Communion Without Walls: At the US-Mexican border

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.

02 July 2013
christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity

Vision of God: Communion Without Walls

The United Church of Christ (UCC) in USA invited their global partners to spend two days to share and reflect on their experiences in a consultation focused on one of the burning issues of today, namely “Globalization and Migration: Response from the Communities of Faith” held at Centro Romero in San Ysidro, California on June 26-27, 2013. This consultation, which was held prior to the Assembly of the 29th General Synod of the UCC, was attended by 30 participants, mostly representing churches and ecumenical organizations - partners of UCC from Africa, Asia, Middle East, Europe, Latin America and Caribbeans. Bishop Reuel N. Marigza, the General Secretary of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) and Rev. Dr. Henriette Hutabarat Lebang, General Secretary CCA, were the two participants from Asia. In addition to UCC staff and special ministries, the representatives from Unitarian Universalist Association and American Jewish Community were also present.CIMG1395_1

It was a moving experience for all participants when worship was held at a park known as “Friendship Park” located at the border of USA and Mexico, a historic location overlooking the Pacific Ocean which is the feature of attraction of California’s Border Field State Park. It used to be an open space where families and friends across the border can meet and spend sometime together. But such a human encounter has not been possible any longer since the high double-iron metallic fence was erected. Human touch is impossible. Though the name of “Friendship Park” is there, it has lost its meaning. At that particular moment, a group of people from the church and the HIV and AIDS community gathered on the Mexican side, and the participants of the consultation stood on the USA side. Though separated by the wall, we all stood in one heart praising God, listening to the Word of God, praying for the time when walls can be torn down and people can freely relate to each other.

Rev. John Fanestil, a Methodist minister and director of the Foundation for Change, jointly led a bilingual worship service with Rev. Saul Montiel, a Methodist minister at the Mexican side. The emotions were palpable when Rev. John invited all of us, the groups of both sides to bend down to confess our sins, raise our hands to the sky praising God where there is no border, and to speak ‘peace’ to each other across the wall by touching the fence. The tears of sadness and even tears of hope were evident. It was followed by a celebration of Holy Communion, which was described powerfully through a poem written by Bishop Reuel N. Marigza:

At the border…

When fences and walls were put up
That separated people
There were two cups
And two pieces of bread
There at the wall of separation
Two bread were simultaneously broken
Two cups were raised in unison
Despite the dividing walls and fences
Still there was
And always will be…
ONE BREAD
ONE CUP
ONE BODY

Stating their concept of a border, an organization called the Friends of Friendship Park said, ‘We envision a border that defines the geographic boundaries of Mexico and the United States, but does not prevent the peoples of these two great nations from establishing and celebrating harmonious relationships with one another. We envision a border built on the understanding that the goals of security and friendship are mutually reinforcing.”

Rev. Dr. Henriette Hutabarat Lebang