Fraternal representatives of CCA partners from across the world extend greetings at the 15th General Assembly

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 October 2023

Kottayam, India:  Fraternal representatives from the Church and ecumenical partners from across the world attended the 15th General Assembly of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), and extended greetings at different plenary sessions of the Assembly.

Those who attended the Assembly and Pre-Assembly events included representatives from the church and ecumenical organisations from countries such as Canada, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, the United States of America, Switzerland, Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Russia, as well as sister organizations such as the FABC, WCC, ICFLC, WACC, and WSCF.  

“Bishop Francis Serrao SJ, who represented the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conference (FABC) extended greetings and, said, “The CCA and FABC have had a long and fruitful relationship. As we are gathered here in this Assembly, a significant event in the life of the Roman Catholic Church is being celebrated in Rome. Pope Francis has termed it an ‘exercise of mutual listening’. His key words are communion, participation, mission, encounter, listening, and discernment.

Isn’t it a beautiful thing that these precisely have been the hallmarks of the journey of the CCA and FABC? Therefore, would it not be fitting to call this CCA Assembly too a synodal journey?

And isn’t there ample reason for us to rejoice and thank the Lord for the splendid fruits of this fraternal collaboration which we are enjoying even today?”

Felicitous greetings were also extended by  Metropolitan Sevryuk Anton, Russian Orthodox Church Moscow Patriarchate; Dn. Kerry Ruth Scarlett and  Sheila Avril Norris, Methodist Church in Britain;  Rev. Frida Falk, Church of Sweden; Dr Sarosh Koshy, Global Ministries (Disciples of Christ and United Church of Christ in the USA;  Patricia Kathryn Talbot, United Church of Canada;;  Rev. Jieun Kim Han, Presbyterian Church USA – World Mission;  Dr Andrea Maria Mann, Anglican Church of Canada;  William Jansson Winge, Church of Sweden;  Rev. Dr Risto Jukko, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland; and Andreas Hans Dybkjaer-Andersson, Aeropagus, Denmark;  Dr Liza Bano Lamis, International Committee for the Fellowship of the Least Coin (ICFLC); Dr Vincent Rajkumar, World Association for Christian Communication (WACC); Darlene Marquez Caramanzana,  United Methodist Church – General Board of Global Ministries; Rev. Dr Atenjemba Wati Longchar, Foundation for Theological Education in South East Asia (FTESEA); and Dr Manoj Kurian, World Council of Churches, and Yowanda Yonggara, World Student Christian Federation.

For more photos (photo gallery) please click here: Greetings from Representatives from the Church and Ecumenical Partners