Celebrative worship opens historic Asia Mission Conference in Yangon

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.

13 October 2017

 

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Asia Mission Conference participants at the opening session on day one.

The Asia Mission Conference (AMC), organisedby the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), opened during  a celebrative worship service and ceremony held at the Franc Auditorium in Yangon, Myanmar.

The opening service of the mission conference, led by a group of Asian ethno musicologist and liturgists,included moving litanies of prayers, lamentations, cries and hopes from the churches in different corners of Asia. An Indonesian dance troupe from the Jakarta Theological seminary presented a performance during the worship service.

Attended by more than 600 registered delegates and participants representing CCA member churches and councils as well as representatives of ecumenical organisations and mission partners, the weeklong AMC will focus on the theme, ‘ Journeying Together: Prophetic Witness to the Truth and Light in Asia”.

Archbishop Willem T.P. Simarmata, moderator of CCA in his opening address spoke about the challenges Asia and Asian churches face today, and  he called for  Asian churches’ participation in God’s mission and prophetic witness.

In his introductory address CCA General Secretary Dr. Mathews George Chunakara stated that every moment we realize and recognize that Christians do not have the monopoly of God’s mission. What we experience today is  a mission in the midst of missions. Several Asian countries have become missionary battlefield and experiencingaggressive missionary evangelism.  This situation urges us to be seriously and constantly engaged in reflecting on Gods mission in this world.

The CCA General Secretary added that "the AMC organised by the CCA is an humble effort for Asian churches to come together in a common platform to contemplate and dialogue with each other on mission and witness of  churches in Asia. He added that “this is  an integral component of the life and witness of the Asian ecumenical movement."

Mathews George  expressed deep appreciation and thanks to the Myanmar Churches for their gracious hospitality and welcome.

Vice Moderator Rev. Diana Tana, in her homily at the opening service said, the future of the Christian mission in Asia, asking, "What does the Lord require?" She emphasized the need for partnership to find the new right path and the importance of listening to God's voice for the challenges ahead and for liberation from oppression.

Describing what true partnership in mission entails, she said, "Heading in the same direction, sharing equal responsibilities, listening to each other and respect for each other's abilities."

Representing the host committee leadership, Patrick Laing Tone, President of the Myanmar Council of Churches,  and Rev. Dr. Pau of the Myanmar Baptist Conventionwelcomed delegates  and participants to the AMC  and the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of CCA .