Regional ecumenical leaders convene at Bossey to share concerns, strengthen bonds

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.

    02 July 2019

    Leaders of eight regional ecumenical organizations are meeting with the World Council of Churches (WCC) at the Bossey Ecumenical Institute on 2-4 July. In addition to the WCC, organizations represented include the All Africa Conference of Churches; Christian Conference of Asia; Caribbean Conference of Churches; Conference of European Churches; Canadian Council of Churches; Middle East Council of Churches; National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA and Pacific Conference of Churches.The WCC general secretary (center) welcomed leaders of eight regional ecumenical organizations at the Bossey Ecumenical Institute. Photo: Marcelo Schneider/WCC

    Leaders of eight regional ecumenical organizations are meeting with the World Council of Churches (WCC) at the Bossey Ecumenical Institute on 2-4 July. In addition to the WCC, organizations represented include the All Africa Conference of Churches; Christian Conference of Asia; Caribbean Conference of Churches; Conference of European Churches; Canadian Council of Churches; Middle East Council of Churches; National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA and Pacific Conference of Churches.

    In addition to sharing news and concerns from each region, the group will identify common concerns such as peace in the Middle East, climate justice, racism, and the Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace, among others. Participants will also determine and plan opportunities for cooperation and joint action.

    WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit said: “We have been listening to the updates from the different regions and we have seen more clearly what unites us. We have become mutually accountable to one another and to our common calling and mission.”

    Tveit added: “We discussed practical cooperation across the regions and the role of the WCC is to be the facilitator and the coordinator of the one ecumenical movement.”

    A working group will present the Guiding Principles for Relationships and Cooperation between the WCC and the Regional Ecumenical Organizations, and the group will have an opportunity to discuss that text as well.

    Tveit underlined that the WCC will  invest in more staffing capacity in relation to the regional work to develop and facilitate closer collaboration.

    The ecumenical leaders will also receive and share ways of strengthening their communication together, and will hear an update on preparations for the WCC 11th Assembly to be held in Karlsruhe, Germany in 2021.

    Also on the agenda will be a presentation from the ACT Alliance, and an update on the regional and annual foci of the Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace. Leaders of regional ecumenical organizations will also have the opportunity to meet with individual WCC staff.

    Links

    https://www.oikoumene.org/en/press-centre/news/regional-ecumenical-leaders-convene-at-bossey-to-share-concerns-strengthen-bonds

    More photos of the meeting in Bossey

    All Africa Conference of Churches

    Canadian Council of Churches

    Caribbean Conference of Churches

    Christian Conference of Asia

    Conference of European Churches

    Middle East Council of Churches

    National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA

    Pacific Conference of Churches