The interconnectedness of the missionary movement and its established mission of evangelism have been part and parcel of the modern ecumenical movement. The founding of the Christian Conference of Asia itself was based on the principle to unite the Asian churches for common evangelistic tasks. However, in the past few decades the ecumenical movement at the global and at the Asian regional level, the role of ecumenical movement in evangelism has not been addressed adequately. Meanwhile, new generation churches and para-church groups have gone far ahead with their personalized agenda of evangelism mainly to promote church growth or establish new generation churches. As result, evangelism is interpreted as a synonym for proselytism. Often Christians and their mission and evangelism are considered reasons for vehicles of religious conversions and threat to majority religions in Asia.

As this worldview continues to gain strength, the diversity and tolerance of religions that were once the strength and pride of Asia, have been threatened today by growing religious intolerance in several parts of Asia. The birth place of all major religions in the world is now affected by conflicts that have been abetted in the name of religion, especially by politicization of religion. There is an increasing and alarming trend of political parties using religion to gain power; while religious leaders use politics as a means to establish their authority and influence in a political system. These tendencies often lead to more communal and social polarization, and create a majority-minority religious divide that increases religious intolerance and hatred in society.

The CCA will be engaged in activities that promote inter-religious cooperation and fellowship with people of other faiths to live in harmony beyond the traditional boundaries of religions;

seek churches’ role and responsibility in propagating  freedom of religion and practice  missiological tasks in a midst of rising religious extremism in Asia and address the concerns of emerging trends of politicization of religion and religionization of politics in Asia from  theological and missiological perspectives.