Earthquake in the Philippines: CCA General Secretary offers prayers and sympathy

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.

23 April 2019
photo 2Rescue workers search for survivors in a collapsed Chuzon Super Market in Porac, Pampanga

In a letter of solidarity and sympathy addressed to the member churches of CCA in the Philippines and other member churches of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), the CCA General Secretary conveyed sympathy and condolences over the loss of life, the displacement of families and the widespread damages to property and infrastructure caused by the earthquake that struck the Luzon region.

The earthquake which had a magnitude of 6.3 on the Richter scale struck the town of Bodega in Luzon, the northern Philippines on Monday 22 April, 2019.

The CCA General Secretary wrote to the churches in the Philippines: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the people in the affected areas, especially with the grieving families of the victims and all those affected by this calamity. We are praying for the consolation of all who grieve the loss of their loved ones, and for the healing of the injured”.

“The CCA expresses solidarity with the people of the Philippines in this tragic situation. We are confident that the strength and resilience of the Filipino people will carry them through this critical time”, conveyed Dr. Mathews George Chunakara.

At least 11 people have been killed and 24 persons reported missing on 22 April afternoon in the region.

Many parts of northern Philippines experienced power outages during the earthquake and its aftershocks. Thousands queued up the thoroughfares across northern Philippines as the government ordered mass evacuations in affected provinces.

The CCA urged its member churches across Asia to support the affected people and communities with human and material resources so as to provide moral, social, psychological, and humanitarian aid.

For CCA General Secretary’s Message to the Philippines Churches, Please Click here: CCA General Secretary Message to the Philippines Churches-.pdf