FMU News and Updates

Ecumenical Enablers’ Training

2011-12-15T14:35:00.000+07:00

Kampuchea Christian Council
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
1-5 December 2011

A third batch of 35 pastors, lay, youth and women leaders from member churches of the Kampuchea Christian Council attended the Ecumenical Enablers’ Training program organized by CCA-FMU on 1-5 December 2011 at Calvary Church in Phnom Penh. This non-formal Ecumenical Theological Education program seeks to address the needs of new and younger members of CCA, especially where there is a lack of ecumenical theological education, where many pastors are self-made or trained non-formally or do not have access to formal theological education. To prevent them from becoming vulnerable to many types of doctrines brought by enterprising missionaries (including anti-ecumenical propaganda) flocking to their countries, CCA has tried to be proactive in equipping pastors, church leaders, youth workers, women leaders and Sunday School teachers for a more holistic sense of the ministry with a perspective of wider ecumenism, and with the lens of Asian contextual theologizing and Asian biblical hermeneutics.

With the theme, “Living Together in the Household of God,” the training tried to present the wider ecumenical vision in a way that Cambodian Christian leaders would be able to affirm the vision of living together in the household of God, take responsibility for the brokenness in God’s household, and commit to recover the interconnectedness in God’s household through their various ministries. Dr. Hope S. Antone, past Joint Executive Secretary of CCA-FMU, did the overall coordination of the training, including giving a general introduction to the theme, “Living Together in the Household of God”, perspectives of people of other races and religions, and of people with disability, and sustaining church organizations. Other resource persons and their topics were: CCA General Secretary, Rev. Dr. Henriette Hutabarat Lebang, mission perspective of living together in the Household of God; incoming CCA-FMU Executive Secretary Rev. Grace Moon, perspectives of creation and women; and Ms. Janejinda Pawadee, program assistant for CCA-JID, perspectives of people living with HIVAIDS and of children and youth.

In their evaluation comments, the participants hoped that CCA will continue to provide more trainings – and to include topics like youth leadership, Sunday School teaching, agricultural skills, strategies for church development and community development, how to make disabled people live stronger, how to make churches more self-propagating, self-governing and self-dependent.

2011-10-17T22:50:00.002+07:00

Message from the Second Global Gathering of the Global Christian Forum
4 - 7 October 2011, Manado, Indonesia

The second international gathering of the Global Christian Forum (GCF) met in Manado, Indonesia, from 4-7 October, 2011. Experiencing joy at being together and aware of the abiding presence of the grace of God, we came from 65 different countries and numerous Christian churches, traditions and expressions. The 287 participants included 18 young adults from across the globe, representing two international student organisations, who participated fully in the discussions and deliberations. This gathering brought together the great streams of the Christian faith, replicating in this way the first international Global Christian Forum gathering in Limaru, Kenya, in 2007, acclaimed as the most diverse Christian assembly in history. We gathered in Manado around the theme of ‘Life Together in Jesus Christ: Empowered by the Holy Spirit’.

When we met for prayer and worship, which we did regularly, in plenary, at neighbourhood churches and in small groups, a deep hunger for unity in Christ was both experienced and acknowledged. To a large extent this depth of connection was made possible by the commitment to create open space and a relational community. While the fact that Christian churches are divided causes such a gathering no small amount of pain and struggle, we do not doubt it is the will of God in Christ that we be one (John17).

One of the most poignant moments of the four days was a panel of churches and communities that have experienced healing and reconciliation in Christ. These included the resurrection of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church in Albania; the Taizé Community; the reconciliation of Lutherans and Mennonites at the international and local levels; and the extraordinary stories of the churches in China and the churches in the Middle East and northern Africa.

The substance of plenary papers and presentations flowed out into conversations where participants met in regional gatherings as well as in tradition-specific groups. Bible studies gathered groups of people across traditions and nationalities, as did the larger discussion groups. All this permitted and encouraged the formation of relationships that transcended differences and also allowed for a deepening understanding of ‘the other’.

The overall focus of the Global Christian Forum gathering in Indonesia was two-fold. First, the GCF began to engage the enormous shifts in world Christianity. Our discussion included the pervasive consequences of resource inequality and the dangers of inadequate terminology such as ‘Global South’ and ‘migrant churches’. All present recognized that these topics will challenge us for years to come. Aware we were meeting in the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, we were addressed by an Islamic scholar and by His Excellency, the Governor of North Sulawesi about the multi-faith character of Indonesia.

Second, the GCF recognized the upsurge of Pentecostal and charismatic movements which celebrate the person and work of the Holy Spirit. In light of these considerations, the GCF asked the questions, ever ancient and ever new: What is the Holy Spirit saying to the Church locally and globally? What is the Spirit’s direction as we seek to be good stewards of God’s creation?

The ‘guiding purpose’ of the Global Christian Forum, approved at the first global gathering in Limuru in 2007, is to create an open space wherein representatives from a broad range of Christian churches and inter-church organizations, which confess the triune God and Jesus Christ as perfect in his divinity and humanity, can gather to foster mutual respect, to explore and address together common challenges.

Participants in Manado offered the following reflection on the gathering:

• We reaffirm the Forum’s guiding purpose. We have heard the Spirit calling us not only to continue to foster respect for one another but now also to move forward together exploring and addressing common challenges.

• We express great appreciation for the extraordinary hospitality offered by our Indonesian hosts, and we promise to pray for them as they live in a complex interreligious situation.

• We give profound thanks for the insightful papers, presentations, group work, and inspiring worship. This meeting of the GCF focused on the person and work of the Holy Spirit. We discovered a great blessing in the sharing of faith stories and the fostering of a relational community. We were indeed humbled by the stories of the reconciliation of communities and individuals. The gathering became a grace-filled moment in the life of the Church.

• We appreciate the leadership of the GCF Committee and are grateful for the exemplary service of Hubert van Beek, GCF Secretary from the Forum’s inception. In particular, we give thanks for the holistic approach that brought together churches and international Christian organizations. The speakers helped deepen our understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit as well as assisting our consideration of the changes and trends in world Christianity. We affirm the centrality of Scripture throughout the meeting. In response to these many blessings, we commit to pray for unity and seek opportunities for common witness.

• We also commit to renewed attention to the relationship between unity and mission. Disparity of resources and imbalance of power must be addressed. We must also address the need for a broader inclusiveness in our own gatherings, considering age, gender, regions, traditions, ethnicities, and abilities.

• We experience the open space in the Global Christian Forum as a gift of God. In a fragmented world and church, this unique expression of unity, embracing the breadth of world Christianity, is a source of inspiration and hope. We believe it is a helpful model for building authentic Christian relationships in every place. We know that God’s Spirit draws the body of Christ into unity for the sake of God’s mission in the world. So we commit ourselves to nurture the Global Christian Forum, as the Spirit leads, as witness to God’s saving and transforming love.

