“The critical Asian principle” in Asian theology and theological education needs to be revisited, says CCA General Secretary at ATESEA Assembly

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.

21 March 2017

IMG_6228

Genuine attempts made by the Asian ecumenical theological educators in the past in identifying “what is distinctively Asian as the critical Asian principle” in theology and theological education in Asia needs to be revisited by contemporary Asian theological educators,” said CCA General Secretary Dr. Mathews George Chunakara at the General Assembly of the Association for Theological Education in South East Asia (ATESEA). 

The Assembly is being held at the Central Philippine University, Iloilo, Philippines from 20-22 March 2017.

Addressing delegates at the opening session of the Quadrennial General Assembly of ATESEA, CCA General Secretary said that, “Asian theologians have made significant and specific contributions with more Asian authenticity during the past several decades. However, what we are lacking today in Asia is sufficient contextualisation in theology and we are still lagging behind in terms of finding distinctly Asian theology which could contribute to the universal Church.”

“What is happening evinces more dependency to certain particular directions instead of sharing of rich experiences and resources within and beyond Asia.”

The CCA General Secretary added that, in the current programme structure, CCA has given special emphasis on contextual theology, through which various programmes are being carried out at regional and national levels to strengthen ecumenical theological orientation.

The Director of ATESEA, Dr. Limuel Equina observed in his report to the Assembly that, “while the situations and contexts in Asia have changed since ATESEA was founded 60 years ago, the fundamental challenge to theological education remains valid in addressing the emerging needs.”

About 90 ecumenical theological educators from 62 theological institutions belonging to the ATESEA membership are attending the General Assembly.

ATESEA, founded in 1957 with 16 theological schools in Asia, has a membership of 93 theological institutions in several countries and regions in Southeast and East Asia.