Christian Conference of Asia denounces the devastating bomb blasts in Sri Lankan churches on Easter Sunday

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).

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22 April 2019
NR Photo - Sri LankaSt. Anthony's Shrine, Kochchikade church after an explosion in Colombo, Sri Lanka

“The devastating bomb blasts that ripped through Sri Lanka including three churches holding Easter services on Sunday, 21 April 2019 killing 215 people and wounding more than 450 are heinous acts of terrorism, and are incompatible with the values of any religious teachings and moral values of a civilised society”, stated CCA General Secretary Dr. Mathews George Chunakara.

The successive eight powerful blasts left devastation in three churches and other places, including the capital's well-known St Anthony's Shrine, a historic Roman Catholic Church which traces its roots back to the 18th century. St. Sebastian’s church in Negombo, located north of Colombo, and Zion church located in the eastern coastal city of Batticaloa were the two other churches hit.

“The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) condemns these horrific acts of violence which shattered hundreds of Sri Lankans on holy Easter Sunday. We share the grief of the families and the dear ones of those killed, and we pray for the victims and their families”, said the CCA General Secretary.

Mathews George Chunakara further stated, “The international community has the responsibility to make every effort to combat the scourge of terrorism and ensure peace and security in the world”.

Most of the explosions are believed to have resulted from suicide bombings. At least two of the explosions were carried out by suicide bombers, according to police sources and hotel officials.

The CCA General Secretary urged the authorities in Sri Lanka to take strict actions against the perpetrators.

The attack on Sunday was the worst in Sri Lanka since the civil war ended a decade ago.

Christians account for only seven percent of Sri Lanka’s population of 21 million. The CCA member churches in Sri Lanka are Church of Ceylon, Methodist Church, Jaffna Diocese of the CSI and Sri Lanka Baptist Sangamaya as well as the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka (NCCSL).

CCA General Secretary’s Statement; please click here. General Secretary Statement on Bomb blasts in Sri-Lanka-21 April 2019.pdf