‘A Pilgrimage for Justice and Peace’

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.

19 February 2014
christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity
 
‘A Pilgrimage for Justice and Peace’
WCC Executive Committee meeting

7-12 Feb 2014

The WCC Assembly that was held with much enthusiasm and excitement in Busan in November 2013 closed with a call ‘challenging all people of good will to engage their God-given gifts in transforming actions.’ This Assembly,’ the message said ‘calls you to join us in pilgrimage.’  The message envisaged a pilgrimage of hope and perseverance, of a commitment to work for liberation and to act in solidarity, towards unity and inclusivity and being just stewards of God’s creation. The Public issues discussed and adopted, the ecumenical conversations and the pre-assemblies, gave direction and meaning to the overarching message of embarking on a pilgrimage.

The WCC Executive Committee, elected at the Assembly, met for the first time from 7-12 February 2014, at the Bossey Ecumenical Institute near Geneva, Switzerland,  to translate the mandate of the Assembly into strategic plans and visible actions, focusing on the churches’ efforts toward a “pilgrimage for justice and peace.’  The role and mandate of the WCC Executive Committee was also clarified.

Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, The General Secretary of WCC, stressed the concept of “moving together” as churches. “We need to interpret what change of language, perspective, methods and tasks this will mean. We are a fellowship which started [in 1948] by affirming and reaffirming that we will stay together,” he said.  He further stated that  “I hope and pray that this focus on pilgrimage can make us   more honest and true human beings, to ourselves and to one another, open to how God’s spirit is guiding us as we are, but also in the world as it is.”

Dr. Agnes Abuom from the Anglican Church of Ghana, the first woman to be elected as the Moderator of WCC Central Committee 2013-2021, said that “moving together on a pilgrimage of justice and peace demands stronger engagement of churches, social groups and civil society organizations as well as mutual cooperation between the WCC, Regional Ecumenical Organizations, National Christian Councils and member churches.   Referring to the situations of violence in South Sudan, Syria, the Central Africa Republic and the growing inequalities between the rich and poor around the world, she said that “We are meeting at a time when the situation in the world is presenting challenges in a new way to states, communities, churches, and the ecumenical movement. We are challenged to provide signs of hope to a world that is groaning for justice and peace. Let us be strong and very courageous in carrying out our duty as one of the governing bodies of the WCC. Remember it will be asked of us, what contribution have we made in the building of the kingdom of God?”  She further called for a sense of hope amidst challenges within the church and world.

The meeting reviewed the programmatic strategy of the council for 2014-2017 focused on ‘pilgrimage for justice and peace’, the program and budget for 2014, issued public statements and prepared relevant documents for the upcoming Central Committee meeting in July 2014. This meeting underlined the importance of involving all churches and ecumenical organizations in this common journey or pilgrimage of peace and justice.

Rev. Dr. Henriette Hutabarat Lebang