Second GCF Global Gathering Information

This second GCF global gathering brought together great streams of the Christian faith: African Instituted, Anglican, Catholic, charismatic, Evangelical, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Protestant, and contemplative communities. At this meeting the participants came from 65 countries and all continents. The gathering included 12 Christian world communions, global ecumenical organisations, 6 world Evangelical/Pentecostal/Charismatic organisations, a number of regional organisations, and two global student organisations, the World Student Christian Federation and the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students.

These papers and presentations were presented: Prof. Dana Robert spoke on ‘Witness and Unity in 21st Century World Christianity’; the Rev. Dr Kim Sang-Bok David addressed ‘Trends and Changes in World Christianity’; Mr. Peter Crossing presented the Atlas of Global Christianity; Rev. Dr K. M. George addressed ‘Bearing Witness to Christ and to Each Other in the Power of the Holy Spirit’; Dr Opoku Onyinah spoke about the history of Pentecostalism and its contributions to World Christianity; President Michelle Moran, International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services, Rome, described the development of the charismatic movement within the Roman Catholic Church. Participants received on CDs the recently launched statement ‘Christian Witness in a Multireligious World: Recommendations’, jointly produced by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, the World Council of Churches, and the World Evangelical Alliance.

In the final plenary, the Indonesian host churches established an Indonesian Christian Forum.

2011-10-17T22:36:00.001+07:00

Guidelines from the Second Global Gathering of the Global Christian Forum
4 – 7 October 2011, Manado, Indonesia

Discerning the future of the Global Christian Forum

We experience the space created by the Global Christian Forum (GCF) as a gift from God. We affirm the GCF committee’s leadership and urge them to continue seeking the Holy Spirit’s guidance in shaping the Forum’s future, offering the following as our contribution to this discernment.

Sharing faith journeys

The practice of sharing personal and community faith journeys is central to the GCF, and we believe it is one of the Forum’s unique contributions to the body of Christ. It demystifies and bridges differences between us, leads to mutual appreciation, encourages humility, and helps us to recognize the work of the same Holy Spirit in each other’s lives.

Next steps for the Global Christian Forum

The GCF should move to the next level in providing a platform for building relationships. The GCF should therefore continue to organize gatherings periodically, including at the global level, which facilitate sharing theological issues, enhance our understanding and appreciation of different Christian traditions, and offer an experience of others’ modes of worship. And, because our encounter with one another as brothers and sisters in Christ must affect our behavior and attitudes as we return to our own communities and contexts, the GCF committee and participants should encourage regional and national Christian forums, as well as forums for specialized ministries (e.g. reconciliation, healing, justice, etc.). The gatherings of Christians in the spirit of the GCF at the more local level will enhance the GCF mission in the future.

Participants

Organizers of future GCF gatherings should make every effort to ensure that participants are representative of the diversity of worldwide Christianity and its leadership, in gender, age, economic capacity, physical ability, region, ethnicity, tradition, etc. Special attention should be given to improving the participation of women and youth, including on the GCF committee. We also hope that future gatherings will encourage greater balance in sharing between presenters and participants, and improve translation capabilities to allow full participation of non-English speakers.

Unity and God’s Mission

GCF participants value the opportunity to take concrete steps toward a greater experience of Christian unity without abandoning theological distinctives and traditional identities. One aspect of this unity is the evidence provided by our shared faith journeys that we are fellow agents of God’s mission, called and sent by the same Lord Jesus Christ and empowered by the same Holy Spirit. We believe that this recognition of sharing in God’s mission must be manifested at the local level, as well, and that the expansion of the GCF via regional, national, and local forums could improve our understanding of unity. These forums should not avoid issues of mission that divide Christians at the local level; for example, different understandings of church growth. We believe that such work is critical in light of the changes in world Christianity. In the pursuit of unity, the GCF should actively seek to include more recent manifestations of Christianity (e.g. independent churches, megachurches, contemporary Chinese churches, etc.) that are not encompassed by common historical traditions.

Topical issues

We have heard the Spirit calling us, not only to foster respect for one another, but now also to move forward together in addressing common challenges. GCF participants believe that the Forum has the potential to be a space for discussing relevant topical issues, even and perhaps especially where we are not in agreement with one another. To take just one example, GCF participants have questions and concerns about the presentation of other religions within the Forum gathering. We trust that the Holy Spirit will continue to draw us closer to one another and strengthen our bonds of trust and friendship, allowing us to engage matters of theological and ethical difference among us. We believe that the Forum is already helping Christians better to navigate the challenges of a multicultural and multi-religious world.

The changing face of world Christianity

Over the past century the rapid growth of Christian populations in Africa, Asia, and other parts of the world has shifted the demographic center of Christianity, making it a genuinely worldwide religion. This shift will shape the work that GCF does and the way in which we carry it out. In particular, the significant resource imbalance between Christians worldwide raises profound concerns for both unity and justice. We recognize that Christians are called to serve and to empower the poor, the persecuted, and the marginalized, regardless of their location, both individually and systemically.

Structure

GCF should maintain a modest, flexible structure and avoid institutionalization. The GCF should practice financial transparency and accountability regarding spending and fundraising. The GCF committee should review its composition and function as it works with and considers how best to support the new GCF secretary.

Above all, GCF staff, leaders, participants, and supporters should pray diligently for its work and mission.

Manado, 7 October 2011

GLOBAL CHRISTIAN FORUM, Manado 2011

2011-10-13T20:57:00.000+07:00

UPDATE 2

WORLD CHRISTIANITY HAS A NEW ADDRESS, A NEW LOOK AND MANY NAMES

An unprecedented change in location and composition of Global Christianity leads to profound realignment

Manado, Indonesia
05 October, 2011

“The story of Christianity as a worldwide faith is being written before our eyes”, declared Dr. Dana Robert of Boston University School of Theology, as she addressed a group of world church leaders on the fundamental realignment of Christian faith around the globe.

“Christianity has undergone one of the greatest demographic and cultural shifts in its 2000 year history,’ Robert said.

She was speaking to the Global Christian Forum (GCF) at Manado, Indonesia, which in itself reflects changing patterns of Church engagement.

Uniquely, the gathering has brought together leaders from all major church traditions, all theological perspectives and major world communions including the Anglican Communion, the World Council of Churches, the World Evangelical Alliance, the Pentecostal World Fellowship and representatives of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for promotion of Christian Unity.

In a statistical analysis of the changing demographics and practices of global Christianity, Mr. Peter Crossing of the Centre for the Study of Global Christianity, told the GCF that a century ago (1910), 66 percent of the world’s Christians lived in Europe, but today it accounts for only 26 percent of the world’s Christian population.

