Ecumenical leader calls for campaign to create a "non-bellicose world"

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).

First Preference:
General Secretariat (GS)
Second Preference:
Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia and Advocacy (PD)
04 November 2003
christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity

Ahn Jae Woong, general secretary of the CCA has called for an "ecumenical campaign for a non-bellicose world." Presenting a report to the General Committee, held in Bangkok from 22-26 October 2003, he said that the campaign was necessary in this age of war and terror, created by a culture of violence which is spreading in many parts of the world.

He said that the ecumenical campaign should be done with people of other faiths, no faith and civil society groups.

The 26-member General Committee, comprising officers and representatives from 18-member countries in the Asia-Pacific, meets once in 18 months between the general assemblies and in the year of the general assembly. The next assembly will be held in Chiangmai, Thailand from March 31 to April 6, 2005, on the theme, "Building communities of peace for all." Eleven general assemblies have taken place so far.

Ahn Jae Woong in his report observed that "ecumenical enthusiasm has gradually declined." He felt that "ecumenical dreams, visions, theological thinking, agendas, involvement, leadership, resources" may not be attractive to the mainline churches. Decreasing church membership and funds in the mainline churches might affect the ecumenical movement in the future, he warned.

According to the general secretary, four foundations of the ecumenical movement need more focus, which are, "faith in God (requiring metanoia), love for each other and other people (requiring koinonia), hope in building communities (requiring diakonia) and care of for God's creation (requiring harmonia)."

He also listed the following tasks for the revitalization of the ecumenical movement:

Re-generate the spirituality of the ecumenical movement
Re-define the vision and mission of the ecumenical movement
Re-invent the programmes of the ecumenical movement
Re-produce leadership of the ecumenical movement
Re-construct the structure of the ecumenical movement
Re-mobilize the resources of the ecumenical movement
Re-develop membership of the ecumenical movement

Ahn Jae Woong announced that the first volume, "A History of Ecumenical Movement in Asia," by Ninan Koshy will be ready for publication in April 2004. The second volume edited by Ninan Koshy is also scheduled for release at the same time.

Earlier, on 23 October, the General Committee, which was attended by members, staff, resource persons, guests and invitees, began with an opening worship. Dr U Kyaw Than, the former general secretary of the East Asia Christian Conference delivered the sermon.

Dr Prawate Khid-arn, associate general secretary for finance in his report urged the member churches to actively participate in the work of the CCA and to really own it by extending moral and financial support.

One of the highlights of the event was the three bible studies, "Community in Mathew," "Community in Luke and in John," "Commission to mission in Mark,"conducted by Dr D Preman Niles, the Sri Lankan theologian and a former general secretary of the Council for World Mission.

The General Committee also heard the two special guests at the Committee, Rev Dr Robert Edgar, general secretary of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA and Mr Victor Hsu, senior advisor to the director of the Church World Service (CWS).

Dr Robert Edgar, a former Congressman in the USA, expressed the desire to jointly work and collaborate with the work of the CCA in creating non-violent societies. He expressed the willingness of the NCCC-USA in joining with the CCA in issuing joint statements on matters affecting the region and outside. He also called for more exchanges of delegations between the CCA and the NCCC-USA.

Mr Victor Hsu, assured the meeting that the CCA will be a major partner of the CWS in the years to come. He paid tributes to the CCA for being the Asian voice in the international ecumenical arena. He, too, wanted more exchanges of persons and information between the CCA and the churches in the USA.

Among the special invitees who attended the General Committee were, Professor James Haire, a member of the preparatory committee of the forthcoming General Assembly and president of the National Council of Churches in Australia, and Rev Sint Kimhachandra, general secretary of the Church of Christ in Thailand, which helped provide dinner and transportation to the CCA General Committee throughout the meeting.