Mr. Frans Tumiwa Passes Away

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).

First Preference:
Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF)
Second Preference:
Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia and Advocacy (PD)
05 April 2013
christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity

A Tribute to Mr. Frans Tumiwa from Indonesia, former CCA Staff Member

We regret to announce the death of Mr. Frans Tumiwa dear friend and former staff of the Christian Conference of Asia. On behalf of the CCA family we convey our deep sorrow and prayers to the bereaved family.

In a condolence letter addressed to his wife Mrs. Imalia and his family, CCA General Secretary Rev. Dr. Hutabarat H. Lebang wrote,   

“I received the shocking news about the passing away of Frans Tumiwa, your beloved husband, the wonderful father for the children, loving grandfather for the grandchildren, dear brother of the Tumiwa family; and most of all a dear member of the CCA family. On behalf of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) and its 100 member churches and 17 national councils of churches in 21 Asian countries, I would like to express our deep sorrow to you and the Tumiwa family.

As I am in Phnom Penh now attending the meeting of the Mekong Mission Forum, a network of Lutheran Churches, I realized that I am in the land that has been so close to the hearts of Frans, you and the Tumiwa family.  Forty years ago in 1973, Frans was sent to Vientiane, by the CCA to be the Asian Christian Service (ACS) Field Director in Laos.  In the midst of political turmoil in this area, Frans dedicated his life to work for and with the people in Laos, and later in Vietnam and Cambodia, in the area of public health, community development and education. 

After the reunification of Vietnam in 1975, the work of Frans as ACS Field Director was extended to provide assistance for healing the wounds of the war and consolidating peace and independence in the region in response to the requests heard during the visit to Hanoi,   In August 1979,   the responsibilities of Frans, on behalf of the CCA and WCC Joint Program, was extended to Kampuchea, especially in the form of humanitarian assistance to the refugees.  He continued to work as ACS Staff until 1979.

From 1980-1981, Frans was appointed as the first Executive Secretary for Development and Service Desk of the CCA and moved to Singapore, where the headquarters of CCA was then located.  We deeply appreciated the pioneering work and dedication of Frans to the life and ministry of CCA especially during the challenging time of post-war Indo China.”

Thanking God for the life and rich talents that Frans Tumiwa was gifted with, she said that, though Frans is not with us any longer, his spirit and commitment to strengthen the life and witness of the churches in Asia and around the world will continue to inspire us and the next generation of ecumenical leaders.

We continue to hold the bereaved family in our prayers.