Medan, Indonesia: The newly constituted Programme Committee of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) is meeting for the first time in Medan, Indonesia, from 2 to 6 May 2024.

The CCA Programme Committee is set to focus their discussions on the CCA’s programme structure and strategic programme directions emerging from the 15th General Assembly’s decisions and proposals, as well as the CCA evaluation carried out last year before the Assembly.

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 an opening reception in Medan, Indonesia, on 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, gave welcome speeches and expressed joy at hosting the CCA Programme Committee meeting.

Metropolitan Mar Theophilose Kuriakose of the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, who also serves as the Chairperson of the newly constituted CCA programme committee, urged members to provide their full support and active participation in the undertakings of the ecumenical organisation. He expressed hope that the members’ diverse backgrounds and abilities would allow them to make significant contributions to the mission of developing and implementing initiatives for Asian churches.

Affirming the excellent resources and knowledge of the committee members and stressing the importance of listening and understanding, Metropolitan Kuriakose encouraged them to exchange ideas and provide their best efforts for the work of the CCA.

Dr Mathews George Chunakara, CCA General Secretary, began the meeting by explaining the Programme Committee’s goals and objectives and the programme structure. He also said that this meeting would explore emerging economic, social, religious, political, and environmental trends in Asia, their impact on the region’s people, and the Christian response to such challenging situations as viewed in Asia’s geopolitical context, as well as the role of Asian churches in a changing ecclesial landscape.

Rev. Jung Eun Grace Moon, CCA Programme Coordinator, briefed the CCA Programme Committee members on the following programme 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).

Rev. Moon also highlighted concerns about incorporating the overarching subject of ecological justice, which was the theme of the 15th General Assembly, and climate crisis issues into the CCA's work.

The Programme Committee meeting will also focus on establishing implementation strategies and models that will improve the CCA’s future life and ministry amongst Asian churches, including new missiological thrusts and quests for unity, contextual theologies in Asian contexts, ecumenical formation and leadership development, ecumenical spirituality, creation care and ecojustice, peacebuilding, conflict resolution and reconciliation, human rights and human dignity, migration, trafficking in persons, and statelessness, prophetic diakonia, gender justice, ecumenical women’s action against violence, the dignity of children, and health and healing for fullness of life.

For more photos (Photo Gallery), please click here:CCA Programme Committee Meeting 2024 Day 1

SOURCE>CCA