CCM Youth Hands Over Protest Memo On Threats by Dr Terry Jones of Dove Outreach Center to US Embassy Officials in Kuala Lumpur

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.

08 September 2010
christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity

KUALA LUMPUR, Wed, 8 Sept 2010: Representatives of the Youth Wing of the Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM Youth) handed a memorandum of protest to the United States Embassy today calling on the US government to stop a church in Florida from burning the Quran this 11 Sept 2010.

The group of five people were led by Bangsar Lutheran Church pastor Rev. Sivin Kit, and CCM Youth Moderator and Executive Council member Chrisanne Chin, who handed the memorandum to Jeremy Nathan, the Deputy Political Counselor of the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

CCM Youth is strongly against threats by Dr Terry Jones of The Dove World Outreach Centre, a small congregation of 50 people in Gainesville, Florida, to burn the Muslim holy text, the Quran, on the anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks, condemning attempts to ban or burn another faith’s holy text as tantamount to a form of hate crime that must be dealt with utmost severity.

CCM Youth reiterates that The Dove World Outreach Center’s intentions do not represent the sentiments of Christians in Malaysia, and considers the act of burning the holy scriptures of any faith a disrespectful, provocative, insulting and harmful act that is contrary to the fundamental Christian belief to love our neighbours as ourselves and to be peacemakers.

After handing over the memorandum, the group was invited into the embassy for a private discussion with the officials. Kit and Chin were assured by Jeremy that this matter is being taken very seriously up to the highest levels of the US Government as both the White House and the State Department have issued statements of warning and criticism against Jones and his church.

The group was encouraged to learn that Americans have stood up to condemn the act, and at least two dozen counteractive measures have been made by the grassroots of the American interfaith community – from synagogues to churches to mosques – working together in solidarity against Jones’ plan.

CCM Youth believes that there are better constructive ways to commemorate September 11, and will endeavour to promote to the Government of the United States, as well as the United Nations, to turn this day of grief and sadness into an international day of reconciliation and just peace, upholding the rights of every single human life created in the image of God Almighty, henceforth building an equal place for all under the sun.

http://ccm-youth.blogspot.com/2010/09/ccm-youth-hands-over-protest-memo-on.html