Women Theologians affirm, “Equal opportunities are celebration of the gift of togetherness and the life in its fullness”

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.

26 February 2018

Meditating our Strength led by Ms. Jennifer Jag Jevan

The participants of the national consultation on ‘Women Doing Theology’ held in Lahore, Pakistan affirmed that “equal opportunities for men and women to participate in mission and witness are occasions to rejoice and celebrate the gift of togetherness and the life in its fullness”.

Organized by the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), the consultation was was held in Lahore, Pakistan from 21 to 23 February 2018.

This Consultation  was attended by thirty three women theologians from  various churches, theological institutions and Christian organizations in Pakistan; Salvation Army, Church of Pakistan, Presbyterian Church in Pakistan, the Roman Catholic Church, Gujranwala Theological Seminary, St. Thomas Theological Seminary, Christian Study Center, Open Theological Seminary, Maktaba-e Anaveem Pakistan(MAP) - People’s Forum for Contextual Theology.

While addressing the question on “what it means by ‘doing theology in Asian Context, especially in Pakistan’, the participants echoed their concern that “men and women are equals before God, both bearing the image of God. God calls both men and women to fulfill the roles and responsibilities specially designed for them. However, in all spheres of Asian society, women are being dominated and de-womanized. In the Church and society women are being treated with bias”.

The participants challenged the gender based discriminations in the church and society, and opined that “Biblical and theological exegesis often grant men fuller participation than women in the life of the church, and restrict the role of women to an inferior levels”.

”Women theologians are expected to play a crucial role to nurture the prophetic voice of women at all levels. Doing theology that empowers and liberates women in the Church and society will ensure upholding the dignity and equality of women in the Church and society”, added Pakistan’s women theologians who came together in a common platform through the facilitation of CCA.

Gender based violence against women has its deep roots in a patriarchal social structure of Pakistan. It is important for the churches to address the crucial issues women in Pakistan are facing; and a gender sensitization education is essential in Pakistan’s Church and society”, said Ayra Inderyas of the Church of Pakistan.

Jennifer Jag Jivan in a presentation on ’Empowering Leadership and Recognizing Women’s Strength’ invited the women theologians to meditate on their strength and weakness.

“From the very beginning of church history, women fulfilled a vital role in the churches. Women have passion and warm hearts to listen to other voices and understand others’ needs. Women should strengthen their spirituality in order to develop their talents”, added Jennifer Jag Jivan.

Farhana Nazir, professor at the Gujranwala Theological Seminary in a presentation on ‘Envisioning a Renewed Church in Pakistan’ told the participants to “Be courageous to voice your presence to the people and show your capacity; otherwise nobody would recognize you.”

Bible Study sessions were focused on affirming equality of women intellectually, socially and morally in the contexts of women re-reading the story of Leah, Rachel, Jacob and Christian Family Laws.

Pakistan’s women theologians affirmed that re-reading of the Bible requires them to act for justice and interpret the Bible in a way that affirms the rights and dignity of women, children and all marginalized segments of society.

The consultation was facilitated and coordinated by CCA programme staff Rev. Jung Eun Moon and Sunila Ammar.

Women Doing Theology is one of CCA’s strategic programme priorities to promote a collective effort of study, analysis, and reflection among committed young Asian women theologians to address pertinent Asian issues and contextual theologizing from a feminist perspective.