He said the “Global North (defined as Europe and North America) contained over 80 percent of all Christians in 1910 falling to under 40percent by 2010”. In 1910 less than 2 percent of all Christian lived in Africa but by 2010 this had skyrocketed to 20 percent or world Christianity by 2010.

Crossing, who is a researcher for the Atlas of Global Christianity, said that whilst the overall number of Christian’s globally had remained fairly constant over the last one hundred years there had been “dramatic change in the centre of gravity of global Christianity”.

A century ago the statistical ‘centre of gravity’ for Christianity was near Madrid, but “in 2010 the statistical centre had shifted to somewhere just south of Timbuktu in Mali. This 100-year shift is the most dramatic in Christian history,” Crossing said.

But one thing has not changed and that is where the financial resources reside. “Finances are still firmly in the (global) North; sixty percent of Christians live in the South, but they have only 17 percent of Christian income,” Crossing said.

Crossing also noted that a century ago Christianity was largely a Western phenomenon: “including strong European Roman Catholic presence in Latin America, where few church leaders were Latin Americans.” Today the new expressions of Global Christianity are coming from Africa and Asia.

He said the change was most dramatically illustrated by in the ‘mother-tongues’ used in worship and the number of denominations: today Mandarin Chinese is the 5th most prevalent language used to worship God – 100 years ago China hardly registered. (The top four today are Spanish, Portuguese, English and French.) Globally, there are some 41,000 Christian denominations, reflecting “the fragmentation” of the global church, Crossing said.

Within these profound changes Crossing said there had also been major developments in existing churches: revivalism, indigenous churches and renewal churches had flourished in every continent but, again, especially in the South.

Another presenter, Dr. Sang-Bok David Kim, of the World Evangelical Alliance, told the GCF, that the huge changes in the church internationally meant “Christianity is no longer a ‘white mans’ religion. Christians are now everywhere.”

Looking at comparative numbers Kim said Christianity was still the world’s largest faith grouping with 32.9percent of the global population followed by Islam at 22.9 percent. “Muslims are increasing faster than Christians, not so much from conversions, but due rather to their higher birth rate (1.9 percent, Christians 1.2 percent)”, he said.

Although the Global North has declined in numbers overall evangelical, Pentecostal and charismatic communities continue to grow there, as well as in Africa, Latin America and Asia, Kim said.

Kim noted one of the most “astonishing success stories” has been the work of evangelical missions since post World War II and the subsequent growth of indigenous evangelical movements globally. ”Evangelicals numbered 82 million (2.9 percent) in 1960 and they have reached 546 million in 2010 (7.9percent)’, he said.

Reflecting on the changes, Dr. Robert said they raise critical questions for all churches: “Contemporary Christians are focusing on mission for multiple purposes – both to recover tradition and to recover from tradition.

“Conversations about mission and witness has become an urgent agenda for declining mainline Christians… as they struggle to reframe their identity in a global marketplace. At the same time, adherents of new ministries often see their witness as a recovery of primitive Christianity that challenges the older denominations”, Robert said.

Robert opined that “Today’s urgent need for Christian unity does not look like the 1950s and 1960s, when self-satisfied Protestant leaders pushed for organic unity at the expense of diversity of witness.

The growth that characterizes world Christianity today means that unity will be taken seriously only where mission is taken seriously”, Robert said.

That mission however is varied. Kim noted that “re-evangelization” is the prime task of many churches such as in the Russian Orthodox, which was “concentrating more on evangelization of the 80 percent nominal Orthodox Christians” rather than concerns of proselytism of the 1990’s.

And Crossing said statistics showed there was over 1.136 billion hours of evangelism across the globe per year: “enough evangelism for every person to hear a one hour presentation of the gospel every other day all year long”, but “it was mostly directed at other Christians”!

ENDS

Kim Cain
Global Christian Forum – Communications Secretary
+62 8219 056 7841

Global Christian Forum

2011-10-04T13:48:00.000+07:00

Meeting in Manado, Indonesia 4- 7 October, 2011

UNIQUE GLOBAL GATHERING BRINGS UNPRECEDENTED NUMBERS OF CHURCH LEADERS TOGETHER FROM ACROSS BREADTH AND DEPTH OF WORLD CHRISTIANITY

A unique gathering of the leaders reflecting the breadth and depth of world Christianity will begin in Indonesia beginning tomorrow, 4 October.

The Global Christian Forum (GCF) meeting at Manado on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi will bring together all the great streams of modern Christian faith: Anglican, Charismatic, Evangelical, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Protestant, Roman Catholic, mega churches and many contemplative communities.

The meeting comes at a time of dramatic shifts in world Christianity. The last two decades have seen the majority of Christians living in the ‘global south’, while much institutional strength for traditional Christianity remains in Europe and North America, but with declining church attendances.

In what is only the second such Global Christian Forum gathering - the first being in Kenya in 2007- the GCF will have over 300 representatives from every continent on the globe and every Christian tradition from 81 countries.

Coming together in unprecedented numbers and variety, leaders representing 12 world Christian communions and 9 global ecumenical organizations, including the World Council of Churches, the World Evangelical Alliance and the Pentecostal World Fellowship, will sit side by side with national councils of churches, evangelical organizations and mega church leaders from around the world.

The Vatican will be represented through representative of the Pontifical Council for Promotion of Christian Unity.

The Salvation Army, Seventh Day Adventists, Society of Friends and Syrian Orthodox Church leaders will all be there.

Meeting around the theme ‘Life Together in Jesus Christ, Empowered by the Holy Spirit’, the church leaders will explore ‘what the Spirit is saying to the churches’ today. Each participant will tell the story of what is happening in their own context. Members of the convention will also discuss the future directions of the GCF, which has always maintained non-institutional structures and practice.

To complete the picture there will be a sessions on ‘trends and changes in world Christianity and sharing of statistical research complied through the Atlas of Global Christianity.

The global changes in Christianity is one of the reasons why Indonesia was chosen as the venue of the 2nd Global Christian Forum, as it is the world’s largest Muslim nation but with significant religious diversity, including a large Christian population.

The worship life of the gathering will reflect the various traditions of delegates. It will be facilitated of Father Ghislain, from the Taize community in France.

· Second Global Christian Forum news will be made public through the GFC communications office. Daily updates will be sent to religious media publications and post on the GFC website: www.globalchristianforum.org

MEDIA CONTACT: Kim Cain, Communications secretary: kimcain101@gmail.com.au

Asian Ecumenical Course 2011

2011-08-27T20:26:00.005+07:00

The Asian Ecumenical Course 2011 will open on Tuesday, 30 August, at Payap University in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The two-week course will end on 9 September. The AEC theme, "Living Out Our Prophetic Faith for Such a Time as This", draws from the 13th CCA General Assembly theme, "Called to Prophesy, Reconcile and Heal."

