Christian Conference of Asia condemns police harassment against the clergy in the Philippines

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.

27 June 2019

Stop Human Rights Violations design3

Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) condemned the continued operations by the military and the police in the hinterlands of Mindoro province and other parts of the Philippines as a result of the Oplan Kapanatagan (Operation Plan Stability) “all-out war policy” of the government.

Police intimidation of a district superintendent and an ordained minister of the United Methodist Church in the Philippines is the most recent incident reported of the high handedness of the police against the pastors, which has been happening in several parts of the country.  

Expressing CCA’s solidarity on behalf of the Asian churches with the churches in the Philippines that are often targeted by the police and military in the country, the CCA General Secretary Dr. Mathews George Chunakara stated, “CCA condemns the unlawful acts of the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (PNP/AFP) against ordained clergy and faithful in the churches who are providing pastoral care and support to people who face difficult situations”. 

Rev. Glofie G. Baluntong, superintendent of the Oriental Mindoro-Romblon-Marinduque district, and Rev. Wilfredo Yasay, pastor of Good News United Methodist Church in Roxas, were reportedly intimidated by a group of the Philippine National Police at the church on 17 June 2019.

Several members of the police and military forces conducted a search operation at the United Methodist Church in Barangay Dangay, Roxas, Oriental Mindoro, despite not producing a search warrant, and ordered the clergy to surrender their guests to the police so that they would not be held as accomplices.

Dr. Mathews George Chunakara further stated, “The reported incident in Dangay United Methodist Church causes fear and anxiety among the pastors and members of the congregations. The police action of barging into the sanctuary of the Church and its premises, flaunting their rifles and harassing the pastors are clear examples of a lack of respect for the sanctity of the Church and Christian witness”.

“The authorities should respect the pastoral ministry of the pastors and churches who are mandated to be with the victims of violence, the poor and the deprived”, urged the CCA General Secretary.

The pastors of Dangay Church were accused of housing certain members of Karapatan, an NGO alliance of individuals and organizations working for the promotion and protection of human rights in the Philippines.

The United Methodist Church Southwest Philippines and the Philippines Central Conferences declared their position that all congregations of the United Methodist churches in their respective jurisdictions serve as sanctuary for the victims of both natural and human-made calamities, regardless of who they are.

The government's declaration of an "all-out war” has often resulted in abuse of power against communities and even churches that support human rights defenders.