A Solidarity letter to the churches in Egypt

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.

18 August 2013
christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity

A Solidarity Letter to the Churches in Egypt Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

On behalf of the Christian Conference of Asia, let me express our shock and deep distress on the news of the tragic situation in Egypt. Though we are well aware that Christians have suffered discrimination and violence in Egypt for a long time, we are grieved and very concerned about the recent systematic attacks on dozens of Coptic and other churches, along with homes and businesses owned by the Christian minority. The world community has condemned the targeting of Christians who make up only 10 per cent of Egypt’s population of 90 million.

We hold you in our prayers and plead with God for strength and faith in these trying times. We pray for Egypt where history and religion have walked hand in hand, and has given the world glimpses of its ancient civilization and cultural heritage. We pray for the ancient monasteries, churches and public institutions that are under threat of destruction. We pray for each and every one of you, for protection under His wings, as a shield and the ‘rock of ages.’ For God has promised that He will "....Put you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover you with my hand.” Exodus 33:22

In prayer and solidarity,

Henriette Hutabarat Lebang

General Secretary, CCA

Bishop Serapion (Coptic Orthodox, Los Angeles) in a statement on the Violence in Egypt said “We follow the current events in our beloved Egypt with lifted hearts, praying to our beloved God that He has compassion on the beloved people of Egypt and alleviates the distress of terrorism and terrorists’ attacks. We trust in our Almighty God who defends the oppressed and avenge them. We trust that our country, Egypt, with its ancient history will be able to pass through this ordeal. I ask all the people of the church to unite in prayers for the peace of Egypt.”

Metropolitan Mikhail of Asyut, Egypt said: "Today the churches of Egypt have become like a censer, with fire coming out of it, mixed with incense, raised to the heavens as a sweet aroma, so that God may have compassion on His people and perform unprecedented wonders."

Fr. Beshouy Helmy, General Secretary of the Egypt Council of Churches says, “Amid attacks on the Egyptian people, (both Christians & Muslims), we have called on the Egyptian government and armed forces to protect the people of Egypt and to maintain unity. He requests for prayers for “our beloved Egypt” and is worried about the threat of destruction looming on the precious heritage of old churches, monasteries and public buildings like the library of Alexandria.

Rev. Mouneer Anis, the Anglican Bishop of Egypt in Suez, wrote in an open letter this week that St. Saviour’s Anglican Church was targeted with "stones and Molotov cocktails." He asked readers to "please pray and ask others to pray.... Please pray that the situation will calm down, for wisdom and tact for the police and the army, for the safety of all churches and congregations, and that all in Egypt would be safe. May the Lord bless you!" The request has spread across Anglican media, with churches worldwide calling for prayers.