CCA's Asian Ecumenical Acadmey begins in Chiang Mai

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.

12 August 2004
christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity


CCA General Secretary Dr Ahn Jae Woong speaking to the AEA
participants in Chiang Mai


Dr Preman Niles, well-known theologian and dean
of the AEA facilitating the program


Participants at the AEA


A section of the participants


Corazon Tabing-Reyes, CCA joint executive secretary
and coordinator of the AEA speaking to the participants
(Photos:Philip Mathew)

CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- The Asian Ecumenical Academy (AEA), organised by the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) began here on 9 August.

The three-week mobile ecumenical formation and leadership development program of the CCA is attended by 21 participants from Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, Bangladesh, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines and Sri Lanka.

They heard a presentation on Ecumenism in Asia by the CCA General Secretary Dr Ahn Jae Woong, on 1o August, which was followed by discussions.

Among the resource persons are the well known theologians Dr Preman Niles, who is also the dean of the AEA, Jesuit Father Tom Michel, Dr Kim Yong Bock and Researcher Dr Patricia Martinez.

Ms Cora Tabing Reyes, joint executive secretary of the CCA is the coordinator of the program.

One of the highlights of the program is the exposure visits organised against the backdrop of the Thai social situation.

Worship, study, discussion, sharing and writing are some of the main components of the program, which will conclude on 28 August.

The AEA aims to strengthen the ecumenical leadership of church and ecumenical organisations through improving their ability to rethink together the ecumenical tasks in the face of current and emerging issues relevant to the church and society in Asia.

Enhancing the participants' awareness and commitment to the ecumenical movement and identifying challenges to the mission of the church in dealing with the issues of globalisation and many faiths and cultures in Asia are some of the objectives of the Academy.