AEC is CCA's annual ecumenical formation program for second-line leaders of churches and NCCs covering the components of Asian reality, ecumenical vision, community building and leadership training. The objectives are: (1) to equip younger ecumenical leaders in Asia thorugh basic ecumenical formation with a wider ecumenical vision, living in community, tools of analysis of Asian reality and leadership skills; and (2) to hone the leadership skills of younger ecumenical generation for the ministry of prophesying, reconciling and healing in Asia.

Presentations will be on ecumenical memory, ecumenical vision, ecumenical challenges - interfaith dialogue & cooperation, conflict transformation and peace building, gender justice, HIV/AIDS, and ecological justice.

The batch of 22 participants who come from 11 countries in Asia are expected to arrive in Chiang Mai starting on Sunday, 28 August.

AEC dean is the CCA General Secretary, Rev. Dr. Henriette Hutabarat Lebang. Organizing staff are Dr. Hope S. Antone, CCA-FMU Joint executive secretary, and Ms. Sivaporn "Nook" Srisuppuris, administrative assistant.

More on the Aotearoa New Zealand visits and lectures

2011-08-17T16:18:00.000+07:00

Part of the reason for the visits to churches in Aotearoa New Zealand was for CCA-FMU executive secretary Hope S. Antone to give a seminar on Asian Ecumenical Theology to a group of Presbyterian ministry interns of the Knox Centre for Ministry and Leadership. She conducted the seminar with them at Grafton Hall in Auckland on 7 July.

Another part of the reason was for her to make a solidarity visit to Christchurch on 8-10 July, where she was hosted by Garth and Elizabeth Cant. This visit included meeting with the Church World Service staff led by Pauline McKay. On 9 July she listened to an ecumenical panel on the topic, “After the earthquake, churches working together.” After listening to the panelists (Katrina Hill of CWS, Bob Anderson of St. Ambrose Church, Bob Turnbull of Baptist Church, and Michael Earle of Anglican Church), she was invited to make a response.

Using the framework of the four shifts towards the wider ecumenical vision, she tried to weave the learning points shared by the panellists:

The disaster can help Christchurch move from competition to cooperation among churches – the idea of doing and being church differently is a good example here. Should Christchurch build a denominational cathedral or an ecumenical cathedral?
The disaster can help Christchurch move from isolation to collaboration with movements for justice and peace – the expressed need to take the government on social justice is a good example – knowing that the most affected by the quake and liquefactions come from the poorer area.
The disaster can help Christchurch move from condemnation to dialogue with other religions. It was shared that some Buddhists in ANZ did give a substantial donation for the quake victims. Knowing that many immigrants to ANZ are people with religions other than Christianity, it is important to consider this component of the wider ecumenism.
The disaster can help Christchurch move from disintegration to integrity of creation – for while we cannot understand why disasters happen, we know that the earth is ageing and has changed so much as a result of our actions. It is time to think of befriending creation instead of conquering it. It is also time to think about our roles as guests and hosts of the household of God – two words which are the two sides of the word ‘hospitality’.

The visit to Auckland and Christchurch brought Hope Antone into contact with former officers and staff of CCA, as well as some program participants of CCA from ANZ.

Ecumenical Lectures

2011-08-17T16:16:00.000+07:00

CCA-FMU executive secretary Hope S. Antone carried out some ecumenical lectures at two separate programs of the Association of Theological Education in South East Asia (ATESEA) and the Association of Theological Schools in Indonesia (PERSETIA). Her presentations and workshops at the ATESEA Teachers’ Academy held on 13-14 July in Bangkok, Thailand was on the theme, “Teaching Theologians to Teach” while her lectures at the PERSETIA Summer School for Graduate Students held on 25-29 July in Salatiga, Indonesia were on “Wider Ecumenism.” (with news from Hope Antone)

Ecumenical Enablers' Training

2011-05-30T18:42:00.004+07:00

A total of 78 participants completed the Ecumenical Enablers' Training program conducted by CCA-FMU executive staff recently. Of this number 44 were Vietnamese and 34 were Nepalese.

Although CCA does not have a church member yet in Vietnam the EET held in Vietnam was made possible with the help of Vietnamese alumni from a Thai seminary. The EET training in Ho Chi Minh City held on 26-28 April 2011 was the first CCA-organized EET in Vietnam.

The EET held in Lalitpur, Kathmandu, Nepal on 23-27 May 2011 was the second to be held in cooperation with the National Council of Churches in Nepal, a member of CCA, led by Dr. KB Rokaya, NCCN General Secretary and a member of the CCA presidium. The first one was held in April 2009.

Vietnamese and Nepalese participants came mostly from Independent churches. They included self-made pastors with limited theological training, youth and women, students in mission training centers. In the two countries, traditional denominations are not common although denominationalism has now entered the countries.

The theme of the training in both countries was "Living Together in the Household of God" with the idea that wider ecumenism regards the whole universe as the household of God. [See August edition of CCA News for more of this story.]

Basic Ecumenical Course begins in Indonesia

2011-05-20T19:32:00.000+07:00

CCA-FMU co-organized with the Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI) a two-week Basic Ecumenical Course on 2-15 May 2011 in Kaliurang, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The theme of the BEC was the CCA General Assembly theme, "Called to Prophesy, Reconcile and Heal."

This was the first time for PGI to hold this ecumenical formation program and CCA-FMU staff hopes that it will become a regular program of the council.

CCA organizes the annual Asian Ecumenical Course with its four components of Asian reality, ecumenical vision, community building and leadership development. But holding the program at the regional level can only gather a small group of people. Holding the Basic Ecumenical Course at the national level can reach out to more people -- and can also be conducted in the national language of the participants.

However, to keep the international flavor of the program, seven participants were invited from other countries: 3 from Malaysia and 4 from Timor Leste.

Fourth Asia Conference of Theology Students (ACTS IV)

2011-04-15T19:06:00.001+07:00

A total of 31 seminarians attended the Fourth Asia Conference of Theology Students held in Bangkok, Thailand on 3-7 April 2011. Of this number 8 were Catholics while the others came from Protestant and Independent churches in 12 countries of Asia. The theme was "Praying and Working Together for Unity in the Household of God."

Program components included inputs on three sub-themes: (a) "The Gift and Task of Unity in Christ" which had a more intrafaith focus; (b) "Unity in the Household of God" with a more interfaith focus; and (c) "Praying and Working Together for Unity" with focus on implications and application of the theme.

