the Creation’, is a prayer of public confession and repentance for the sins we have committed. It is also a prophetic witness to the commitment that declares our participation with God in renewing and transforming the relationship with other human beings into a joyful coexistence with the creation and with people of all faith traditions,” reads part of the Study Document.

A concluding paragraph from the resource booklet says, “A radical ecological conversion challenges the conventional anthropocentric understanding of ekklesia and diakonia, which is rooted in the supremacy and self-referentiality of human beings…Churches must be engaged in strengthening the Kingdom values needed to promote a new mentality of living within planetary boundaries, addressing eco-justice, sharing the common conviction of changing lifestyles, consumption patterns, travel and mobility, waste management, and values of eco-social transformation. The fundamental issues of the protection and care of the environment and the promotion of climate justice as an important aspect of the churches’ prophetic witness of diakonia are imperatives for renewal and restoration of the creation from its brokenness.”

The Study Document is the culmination of the Theme Study Working Group, comprising Bishop Dr Daniel Thiagarajah, Rev. Prof. Dr K.M. George, Rev. Dr Jangkholam Haokip, Bishop Kumara Illanga Singhe, Rev. Dr Robinson Christian, and Rev. Prof. Dr Mothy Varkey as the Coordinator and Editor.

The Assembly Theme Study Document can be easily accessed and downloaded using this link: CCA Assembly Theme Study Document