Korean Christians pray for a "World without Nuclear weapons and Nuclear Power"

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 March 2012
christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity

15 March 2012

God of freedom and liberation!  

Facing the 93rd anniversary of the 1919 Independence Movement, we remember our ancestors, who believed in the God of the Exodus and courageously rose up toward a future of life.  

With the sincere faith of conscience, and the hope of a joyful life for future generations, they declared this nation's right to life, freedom and independence, and they prayed for true peace in Northeast Asia and the world. 

But now at the start of the 21st century we witness, with worried and fearful hearts, that this beautiful peninsula is covered by the dark cloud of nuclear weapons and power plants.  

In this land where Rachel's lamenting over historical pains has not ceased, and where the scars of suffering and wrongful death have not healed, once again we see the shadow of death hanging over us.  

On the current world historical stage, North Korea has chosen nuclear weapons and South Korea has clung to nuclear energy. The Korean peninsula and Northeast Asia have become the world's most dangerous nuclear minefield, surrounded by nuclear weapons and nuclear power plants.

 

O God, hear our prayers of lament and repentance!

We lament the foolishness of humanity, which despite the experience of two world wars in the 20th century, is still caught in the vicious cycle of increasing wars and weaponry.  

We repent that human greed and selfishness has led us to pour astronomical amounts of money and resources into the arms race, even as countless children are starving to death in our global village. 

God, awaken us to realize that our true security lies not in nuclear weapons but in trusting you and respecting our neighbors. 

 

O God, who watches the empires rise and fall! 

Grant wisdom to our governments and corporations, that they may turn away from their worship of the idol of unlimited economic growth, which makes the strong prey on the weak. May they instead choose the way of cosmic truth: the life of conviviality with all living beings, humans and nature.  

As we confess and repent of our sins of greed and consumerism in pursuit of nuclear power, grant us humble hearts and simple lives. 

Awaken us to know that true wealth is found not in the accumulation of material goods but in a creative, sharing life.

May we learn that nuclear weapons and nuclear energy are not compatible with peace. Lead us to be free from nuclear preoccupation.

Awaken us to know that our true strength is not in nuclear power but in love and justice.

 

O God, hear our prayers!

Grant us the courage to go through the narrow gate that leads us to life, not the wide gate that leads to destruction.  

May we leave to our children not a painful and terrible heritage, but a life that uses natural energy from your created sun, wind and water. 

O God, lead us Korean Christians not to export nuclear power plants, an act that is contrary to your command of justice and love, but to live as your apostles of peace, teaching your life and peace. 

Remembering that on the cross our Lord shared the suffering of the nuclear radiation victims, and hoping that a new heaven and new earth of life and peace may be realized from Mount Halla in the south to Mount Paekdu in the north, throughout Northeast Asia and all the earth, we pray in the name of Christ Jesus.

Amen.

National Council of Churches in Korea (Committee for Ethics of Life); National Alliance of YMCA in Korea; Korea Church Women Ltd.; Ecumenical Youth Council in Korea; Bible Korea; National Association of Pastors for Justice and Peace;Christian Solidarity Network for Anti-Nuclear Movement

 

This Prayer was offered at the Worship Service during which the Faith Declaration of Korean Christians for a "World without Nuclear Weapons and Nuclear Power” was stated.

The declaration is a timely one because of two events:

the anniversary of the Japanese Fukushima Nuclear Reactor disaster on 12 March, 2012 that jolted the world back to the reality of the vulnerability of earth and humanity and the Nuclear Security Summit to be held, from March 26-27, 2012, in Seoul, Republic of Korea.

This summit gains significance not only because it will be attended by 47 Heads of states and   International organizations including the UN, IAEA, EU as well as INTERPOL, but also because it is being held with the shadow of the Fukushima disaster looming over it. 

As the Republic of Korea prepares to host and co-ordinate this momentous event, the Korean Christians have published a Faith declaration “For a world Free of Nuclear Weapons and Nuclear power.' 

This is based on the premise that Nuclear energy and weapons cannot co-exist with peace; Nuclear energy cannot help to overcome global warming, Nuclear waste contaminates earth and therefore destroys life. It calls for liberation from a nuclear culture that is based on greed and consumerism and advocates solidarity for life.