He is Risen

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.

04 April 2015
christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity

Easter Message 2015

Beloved sisters and brothers,

“Peace be with you!”

This is the remarkable message of Easter.

It offered comfort and hope to Jesus’ disciples who were scared and overwhelmed by the death of Jesus. With Jesus killed and buried in the tomb, their sense of direction and purpose in life disappeared. They were left with a sense of failure, loss and confusion, not knowing what to do next. They huddled together in a room locking the door for their own security. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who proclaimed to the apostles the good news that ‘Jesus is risen’. They said that Jesus was not in the tomb and that two men in gleaming clothes told them not to search for the living among the dead, as He is risen.

“But the apostles did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.”(Luke 24:11) After all they are only women, and women aren’t rational thinkers. Peter and another disciple ran to the tomb and saw the truth for themselves, but returned confused. Later that same evening as they were still talking of their fears and disillusions, the risen Christ appeared in their midst and greeted them saying “Peace be with you!”

Today, the frightening realities of the world we live in, create doubts, fears and disappointments in our minds. Easter reminds us that the risen Christ is present in our midst and greets us with his comforting message “Peace be with you.”

Yet one wonders how this can be possible? How can we experience peace, when we live in the midst of overwhelming life-threatening situations that create conflict and discord, poverty and despair in Asia and beyond? How can there be peace when a few people guided by their greed accumulate food and resources for themselves while the majority goes hungry; when many young people do not get proper access to education and suffer due to unemployment; when children are exploited and women continuously suffer the humiliation and pain of sexual harassment and the brutality of rapes; when natural disasters render many people homeless and families are on the run from conflict zones. It becomes hard to believe that there can be peace and harmony, when people living in pluralistic communities find it difficult to accept and respect differences in a diversity of religions, cultures and traditions; when people believe that war and violence is the only way to solve problems; when people live in the constant fear of terrorist attacks; indigenous people lose their right over land and are denied their livelihood; and all God’s creation cries out for freedom from such oppression and pain.

Our human understanding keeps telling us that there is no hope in such times of trials and tribulations. However, the risen Christ breathes on us, infusing in us a life force that enables us to envision a new direction and mission in our life, even when surrounded by strong signs of violence and death. He even sends us out to follow his steps: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” (John 20:21) With the gift of grace, Christ sends us out to proclaim love and forgiveness, so that all may live together in peace beyond social, cultural and religious differences. Our rich Asian cultures uphold the values of welcoming the stranger, of offering hospitality and generous sharing of food; and affirm a spirituality that reflects the teaching of the Gospel that God in His abundant grace has granted enough resources that can be enjoyed by all in a spirit of sharing.

As members of the Christian Conference of Asia, it is our earnest prayer that the Spirit of Christ will continue to help us to live as Easter people and enable us to commit ourselves to the theme of the 14th CCA General Assembly to be held in Jakarta in May 2015: “Living together in the household of God” in peace and harmony amidst Asian plurality.

May the living Christ, journey with us to Jakarta and beyond;

Wishing you a blessed Easter,

Sincerely

Henriette Hutabarat Lebang

General Secretary