A Letter from CCA - 4/8/10
No. 24/4 August 2010 |
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Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Appeal for Nuclear Peace Day Churches and people’s organisations are encouraged to observe Nuclear Peace Day in their localities in one of these days. Let as say NO to nuclear bombs and nuclear installations, and ensure a safe environment for the present generation and those yet to be born. Let us be reminded that peace is a legacy of all humankind and the whole world. Let us then pray and work for a nuclear-free world. Ecumenical Lectures at PERSETIA Almost 80 graduate students participated in this summer program, an annual intensive course for graduate students coming from various seminaries and universities of Indonesia. From outside Indonesia, the resource persons included a former president of the Pacific School of Religion (Dr. William McKinney), an Old Testament scholar from Philadelphia (Dr. Robert Robinson). A number of Indonesian faculty were also invited as resource persons, including a Catholic priest. Facilitating the program was the Rev. Dr. Tabita Kartika Christiani, project officer of PERSETIA, Rev. Dr. Daniel Nuhamara, chair of PERSETIA and Mr. Andreas Christanto, director of PERSETIA. Hope Antone’s presentations included (a) a framework for wider ecumenism, its historical and biblical foundations, and its implications on mission, evangelism and conversion; and (b) a framework for Asian feminist theologizing, with a practical application of the spiral of feminist theologizing in the participants’ own contexts. CCA-FMU got involved in this annual program of PERSETIA because of the Ecumenical Theological Education which is now lodged with CCA-FMU. Since not all the universities and seminaries in Indonesia teach Ecumenism and Asian Feminist Theologizing, including these topics in the summer program has enriched the courses that students take in their respective seminaries. Following the summer program, PERSETIA held its General Assembly in Jayapura Papua where they were to elect their new set of officers and together envision the direction of theological education in Indonesia. While in Tomohon, Dr Antone was invited to lead two Bible Studies on eco-feminism at the pre-women’s meeting of the World Student Christian Federation Asia-Pacific Region held in Manado, and one Bible study on men and women partnership at its Regional Committee Meeting in Tomohon. She also visited the new Synod office of GMIM (Christian Evangelical Church in Minahasa). She was able to meet their new office bearers who were having a meeting; shared lunch with them and gave a set of materials from the CCA General Assembly. Dr Antone also thanked them for their warm hospitality of the 2000 CCA General Assembly, which many people still warmly talk about not only in Asia but throughout the world. Greening the churches In a related news, churches in India have been urged to promote ‘earth citizenship’ by Vandana Shiva, an Indian environmentalist honoured for placing women and ecology at the heart of development discourse. "We have to protect the earth to uphold our right to food and to ensure our own survival. Then only, can we exercise our fundamental rights and democracy," said Shiva, delivering a lecture in Bangalore in honour of M. A. Thomas, the founder of the city's Ecumenical Christian Centre. (Ecumenical News International) CCA congratulates the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church for her commendable efforts in taking ‘earth citizenship’ very seriously. These times ‘greening’ the churches is not an option but a faith mandate. We pray that Asian churches will be inspired to start and/or sustain their work for ecological justice. IFI 108th Anniversary The IFI traces its beginnings from the struggle of the Filipino clergy against racial discrimination and monastic dominance over the country. This struggle blended with the nationalistic aspirations of the Filipino people during the Philippine revolutionary struggles against Spanish colonialism. The establishment of IFI on August 3, 1902 concretized the Filipino clergy's demand to secularize and Filipinize the Church in the Philippines. Father Gregorio Aglipay was the church's first Prime Bishop or Obispo Maximo, who served from 1902 to 1940, followed by a string of ten bishops with the Most Reverend Godofredo David as its current head. The celebrations also included the launching of the IFI Hymnal, which incorporated contemporary as well as best loved hymns, including some taken from CCA's Sound the Bamboo. Charlie Ocampo, CCA's Executive Secretary for Justice, International Affairs, Development and Service joined the Rev. Fr. Rex Reyes, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) and Bishop Constante Claro, who represented Bishop Reuel Norman Marigza, General Secretary of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) in addressing and greeting the parishioners and guests at the centennial celebration. New WSCF/AP leadership CCA congratulates and offers prayer and support to Yustin for this new and challenging post. Let us pray that WSCF/AP and its ministry will thrive in faith and increase in membership.
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