CCA invites applications for Asian Ecumenical Institute – 2026

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 March 2026

AEI-2025 participants in a workshop session

Chiang Mai, Thailand: The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) is inviting applications for its annual, month-long ecumenical training programme, the Asian Ecumenical Institute (AEI) – 2026.

AEI – 2026 will be held from 5 to 31 July 2026 at the CCA headquarters on the Payap University campus in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

The Asian Ecumenical Institute is a residential ecumenical formation and leadership development programme organised by the CCA for prospective ecumenical and church leaders from various Asian countries.

The theme for AEI – 2026, “Hope for Liberation Amidst the Groaning of Creation” (Romans 8: 19 - 21), invites participants into a deep and shared reflection on the suffering of creation, from bondage to decay, particularly within the Asian context. The month-long programme will explore how this “groaning” is expressed in social, environmental, and spiritual realities, while pointing toward the Christian hope that affirms the liberation of all creation.

Building on this foundation, AEI – 2026 will highlight the vital role of the ecumenical movement, both past and present, in nurturing hope and inspiring meaningful action to address creation’s suffering. It seeks to challenge apathy, indifference, and neglect that harm creation, while emphasising a Christian hope that proclaims renewal and participates in its liberation.

Admissions for AEI – 2026 will be limited to twenty-four (24) participants, selected from among applicants between the ages of 25 and 35 who are recommended and endorsed by CCA’s member church/council or an ecumenical organisation/institution.

Selections will be based on an assessment of the candidate’s commitment to the church and the ecumenical movement in their local and national contexts, gender, confessional balances, and national and sub-regional representation.

All applications will be accepted online via Google Forms: AEI – 2026 Application Form

The deadline to submit completed applications for AEI – 2026 is 24 April 2026.

For the AEI-2026 Background Note, please click here.