Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS) to commence in Medan, Indonesia

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 August 2019

CATS IX NR Design-1

The preparations in the run-up to the Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS) – IX have nearly come to a conclusion, as the Asian theologians’ summit is set to commence on 5 August 2019, in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia.

Initiated by the Christian Conference of Asia in 1997, CATS is the largest pan-Asian theological summit that brings together Asian and Asian Diaspora theologians every three years to deliberate upon innovative and refreshing approaches towards doing theology in the context of a rapidly-changing Asia.

CATS-IX will focus on the theme, ‘Reconciliation, Renewal, and Restoration: Divine Indicative and Human Imperative’.

Eminent Asian theologians will deliver presentations on the main theme and subthemes. ‘Reconciliation: Towards the Harmony of Creation’, ‘Renewal: Towards the Fullness of Life’, and ‘Restoration: Towards the Will of God’ are the subthemes of the CATS-IX, which will be attended by 120 theologians.

Explaining the significance of a major event like CATS, the General Secretary of CCA, Dr Mathews George Chunakara said, “CATS- IX will address vital concerns and emerging challenges pertinent to Asian realities, and it will convey profound theological visions of divine indicative and human imperative on reconciliation, renewal, and restoration of God’s creation.”

The CCA General Secretary further added, “The Pan-Asian theologians’ summit will not be a mere academic exercise, but it will be an opportunity and experience for Asian theologians to ponder together in search of the relevance of the Gospel in need of being reconciled with God in Christ, and to participate in God’s mission where the new Being in Christ can be a way of renewal and restoration of God’s creation, as well as affirming the fullness of life.”

Issues and themes addressed in various workshop sessions will include topics such as the ethics of sustainability of creation; the healing of broken relationships among people and nations; the restoration of the dignity and rights of the stateless, trafficked, and marginalised; and the ecumenical prioritisation of eco-ethics in an era of post-humanism.

CATS-IX will also place specific emphasis on addressing the theme from interfaith standpoints. A panel of religious leaders from Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity will examine ‘the theological undergirding of reconciliation, renewal, and restoration of creation’ from their respective religious perspectives, especially at a time when Asia is witnessing heightened levels of religious intolerance throughout communities.

The women theologians at CATS- IX will have a special session to discuss their insights and initiatives on ‘women doing pastoral ministry and theology’.

Keluarga Besar Gereja Bethel Indonesia (GBI) Medan Plaza will be the host for CATS-IX.