CCA Seminar affirms the strategic role of theological seminaries in combating HIV/AIDS

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.

07 November 2016

hiv-aids-cct-2

Participants of CCA’s Interfaith Seminar on HIV/AIDS on 7th November, 2016.

A seminar organized by the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) affirmed the importance of theological seminaries in Asia to develop a strategic role to respond to the growing concerns of the HIV and AIDS epidemic, especially in building HIV-competent churches and communities.

The seminar is being held from 6 to 10 November 2016 in Chiang Mai, Thailand, attended by 33 participants, comprising of theological educators, social workers, representatives of HIV and AIDS advocacy organizations and rehabilitation centers, as well as by representatives of different religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam.

The participants analyzed the distressing trend of the numbers of People Living with HIV and AIDS in Asia continuing to rise at alarming rates.

The Church is called to be an Inclusive Community that invites people into a community, which is characterized by love, mutual independence and respect. It is important to remember that People Living with HIV and AIDS have lost only their immunity not their dignity and rights; and need, like any other individual, places where they feel safe and valued as being made in the image of God.

Dr. Mathews George Chunakara, General Secretary of the CCA in his opening address stated that, “the efforts made by the CCA over the years demonstrate CCA’s strong commitment to combat the spread of HIV and AIDS and equip churches in their ministry to deal with alarming situations in their respective societies.”

The CCA General Secretary further added that, “CCA will initiate a new phase of the HIV and AIDS program, starting from 2017 for a three-year period with components of awareness-building and advocacy.”

“Theological education plays a significant role in the training of theologians to have a deeper understanding about the concerns of the HIV and AIDS epidemic in Asian communities, accompanied with a heart of compassion which springs out of theological reflection and life-supporting spirituality,” Dr. Alphinus Kambodji, Project Coordinator of the CCA HIV and AIDS Program said.

The main objectives of this seminar are to increase HIV and AIDS awareness on the comprehensive perspective, to mainstream HIV and AIDS issues in the theological seminaries/colleges curriculum and to specifically develop teaching skills on HIV and AIDS issues, based on the theological perspectives of the dignity and rights of all God’s people.