To the leaders of the Church in Sudan

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.

14 September 2004
christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity

September 4, 2004

Brothers and sisters,

We write to you from Nairobi, Kenya, where we are meeting as representatives of the Christian ecumenical bodies of the eight continents and regions of the World -- Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, North America, and the Pacific -- and of the World Council of Churches. We are meeting during a time of appalling and continuing instances of conflict and violence, from nearby Sudan to North Ossetia in Russia and in the Middle East, but we greet you in the name of him who said, "Blessed are the peacemakers."

Sudan has had a special place in the life and mission of the ecumenical movement since our ecumenical engagements in the peace process go way back to the early seventies. WCC and AACC have played a major role in giving an ecumenical and global voice to the prevailing situation in the Sudan. We affirm the Pastoral visit to North Sudan by WCC and the AACC earlier this year as an exercise of listening to the Churches, seeing the situation first hand and also encouraging you to embrace the hope for peace. We assure you of the love, care and solidarity of the churches of the World. We pledge ourselves to continue to urge the Churches of the World to work closely with the ecumenical fellowship in Sudan to promote health, food security and education for all people in the country.

The situation in both the Darfur Region and Southern Sudan continues to be a source of great concern to us. WE have been greatly encouraged by the signing of the peace agreements in Naivasha on June 13th, 2004. We are conscious of your concern that all the stakeholders should be encouraged and required to abide by the terms of agreement. We see your self-determination achieved. We will urge the Church to be vigilant in order to ensure that the peace agreements from the Naivash meetings are implemented without rancor and take effect on schedule. We are anxious that the loose ends in the agreements will be soon tied up. The world church is standing by to respond to the call to assist in the daunting challenge of rebuilding your beautiful country.

The urgency for the resolution of the crisis in the Darfur Region is a matter of great priority for us. We are disturbed at the continuing killings of the people by the Janjaweed militias. We insist on the responsibility of the Government of Sudan in fulfilling its responsibility of caring for all the peoples of Sudan. We add our voice to those that call for a free movement of the humanitarian agencies to provide care and assistance to the people caught up in this unfortunate situation. We are greatly encouraged by the sending of peace forces into the Sudan by the African Union. As representatives of World Ecumenical Christianity we assure you of our solidarity with you in your ministry in this situation and long for the day these conflicts will be finally resolved.

In the light of this we stand to hear from you more of how we would be of greater assistance to you and communities in the struglle for peace in Sudan.

Your Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The Revd Dr H Mvume Dandala
General Secretary
All Africa Council of Churches
Tel: +254-20-4441338/9

Dr Ahn Jae Woong
General Secretary
Christian Conference of Asia
Tel: +852-2691-1068

The Rt Rev Dr Kingsley Lewis
Member Continuation Committee
Caribbean Conference of Churches
Tel:

The Revd Dr Keith Clements
General Secretary
Conference of European Churches
Tel: +41-22-791-6226

The Revd Israel Batista
General Secretary
Latin American Council of Churches
Tel:

Guirguis I. Saleh
General Secretary
Middle East Council of Churches
Tel: +9613-903523; or +2012-3998833

The Revd Dr Karen Hamilton
General Secretary
Canadian Council of Churches
Tel: +1-416-972-9494 ext 22

The Revd Valamotu Palu
General Secretary
Pacific Conference of Churches
Tel:

The Revd Dr Bob Edgar
General Secretary
National Council of Churches USA
Tel: +1-212-870-3398 (office), +1-917-821-0852 (cell)

The Revd Dr Sam Kobia
General Secretary
World Council of Churches
+41-22-791-6284

This letter is facilitated through the office of the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches:

PO Box 2100
150 route de Ferney
CH-1211 Geneva 2
Switzeralnd
Tel: +44-22-791-6284
Fax:
E-mail: