"Christians, the Friends of the Least”

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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21 September 2012

97th General Assembly in Somang Church, Seoul  September 17th to 21st, 2012

The Presbyterian Church of Korea is currently holding its 97th General Assembly in Somang Church, Seoul, from September 17th to 21st, 2012 with the theme:  “Christians, the Friends of the Least,” which is inspired by Mathews 25:40 and Leviticus 19:18.  It includes the sub-themes: Friends for the Poor, Friends of Next Generation, Friends of the Disabled, Friends of Multicultural families and Friends of North Koreans.  This Assembly, which is being attended by 1500 pastors and elders representing 64 presbyteries, and 108 international guests representing churches and ecumenical partners of PCK from many Asian countries and around the world, as well as leadership and staff of the General Assembly, is a special one as the church is commemorating the Centennial Anniversary of the General Assembly of PCK that was established on September 1st, 1912 under the name of the Chosun Presbyterian Church. 
In her congratulatory greetings on behalf of the CCA and representatives of the partner churches and ecumenical organizations of PCK on the occasion of the Centennial Memorial Service, CCA General Secretary, Rev. Dr. Henriette Hutabarat Lebang, expressed that the PCK has chosen a challenging theme for the Assembly in the midst of escalating hostility among various groups in Asia and the further marginalization of the least in the communities around the globe. This theme, she said, clearly underlines the commitment of the PCK to strongly promote an inclusive community in which all are included. She also commended the PCK Program on the “Decade of Life Saving Management” (2002-2012) which has underscored that the mission of God embraces the urgent need to address the problem related to the integrity of creation, as highlighted in Psalm 24:1 that “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it.”  She said that the churches in Asia and around the world are continuously praying 'for the onward journey of PCK as a faithful church of Jesus Christ, and wish the churches in Korea all success in preparing to host the Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Busan in 2013'.
The international guests had the privilege to visit and get to know the various ministries of the PCK in theological education and universities (Presbyterian College and Theological Seminary, Seoul Jangshin University and Songsil University), in the ministries of the local congregations in addressing the issues of overseas migrant workers in Korea and their families (Nasom Church and Yeong-deung-po Industrial Mission Center), and differently-abled people (Changdong Yumkwang Church).  The peak of this exposure program is the visit to the De-Militarization Zone (DMZ) in Panmunjeom, the place where the Armistice Agreement was concluded on 27 July 1953.  This place is a sad place, a witness of the continuing division of the people of Korea.  The group held a special worship for reunification of Korean peninsula at the Church located at the Joint Security Area (JSA) on September 20.  As the global communities celebrate annually the international day of peace on September 21, this is a special moment when the representatives of the churches from Asia and around the world  express their solidarity with people and churches in Korea in praying for the reunification of the people and families which have been separated for more than 50 years.
The PCK Assembly elected the new members of Executive Board of PCK for 2012-2013.  We congratulate the new office bearers and Rev. Dr. Lee Hong Jung who has been appointed as the new General Secretary of PCK for a period of 4 years.  Rev. Lee was a former Executive Secretary of Justice, International Affairs and Development of Service of CCA, President of the Presbyterian College and Theological Seminary in the Philippines and a Lecturer in Missiology at the Univeristy of Hanil Jangshin in Korea .