ACTS started as a CCA initiative but since ACTS II it has been a joint program between CCA and FABC (Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences). Efforts were made to invite seminarians from the Evangelical and Pentecostal churches through their regional bodies. [More in CCA News, August 2011 edition]

CCA-FMU organizes AMCU V with FABC

2010-12-16T22:51:00.003+07:00

As delegated by the CCA General Secretary, the CCA-FMU staff once again co-organized with counterparts from the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs (FABC-OEIA) the fifth gathering of the Asian Movement for Christian Unity.

A group of 29 participants gathered at the FABC Documentation Center in the St. Louis Hospital compound on 1-5 December 2010 for the gathering which focused on the theme, “One in the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer” (cf. Acts 2:42). This theme is the theme of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 2011.

The participants came by organization: 12 from CCA, 12 from FABC, 4 from Asia Evangelical Alliance, and 1 from the Asia Pentecostal Society. This was the second time for the AEA to be present at the AMCU gathering and the first time for APS, courtesy of the Global Christian Forum. [For more details, see the December 2010 edition of CCA News.]

THE ASIAN MOVEMENT FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY - V

2010-12-16T11:20:00.003+07:00

2 to 4 DECEMBER 2010 – BANGKOK

A Joint Statement

The fifth gathering of the Asian Movement for Christian Unity (AMCU V) was held from 2 to 4 December 2010 at the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) Documentation Center at the St Louis Hospital compound in Bangkok, Thailand.

Twenty-nine (29) participants, representing the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), the Asia Evangelical Alliance (AEA), and the Asian Pentecostal Society (APS) took part. Earlier AMCU gatherings (Hong Kong, 1996; Bali, 1998; Chiang Mai, 2001; Kuala Lumpur, 2007) were jointly sponsored and organized by the CCA and FABC. The participation by representatives of AEA started in AMCU IV and now in AMCU V the Asia Pentecostal Society was invited as the result of a suggestion from the Asian gathering of the Global Christian Forum in Seoul, Korea, on 12-16 November 2010.

The theme of AMCU V was: “One in the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer” (cf. Acts 2:42). This is the theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 2011. In the sharing of our faith journeys with Christ we discovered the work of the Holy Spirit among us. Throughout these days, there were presentations and fruitful and open discussions on the topics, “One in the Apostles’ Teaching”, “One in the Gift and Task of Fellowship in Christ”, and “One in the Breaking of Bread and Prayer”.

Specific issues dealing with challenges to our fellowship in Christ were also discussed in the course of the event. These issues were those such as conflict transformation, interfaith relations and cooperation, human dignity, and care for creation. There had been trustful sharing on what measures might be taken in response to these realities.

In the light of our experience at this gathering, the participants call upon the component bodies (CCA, FABC, AEA and APS) to:

increasingly provide support for joint efforts in addressing ecumenism at the local level;
facilitate more space for dialogue of faith in order that we might better understand one another’s faith convictions;
facilitate a greater sharing of how an emphasis on spirituality may be helpful in responding to contemporary societal challenges;
provide resources for the materialization and possible expansion of AMCU gatherings every three years; and
encourage the possible coordination and integration of themes among AMCU, the Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS) and the Asia Conference of Theological Students (ACTS).

Affirming our oneness in Christ, we look forward to the next gathering of the Asian Movement for Christian Unity (AMCU VI) in the middle of 2013.

Christian Conference of Asia (CCA)
Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC)
Asia Evangelical Alliance (AEA)
Asian Pentecostal Society (APS)

Bangkok, Thailand
4 December 2010

Basic Ecumenical Course (National AEC)

2010-11-06T23:01:00.000+07:00

CCA-FMU co-organized with the National Council of Churches in the Philippines the Basic Ecumenical Course (a national version of CCA's Asian Ecumenical Course) on 15-29 October 2010 at the Ecumenical Center of NCCP in Quezon City, Philippines.

A total of 29 participants attended the BEC, with 7 of them coming from other countries - 2 from Japan, 2 from Korea, 2 from Indonesia and 1 from Taiwan. The Filipino participants came from different denominations and various parts of the Philippines.

"Our task was not to achieve great goals but to take one small step forward with great love and passion. During this 15-day intensive course, all participants were encouraged to step out of their comfort zone in order to expose themselves to new things. The fact is that there is no easy way of doing this or making it through unscathed. We challenged ourselves to give it all we got with the help from one another and also from the organizers and resource persons. What made us strong and flexible to keep our ecumenical journey going was having this wonderful relationship with new sisters and brothers of Asia." Thus said Kanan Kita from United Church of Christ in Japan, who is also a member of the CCA-FMU program area committee.

Kanan quotes the AEC/BEC dean Rev. Revelation Velunta saying, “We are each other’s keeper.” Thus, Kanan said: "I do not see the national borders anymore. Before participating in AEC/BEC, to be honest, I did not perceive the problems in the Philippines as relevant to myself. I had been regarding them as a fire on the other side of the river. Now that I have many Filipino sisters and brothers, what breaks their hearts also breaks mine. AEC/BEC opened my eyes to see Asia as the one big household of God."

For more on the AEC/BEC, see the CCA News December 2010 edition.

Ecumenical Lecture for Clergywomen in Mindanao

2010-10-31T09:22:00.000+07:00

CCA-FMU executive staff Hope S. Antone conducted an ecumenical lecture and workshop with a group of clergywomen in Midsayap, Cotabato in Mindanao, Philippines on 19-20 October 2010. The activity focused on the theme, "Discerning the Role of Clergywomen in These Critical Times" and aimed to deepen clergywomen's understanding of their role not only in church but also in the wider society and to lay the groundwork for the establishment of a clergy women’s organization.

The 22 participants included women alumni, now serving as pastors, and current students ad faculty of theology at Southern Christian College. They came mostly from the Cotabato Annual Conference and Southern Mindanao District Conference of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines. Among them was an Indigenous woman who is now studying theology at SCC.

See CCA News December 2010 edition for a more detailed report.

Ecumenical Lectures in July 2010

2010-07-30T10:23:00.000+07:00

CCA-FMU Joint Executive Secretary Hope S. Antone conducted a number of ecumenical lectures in July 2010. The Ecumenical Lecture Series is CCA’s initiative of reaching out to the theological institutions of its member churches and also a response to requests from the theological education institutions. This program enables CCA to send a lecturer or some lecturers to enrich the schools’ offerings with inputs and presentations on ecumenism and wider ecumenical vision and to address certain topics or issues suggested by the requesting institutions.

On July 9-10, the ecumenical lectures were conducted at the Theological College of Lanka, in Nandana Uyana, Pilimatalawa, Sri Lanka. The lectures made in Sri Lanka were on the occasion of TCL College Day to which Hope Antone was invited as chief guest. The events included the graduation of students from the BTh, BD and diploma programs and the induction of the new principal of TCL, Rev. Dr. Jerome Sahabandhu.

While in Colombo, Hope Antone had an opportunity to preach at Christ Church in Kotte where the Rev. Fr. Jayasiri Peiris is the minister.

On 19-23 July, ecumenical lectures were conducted at the PERSETIA Summer School for Graduate Students in Tomohon, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. The summer school is an additional intensive course requirement for graduate students and it is normally attended by around 100 graduate students from the PERSETIA member seminaries of Indonesia. Students will come from the mainline Protestant churches and also the Evangelical churches which are members of the Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI).

While in Tomohon, Indonesia, Hope Antone was invited by the World Student Christian Federation Asia-Pacific Region to give a Bible study on women and men partnership at their Regional Committee Meeting in Tomohon on 23 July, and two Bible studies on eco-feminism at the pre-RCM women’s gathering in Manado on 19-20 July.

See CCA News September 2010 edition for more details on these ecumenical lectures in July.

The Asia Ecumenical Course: What an experience!

2010-04-30T15:12:00.002+07:00

Poulima Salima, a young Samoan man from the Mt Albert Methodist Parish in Auckland attended the Asia Ecumenical Course in April. This included participation in the Christian Conference of Asia General Assembly. He has come back enthused about ecumenism. Some extracts from his presentation to the Mt Albert congregation follow.

The overall theme for the ecumenical course and assembly was Called to prophesy, reconcile and heal. A powerful and purposeful theme that resonated in the hearts of all participants during the course and assembly.

The theme resonated through the music, lyrics, art, performing arts; through testimonies, sharing of faith and reflections, and faith-powered prayers. The theme was very appropriate, reflecting the complex and conflicting Asian realities such as: institutionalised corruption, bad governance, human trafficking, human rights violations, and religious extremism.

All participants including the course leaders were very energetic, courageous and fun to be with! I was amazed with the creativity, passion and enthusiasm, the unity and family spirit within group. It was strong, encouraging and infectious. We had fun learning, speaking and singing in various languages. It was an uplifting experience!

The richness and diverse cultures represented, the uniqueness of languages, and seeing the hearts of all participants worshipping God their way - was an experience to remember. I remember our group preparing for the opening worship for conference. We had to come up with our own cultural dance. The music set-piece was short and catchy so we had to translate it into our own language. The choreography and dance gestures represented the identity of each culture. The power and spirit of the lyrics sung in their respective languages was soul-stirring and edifying. It was a performance to see! We had all the Asian instruments and percussion you could possibly think of to accompany the action songs. Participants were encouraged to wear their cultural costumes, outfits that represented their country and culture.

Some of the church leaders commented that it was the best opening worship service since they had been coming to CCA general assemblies. This was encouraging because all of the ecumenical course participants worked very hard. We wanted to deliver well, and it was important that we did because this was our message to the church leaders: that the up-and-coming ecumenical leaders were just as passionate about the ecumenical movement as they were.

In the evenings before worship at the conference I was inspired by the testimonies from pastors and church ministers who shared their faith, hardship and the darkest moments of their lives, of being beaten and tortured because of their faith in Christ and mission. Hearing them testify about God’s goodness and faithfulness during times of suffering and hardship was inspiring for all participants to carry their cross as well!

I thoroughly enjoyed the Asian Ecumenical Course and the Christian Conference of Asia General Assembly. It was definitely the highlight of my life and the beginning of my ecumenical journey. My prayer for the Methodist Church of Aotearoa-New Zealand is continued unity, celebrating and sharing our diversity, with the purpose of advancing God’s kingdom.

The Methodist Church’s delegates to the CCA General Assembly were Manukau Synod Super-intendent, Prince Devanandan and Te Taha Maori Tumuaki, Diana Tana. Prince was elected to serve on the CCA General Committee which is the oversight body between CCA assembly meetings. Diana has been appointed Moderator of the Ecumenical Formation, Gender Justice, & Youth Formation Programme Committee. Prince and Diana are producing a joint written report that is still in process. There will be more news about the CCA Assembly in the June issue of Touchstone the Methodist Church newspaper.

[Source: http://www.methodist.org.nz/mission_and_ecumenical/newsletters_2010]

Asian Ecumenical Course 2010

2010-04-30T10:53:00.000+07:00

During the 13th CCA General Assembly, a region-wide Asian Ecumenical Course was organized in Malaysia on 9-22 April 2010. A total of 21 participants completed the course, 11 of whom were women.

Part of the AEC was done at the Seminari Theoloji Malaysia in Seremban where the group heard inputs and presentations on the GA theme, "Called to prophesy, reconcile and heal". The group then moved to Kuala Lumpur for the General Assembly.

The participants learned the basic components of the AEC: Asian reality, ecumenical vision, community building and leadership training. In addition, the participants learned some skills in being worship animators at the Assembly - using arts and symbols, music and movements from Asian cultures in worship.

See CCA News June 2010 edition for more details and pictures on this.

Theological Training in Cambodia

2009-03-23T22:20:00.003+07:00

Five second batch trainees graduated while 20 new trainees began their theological training conducted by the Faith, Mission and Unity program area of the Christian Conference of Asia in collaboration with the Ecumenical Theological Education of the World Council of Churches.

The training ran from 16 to 20 March in an independent Baptist Church in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The Rev. Dr. A Wati Longchar (now dean of the Doctor of Ministry program of the Serampore College in India) and Dr. Hope S. Antone (executive secretary for CCA-FMU) were the main resource persons. Paying a visit to the trainees and sharing about their work in Cambodia were Asian missionaries Rev. Dr. Romeo del Rosario of the Methodist Bible School and Rev. Wati Longkumer of the Phnom Penh Bible School.

Among the topics of the training were: The Bible and Ministry, How the Bible Came to Be, The Use and Misuse of the Bible, Jesus' Approaches to the Bible, Contextual Reading of the Bible, and Life and Ministry of the Church.

Workshop on Asian Feminist Leadership

2009-03-03T23:11:00.006+07:00

CCA-FMU's Hope S. Antone participated in the workshop on Asian Feminist Perspective on Leadership organized by the Asian Women's Resource Centre for Culture and Theology in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 23-28 February 2009.

She was one of five panelists tasked to share a critical analysis of power, authority and leadership in the family as well as a feminist vision of the same.

Other panelists were: Malini Devananda (Sri Lanka) on power, authority and leadership in the church; Anna Marsiana (Indonesia) on power, authority and leadership in non-government organizations; Yuri Horie (Japan) on power, authority and leadership from the perspective of lesbian women; and Lee Ye Ja (Korea) on power, authority and leadership from the perspective of women with disability.

