PCK and PROK Celebrate 100th General Assembly

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:
General Secretariat (GS)
Second Preference:
Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF)
18 September 2015

pck-prok-100-yearsLord, let us be reconciled…..  

Do this in remembrance of me

Mid-September was festival time in South Korea with the Presbyterian Church of Korea (PCK) and the Presbyterian Church of the Republic of Korea (PROK) celebrating their respective 100th General Assembly.  1500 pastors and elders representing 65 presbyteries, and 60 overseas guests, from mission partner churches and global ecumenical partners of PCK , attended the 100th General Assembly which was held in Sangdang Church, Cheong Ju, from 14 – 17 September 2015 with the theme: “Lord, let us be reconciled!”  (1 Corinthians 5:18 – 21/ Genesis 33:1 – 4).

The Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea (PROK) celebrated their 100th General Assembly in an equally grand manner at Wonju Young Kang Church from 14-18 September 2015, with the theme “Do this in remembrance of me.” (Deuteronomy 8:11-20, 1 Cor. 11:23 – 26, Luke 22:19 – 20).

In honor of this momentous occasion in their history, the PCK and the PROK together hosted a two-day ‘Ecumenical Forum on Peace in North East Asia’ from 12-13 September 2015, to discuss, reflect and respond to the pressing faith and ethical issues on justice, people’s security, reconciliation, peace and peaceful reunification of the Korean peninsula. CCA was represented by Rev. Jung-Eun Moon (Grace), Executive Secretary for Faith Mission and Unity at the Forum. The participants visited Imjingak, an important site on the DMZ (demilitarized zone) that divides North and South Korea, and held a special prayer service for peace and reunification of the Korean Peninsula.

Another memorable event that marked the 100 th  General Assembly, was the initiative of the PCK and PROK to hold a consultation on 10th September 2015, for the “Foundation of Indo–Korean Mission Council” with the Church of South India (CSI), Church of North India (CNI), Presbyterian Church in India (PCI) and the Ecumenical Mission in Solidarity (EMS), on 10 September 2015. Through this new network of churches in Korea and India jointly with EMS, they expect to deepen their mission, fellowship and ecumenical pilgrimage for life, justice and peace in future.

In his greetings, Dr. Mathews congratulated the PRoK for the theme “Do this in remembrance of me,” saying that it has a great significance in the life and witness of the Church in every context.  It constantly recalls the life of Jesus Christ who suffered and sacrificed to make us reconciled to God. It is a message of the commemorative ordinance, a memorial of Christ’s atoning sacrifice on the cross. Its significance reminds us of the value of the feast of living union of believers with the Savior strengthening our spiritual basis by faith and nourishing us with His life unto eternal life. This, he wrote, is an important message not only to remember or practice on special occasions or on a day in a week, but it is a message that invites us to acclaim our eternal faith. On this special occasion of celebrating the 100th anniversary of the General Assembly of PRoK, we are called to ask the question “What does it mean to remember the suffering and sacrifice of Christ in today’s Asian context?”         

Felicitating them, he said that he was sure that the commemoration of  the 10oth  General Assembly,  will also mark the beginning of another important phase of witness,  and that it will open a new way to envision a common goal of mission in unity and working together with all God’s people.

CCA wishes the PCK and PROK many more celebrations of unity and fellowship in the future.

Reported by Rev. Grace Moon

Photo: Left: PCK  Assembly: Right: PROK  Procession