The first Asian Ecumenical Women’s Assembly to be held in November 2019

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.

11 June 2019

AEWA NR Revised 6 photo

Focused on the theme ‘Arise, and be Awake to Reconcile, Renew and Restore the Creation’, the Christian Conference of Asia will be organising an Asian Ecumenical Women’s Assembly (AEWA).

The AEWA will take place in Hsinchu, Taiwan from 21 to 27 November, 2019 and be hosted by the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT).

AEWA will bring together 250 representatives of Asian Christian women to discuss their role as partners in God’s mission of healing the wounded and the broken world, and to be catalysts of reconciliation, renewal and restoration of creation.

“As the situation in Asia faces multiple complexities, women in Asia will have to come forward to address the challenges they face in day-to-day situations. In such circumstances, the women in churches cannot be mere spectators, but  have to be engaged in more meaningful dialogue, learning from and sharing experiences that would be helpful for demonstrating their commitments to reconciliation, renewal and restoration” said Dr. Mathews George Chunakara, the General Secretary of CCA.

“The AEWA will be the first major Asian ecumenical women’s gathering organised with the participation of women’s representatives from various ecclesial traditions and ecumenical organisations functional at grassroots levels, as well as at national and regional levels, including representatives of civil society and multilateral organisations in Asia”, stated CCA General Secretary in a letter addressed to all member churches and councils of CCA.

Those who are interested to attend the AEWA are encouraged to send their Application Forms with the endorsement of CCA member churches/councils or other ecumenical organizations/institutions. The composition of the participants will be based on a selection criterion including mixed age groups: ages 19 - 29 (20 %); 30 - 44 (40 %); 45 - 59 (30 %); 60 -70 (10 %).

Board and lodging as well as local transportation in Taiwan for all selected participants will be provided by the organisers. Limited travel subsidies will be made available on request for participants from countries of West, South and South East Asia as well as Mongolia and North Korea as per CCA’s travel subsidy policy guidelines.

The deadline for receiving applications at the CCA Secretariat is 31 July 2019.

For Application Form and more details about the Asian Ecumenical Women's Assembly (AEWA), please click the links below:

(1) Concept Note.pdf
(2). Invitation Letter.pdf
(3). Application-Form.doc