Hisako Kinukawa (Bible scholar from Japan) served as Bible study leader while Muriel Orevillo-Montenegro (systematic theologian from the Philippines) served as over-all facilitator.

The workshop was participated by a total of 30 women coming from 12 countries. Materials of the workshop will be used in the fourth module book of Asian Feminist Leadership, which is part of a project series of AWRC.

Ecumenical Lectures in Iloilo

2009-03-03T22:58:00.003+07:00

Two lectures on gender and ethics were presented to a church-filled crowd at the Central Philippine University in Iloilo City, Philippines on 6 February 2009. The invited lecturers were Dr. Anna May Say Pa, a Bible scholar and former principal of Myanmar Institute of Theology and Dr. Hope S. Antone, joint executive secretary for Faith, Mission and Unity of the Christian Conference of Asia.

They were invited to give lectures by the CPU dean of the College of Theology, Rev. Dr. Limuel Equina. Anna May's lecture focused on the rights of ethnic minorities in Myanmar while Hope's lecture focused on gender issues in ethics.

Among the questions that were raised by the students were: can homosexual people (gays and lesbians) go to heaven? Is homosexuality a matter of sexual orientation or preference? Does sexual abuse really happen in the church.

Such questions reflect the hush-hush topics in the church and Christian circles. The 1000-capacity university chapel was filled with students and faculty from the religion and ethics department, social work department and College of Theology. Majority of the students in CPU are from Catholic and Baptist backgrounds.

For a fuller coverage of the lectures, please see CCA News, March 2009 edition.

Asian Women's Resource Centre for Culture and Theology

2008-04-10T10:39:00.002+07:00

CCA-FMU hosted meetings of the Asian Women's Resource Centre for Culture and Theology on 18-21 February at the McGilvary College of Divinity, Chiang Mai, Thailand along with the Rev. Dr. Chuleepran Srisoontorn, academic dean of McGilvary College of Divinity and a member of CCA-FMU program area committee.

The meetings were aimed to assess the modules project on Asian feminist theologizing, of which Hope Antone has been a part. This project has produced two module booklets: (a) an introduction to Asian feminist theologizing and (b) an introduction to an Asian feminist re-reading of history. Two other modules are still in process: (c) on Asian women and religions; and (d) an Asian feminist view of leadership.

Another part of the meeting was to plan for the workshop on leadership since the writing of the module usually follows a workshop where resource persons and participants struggle with identified issues and texts.

A one-day seminar with Thai women was held on 19 February, starting with a feminist worship at the chapel -- including a dramatic rendition of the biblical text on "who will roll the stone away?" (Mark 16:1-4), a short reflection by Hope Antone, and a dance in celebration and commitment by everyone.

After the worship, the main input was made by Dr. Hisako Kinukawa, a feminist theologian from Japan, who gave a comprehensive Bible study on leadership using the biblical stories of Miriam, Aaron and Moses.

The afternoon was spent with a smaller group of Thai women who shared stories on women's experiences and struggles in Thailand.

Southeast Asian consultation-dialogue on holistic mission

2008-04-10T10:27:00.005+07:00

CCA-FMU organized the Southeast Asian sub-regional consultation-dialogue on "Holistic Mission in the Context of Asian Plurality," at the UCCP Shalom Center in Manila, Philippines on March 24-29. It was hosted by the National Council of Churches in the Philippines and the United Church of Christ in the Philippines and supported by Kerkinactie/ICCO.

The objectives of the consultation were: (i) To review, assess and critique the impact of traditional and narrow mission orientation and practice in Asia; (ii) To confess our participation in such traditional and narrow mission orientation and practice; (iii) To equip ourselves, our member churches and their related agencies (e.g. Bible schools and seminaries) with holistic mission understanding and practice in view of the context of Asian plurality; and (iv) To share and publish stories and experiences of alternative forms of mission that are more holistic but less known in Asia.

Participants included staff of mission and ecumenism of the national councils or national churches, professors of mission from church-related theological institutions and representatives of mission-sending churches in Korea and Taiwan.

Countries represented were Indonesia, East Timor, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, and Philippines. Cambodia could not be present because of their General Assembly held at that time. Of the 34 participants, 11 were women and three younger people.

Resource persons were: Rev. Fr. Rex Resurrection Reyes (General Secretary of NCC Philippines) who gave the keynote speech; Rev. Dr. Robinson Radjagukguk (visiting professor in the Philippines from Indonesia through UEM) who gave the biblico-theological foundations of mission from Asian eyes; Rev. Dr. Cung Lian Hup (professor at Myanmar Institute of Theology) who gave an input on "holistic mission in the context of poverty and injustice in Asia"; Rev. Dr. Erick Barus (staff of the Communion of Churches in Indonesia) who gave an input on "holistic mission in the context of Asian plurality."

A panel of representatives from mission-sending churches consisted of Rev. Shin Seung Min (staff for ecumenism of the Presbyterian Church of the Republic of Korea), Rev. Kim Kyung In (staff for ecumenism and policy of the Presbyterian Church in Korea), and Rev. Dr. Chuang Hsiao-Shen (representing the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan).

Sharing some alternative ways of doing mission were: Rev. Son Sung Kyu (from PCK doing natural farming among the poor, including Muslims, in Davao, Philippines) and Rev. Kim Hyun Sook (from PROK, doing accompanying work in Iloilo and Bukidnon). The group visited a number of depressed communities in Manila: a Muslim migrant community, a slum/squatter community, a fishing community, and a garbage community.

Based on their evaluation, participants found the consultation helpful and meaningful. The time and space together was one of open and honest sharing (a trusted space). The visit to the depressed communities touched many participants – someone said experiential learning is more powerful than classroom discussion.

The visit evoked many feelings, including a questioning of 'where is God' in such inhuman situations. It challenged some to concretize their theology of incarnation and encouraged others to strengthen their mission in holistic aspects. The sharing of mission journeys, panel sharing and Bible study were specially cited as most helpful and meaningful. However, the lack of evangelical presence in the consultation was noted. FMU staff did try to invite two Korean missionaries in the Philippines from the Assembly of God and while they had sent in their confirmation already, they finally pulled out due to some emergency at their mission field.

A number of participants mentioned how the consultation encouraged them to continue to provide re-orientation to their local churches which tend to focus only on evangelism work; and to continue interfaith dialogue at the grassroots level. An indigenous priest from Malaysia said he now wishes to learn more about contextualization of mission. The group requested that Bible study materials and stories on holistic mission be produced by CCA to help guide the local churches in re-orienting members towards more holistic mission.

