Indonesian missiologist says dance is a metaphor of the Cross and mission

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.

16 October 2017

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Rev. Dr. Septemmy Lakawa says dance symbolises the role of arts in healing trauma of those who witness acts of violence.

Jakarta Theological Seminary professor and a missiologist from Indonesia Rev. Dr. Septemmy Lakawa told  the Asia Mission Conference in Yangon that dance symbolises the role of arts and of communities in healing trauma suffered by Christians who witness violence.

Speaking on October 16, the fifth day of the conference in Yangon, Myanmar, she said, "Dance is an artistic form embodying the spirituality of the cross – it is a broken symbol, the beauty that testifies to the wound."

While citing stories of three women victims of human trafficking, she focussed on the social and historical dimensions of trauma. She offered the perspective of the cross as a multifaceted site of wound, rupture, resilience and resistance which contests the understanding of the cross as merely a site of redemptive suffering. As a site of rupture, the cross stands as a stark reminder that suffering remains.

For Dr Lakawa, mission as embodying the spirituality of the cross begins at the site of the disembodied lives of the victims, survivors and witnesses of traumatic violence and continues as churches and Christian communities bear witness to the trauma that affects people because of violence, discrimination and war.

"At the site of resilience and resistance we will encounter troublemakers," said Dr Lakawa. Citing the parable of the widow from chapter 18 of Luke's gospel, she said, "The widow is a 'troublemaker' who caused the unjust judge to feel uncomfortable and thus grant her justice. Perhaps, we need this approach now. To be 'troublemakers' means to be 'peacemakers'. To be in mission in Asia now means to embody a spirituality of resilience and resistance – to be 'troublemakers' for peace, justice and healing.

Referring to the sentencing of former Indonesian governor Ahok for blasphemy in the Muslim-majority country, she pointed to the increasing influence of religious radicalism in the public sphere. She called upon churches and Christian communities to be a witnessing community whose life is oriented towards  shaping, creating and participating in a just and peaceful community across boundaries.

Performing an Indonesian fusion dance at the end of her presentation, Dr Lakawa showed how the dancer testifies to the presence of the Holy Spirit through her breathing in and breathing out. In conclusion she said, "Let us dance with churches, communities across differences to witness to the possibility of life, justice, peace and healing in our own contexts and beyond".