New CCA Programme Committee begins its first meeting for setting priorities and strategic programme planning

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.

03 May 2024

Newly constituted Programme Committee of the Christian Conference of Asia welcomed by traditional Batak ceremony

Medan, Indonesia: The first meeting of the newly constituted Programme Committee of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) was opened in a solemn inaugural session organised according to the traditional Batak welcome ceremony arranged at the Universitas HKBP Nommensen in Medan, Indonesia.

The programme committee meeting hosted by CCA member church, the HKBP and its Nommensen University will be taking place at the University Hall and at the Grand Mercure Hotel from 2 to 6 May 2024. 

The CCA Programme Committee’s main sessions are expected to focus on reviewing CCA’s current programme structure and programme priorities in the context of the recommendations by the 15th General Assembly. A new strategic programme plan for the period 2025 to 2028 based on the programme reviews and future direction proposals discussed at the Kottayam Assembly will be worked out as per the agenda of the programme committee meeting.

The meeting, attended by 16 representatives from CCA member churches and councils, and members of CCA working groups, will provide opportunities for conversations and planning sessions based on programmatic thrusts and proposals. 

The Batak Christian Protestant Church (HKBP), a CCA member church, and its higher education institution, the Universitas HKBP Nommensen, hosted a reception  in the afternoon of 2 May 2024.

Rev. Dr Victor Tinambunan, General Secretary of the HKBP, and Dr Richard A.M. Napitupulu, Rector of Universitas HKBP Nommensen, greeted and welcomed the participants.  

Bishop Dr Kuriakose Mor Theophilus, Chairperson of the programme committee, delivered the opening address and  expressed the hope that the members’ diverse backgrounds and abilities would allow them to make significant contributions to the task of developing a new strategic programme plan for the next four years. 

Dr Mathews George Chunakara, CCA General Secretary, in his introductory address, explained the Programme Committee’s roles and objectives as well as the constitutional mandates, and modalities of its function. The Committee’s task is to assist the CCA in implementation of programmes. 

The CCA General Secretary also said that the programme committee would have a role in exploring emerging economic, social, religious, political, and environmental trends in Asia., 

Rev. Jung Eun Grace Moon, CCA Programme Coordinator presented the CCA Programme structure with four priorities areas: Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU), Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Ecumenical Spirituality (EF), Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP), and Prophetic Diakonia and Advocacy (PD).

The second day’s sessions will start with a presentation on analysing Asia’s geopolitical trends and the changing ecclesial landscape.

The meeting is being attended by 16 programme committee members and programme staff of CCA.

Photo Gallery, please click here: CCA Programme Committee Meeting 2024 Day 1