Centenary Celebrations

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).

First Preference:
Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia and Advocacy (PD)
Second Preference:
General Secretariat (GS)
27 November 2012
christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity
GREETINGS FROM THE CHRISTIAN CONFERENCE OF ASIA
ON THE OCCASION OF THE CATHOLICATE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF
THE MALANKARA  ORTHODOX SYRIAN CHURCH
25 November 2012
The 1960 year old Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (MOSC), celebrated the Centenary of the establishment of its Catholicate in Kerala, India in September 1912. A grand rally held at Marine Dive in Cochin, followed by a Public Reception, marked the end of the year long centenary celebrations that was held all over India and in dioceses abroad.
The Public Reception was graced by the 14th Dalai Llama  H H Tenzin Gyatso, Nobel Laureate for Peace, eminent religious and political leaders, and ecumenical leaders Dr. Henriette Hutabarat Lebang, CCA General Secretary, Most Rev. Dr. Joseph Mar Thoma,  Marthoma Metropolitan and former President of the CCA and Dr. Roger Gaekwad, General Secretary, NCCI.
Conveying greetings on behalf of the Christian Conference of Asia, Dr. Henriette said that it was "a great  privilege to be invited to this momentous and historic occasion of the centennial celebration of the establishment of the Catholicate of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church." She appreciated the Church for  its peaceful co-existence with other religions for the last 1960 years, and commended its contributions to the life of the ecumenical movement in Asia in the past and the present.
Invoking God's blessings for reconciliation, peace and unity, she said  "As you celebrate the centennial of the Catholicate, we earnestly pray that the spirit of God will continue to inspire you in your journey towards the visible unity of the church as the body of Christ, particularly in proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ who comes to heal and reconcile in the midst of woundedness and divisions in our church and society today. I pray that you will not only be effective witnesses to the love of Jesus Christ, but will also continue to contribute to the noble task of nation building, and the global need of nurturing a culture of peace."
The Celebrations were attended by thousands of jubilant members from all over India and from the Diaspora overseas.