CCA Urges Prayers for Indonesian Quake Victims

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.

01 October 2018

Earth quake NR

With a continuously rising death toll, it is feared that more than 800 people are dead and hundreds more are missing or trapped beneath ruined buildings in a 7.4 magnitude earthquake which hit district Donggala, Sigi and Parigi Moutong, the coastal city of Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia on Friday 28 September 2018.

While offering prayers and condolences to the families and friends of hundreds of people who have lost lives in Indonesia’s Central Sulawesi region, the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) called on its member churches and councils to pray for those affected.

The CCA General Secretary, Dr. Mathews George Chunakara, expressed heartfelt sympathy and offered prayers especially for the healing of the injured and the consolation of all who grieve on the loss of their loved ones.

Reports from various sources confirm that dead bodies that have been lying in city streets and the injured are being treated in tents because of damage to hospitals. Many victims were still buried under the rubble of buildings and collapsed houses. Three days after the earthquake hit the island, rescue workers are still combing through chunks of concrete and wreckage searching for survivors.

In a message addressed to member churches of CCA in Indonesia that have congregations in the Central Sulawesi - Gereja Kristen Sulawesi Tengah (GKST), Huria Kristen Batak Protestan (HKBP), Gereja Kristen Indonesia (GKI),  Gereja Toraja and the Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI), the CCA General Secretary stated,  “As we learn the extent of this disaster, our thoughts and prayers are with the people and communities in the Central Sulawesi region, especially the families of those dead or still missing. We pray to the All-Merciful Lord for the quick recovery of the wounded, for bestowing spiritual accompaniment and aid for all those who have lost their livelihood and shelter. We pray for the strengthening of those who are involved in the rescue operations”.

Recalling a prayer offered on a previous occasion, the CCA General Secretary urged all member churches of CCA as well as churches around the world to pray for the victims:

“God, the violence of nature shocks us.

We don’t understand why these things happen,

    but in the midst of our confusion we turn towards you, not away from you.

We ask for your mercy to be with the victims of the earthquake in Indonesia.

Comfort those who have lost family.

Protect and preserve those still in danger.

Give rescue workers courage and wisdom and direction to stem the suffering.

God, have mercy! Heal and save.

We need your hand to work in this case, now. In Jesus…”

                                                     (Source: Prayer Plain & Simple / Mark and Jill Herringshaw). 

Indonesian Disaster Management Agency reported that 2.4 million people were impacted by Friday's earthquake.

For CCA General Secretary’s Message to Indonesian Churches, please click here CCA-GS-Letter-to-churches-in-Central-Sulawesi.pdf