God is the ‘weaver’ who works to restore the integrity of creation, says Indonesian woman theologian

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).

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25 November 2019
IMG_3730 NRRev Irene Umbu Lolo, a woman theologian from Indonesia, speaking on 'Be Awake to Restore' at AEWA

HSINCHU, Taiwan: “God is the ‘weaver’ who actively works and continues to create for the restoration of relations and the integrity of all creation,” said Rev Irene Umbu Lolo, a  young woman theologian from Indonesia’s far-flung and remote Sumba region. 

Addressing the participants of the first-ever major ecumenical women’s gathering, the Asian Ecumenical Women’s Assembly (AEWA), Rev Irene, in the fourth thematic plenary session on the fifth day spoke on the sub-theme, ‘Be Awake to Restore’.

The fierce woman theologian and lecturer of feminist theology drew parallels between the experiences of women weavers in her native Sumba and the restorative actions of God.

“The patriarchal social and cultural systems put men in primary positions with special rights as owners and leaders, while women are categorised as second-class citizens and their lives are controlled by men. However, Sumba’s women weavers respond to these violences with non-violence, and resist in a conciliatory manner. They have proved that they are problem-solvers and peacemakers,” explained Rev Irene.

In her presentation, Rev Irene elucidated the symbolism and meaning of weaving as a restorative process. “For Sumba, weaving is the process which entails empowering those who are part of it to restore their communities, restore nature, and restore their own inner peace.” The act of collective creation, she said, was vital to the process of peaceful restoration. 

Jiji Johnson from the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church in India observed that this was a healthy process where socially negative responses were channeled by creative works in socially positive and helpful responses. This sort of creative act resulted in personal healing and collective rehabilitation with beneficial consequences for all involved.

Rev Hyomyong Lim from Korean Methodist Church wondered if the meaning, symbolism, and interpretation of the weavers’ motifs and colours were shared in other places of Asia as well.  

Sirirat Pusurinkhum from the Church of Christ in Thailand described her own experiences in the Thai context and added that weaving was a part of the locals’ lives, which aided in the healing of memories and reparation of histories. This was a phenomenon that occurred not just in one day, but over time; just as in the context of restoration which happens gradually and is facilitated by the active and dynamic working of the Holy Spirit.

AEWA, an Asian ecumenical women’s gathering is being held around the theme, ‘Arise, Be Awake to Reconcile, Renew, and Restore the Creation’. Around 250 participants representing Christian denominations from across Asia as well as officers from international ecumenical organisations are attending the week-long event at Taiwan’s techno-city, Hsinchu.