Feminist theologizing with Thai women, students

2008-03-10T10:44:00.000+07:00

CCA-FMU hosted meetings of the Asian Women's Resource Centre for Culture and Theology on 18-21 February at the McGilvary College of Divinity, Payap University, in Chiang Mai, Thailand along with the Rev. Dr. Chuleepran Srisoontorn, academic dean of McGilvary College of Divinity and a member of CCA-FMU program area committee.

The meetings were aimed to assess the modules project on Asian feminist theologizing, of which Hope Antone has been a part. This project has produced two module booklets: (a) an introduction to Asian feminist theologizing and (b) an introduction to an Asian feminist re-reading of history. Two other modules are still in process: (c) on Asian women and religions; and (d) an Asian feminist view of leadership.

Another part of the meeting was to plan for the workshop on leadership since the writing of the module usually follows a workshop where resource persons and participants struggle with identified issues and texts.

A one-day seminar with Thai women was held on 19 February, starting with a feminist worship at the chapel -- including a dramatic rendition of the biblical text on "who will roll the stone away?" (Mark 16:1-4), a short reflection by Hope Antone and a dance in celebration and commitment by everyone.

After the worship, the main input was made by Dr. Hisako Kinukawa, a feminist theologian from Japan, who gave a comprehensive Bible study on leadership using the biblical stories of Miriam, Aaron and Moses.

The afternoon was spent with a smaller group of Thai women sharing stories and experiences of the women's struggles in Thailand.

Feminist theologizing for Indigenous/Dalit women

2008-02-28T11:07:00.000+07:00

Hope S. Antone served as resource person at the regional workshop on Indigenous Women's Alternative Leadership for Transformation (IWALT) on 4-8 February in Chiang Doi, Thailand.

As in the previous sub-regional training workshops, Hope S. Antone served as resource person on Asian feminist theologizing at this CCA-EGY organized program.

This regional program was the culmination activity after a series of sub-regional activities and follow-up activities at the national and local levels by participants in the sub-regional programs.

See EGY report for more on this program or the CCA News (March 2008, pp. 6-8).

Intra-faith Meetings with Catholics and Evangelicals

2006-10-11T15:37:00.000+07:00

As part of the mandate from the CCA General Assembly, the need to develop more intrafaith relations with Catholics as well as with Evangelicals and Pentecostals remains an important concern of CCA.

CCA-FMU staff, Hope Antone, as convenor of the CCA-FABC (Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences) Relations Committee, co-organized with the FABC Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs the meeting of the Asian Ecumenical Committee (AEC) on 20 September 2006 in Bangkok, Thailand.

This committee, set up as part of the partnership of CCA and FABC which was forged in 1993, comprises 7 representatives from each body (CCA and FABC).

The AEC re-confirmed the ongoing work for unity and cooperation between the two bodies through joint projects, cooperation in each other's projects, and joint staff meeting. Among the decisions made at this meeting are: (a) to hold the fourth Asian Movement for Christian Unity [AMCU] in 2007; (b) to jointly hold the third Asian Conference of Theological Students in 2007; and (c) to plan for a joint staff meeting and retreat in Chiang Mai in 2007.

After the one-day meeting, the whole of AEC participated in the Global Christian Forum in Asia which included 6 representatives from the Evangelicals and Pentecostals. This was also held in Bangkok on 21-23 September.

Hubert van Beek, the secretary of the Global Christian Forum (GCF), provided the historical background of GCF, which had met in Hong Kong in 2004. Part of the recommendation of the GCF meeting in 2004 was for CCA, FABC and the Evangelical Fellowship in Asia (EFA) to work together on the follow-up activities. Hence, this 2006 meeting in Bangkok.

This was basically a time for getting to know each other, building friendship and trust, and finding ways of working together, with the theme, "Affirming Our One Savior in Common Witness." Despite the irreconcileable differences, there was a growing sign of openness and genuine desire to continue the relationship. In fact, one of the recommendations is for the Evangelicals and Pentecostals to be invited to the AMCU and ACTS.

Fifth Congress of Asian Theologians

2006-09-10T15:31:00.000+07:00

The Fifth Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS V) was held at the Divinity School of Chung Chi College in the Chinese University of Hong Kong on 21-26 August 2006.

As in the tradition of CATS, a one-day Women's Forum was held on 21 August to provide women participants time for sharing their pain and gain in a usually male-dominated field of theology and theological education.

Four theologians provided theme presentations on the congress theme, "Sharing Hope for a New World." An interfaith panel consisting of scholars from Chinese Buddhism, Thai Buddhism and Islam provided an opportunity to hear from other theologians on the hope of their respective faith communities.

For a longer report on this event, please visit the CATS webpage in the CCA website.

Challenges and Issues for Indochina Mission Work

2006-08-15T13:59:00.000+07:00

Part of the concern of CCA-FMU is the growing mission expansion in Asia that is carried out not only by Western mission organizations but also by various Asian mission bodies. In order to situate mission work in the overall ecumenical movement in Asia, CCA-FMU staff has tried to make linkages with CCA member churches that are now among the "mission-sending bodies" in Asia and elsewhere.

In response to this, the Presbyterian Church of the Republic of Korea (PROK), through the office of Rev. Shin Seung Mi who is in charge of ecumenical relations of the PROK General Assembly, invited the CCA-FMU staff to provide a keynote presentation at a retreat of the PROK mission co-workers in Indochina in Pattaya, Thailand, on August 1, 2006. Rev. Jeong Jin-Woo from the PROK headquarters was also there to give the opening message. Rev. Kim Hyung Ki, an ecumenical church pastor now based in Phnom Penh, served as coordinator of the meeting.

The title of the keynote presentation made by Hope Antone was "Challenges and Issues for Indo-china Mission Works in the Wider Asian Context." She began by recalling the rich legacy of the PROK in its involvements as a church in human rights advocacy, minjung theology, care for migrants, and empowerment of women, among other things. She then reminded the group of the perennial challenges and issues in mission in Asia which are the context of Asian plurality and the context of Asian suffering and struggle for life.

With these, Asian churches and their mission agencies face ecumenical challenges. Borrowing the shifts in mission thinking from Wesley Ariarajah, these are ecumenical challenges are: (a) from an exclusive to an inclusive understanding of God's mission; (b) from conversion to healing as our objective of mission; (c) from desiring to be majority to contentment with being minority in the community; and (d) from mere doctrinal issues to deep spiritual concerns.

Hope went on to share four more shifts needed for Asian churches to be in tune with Asian plurality: a) shift from competition to cooperation among denominations; (b) from condemnation to dialogue with other religions; (c) from isolation to collaboration (working with) with civil society or ideology-based groups; and (d) from disintegration to integrity of creation.

She challenged the PROK missioners that "the type of mission we do in Asia should not simply repeat the mission orientation that we inherited from the past. Our context in Asia has its own peculiar issues and challenges and we need to address them accordingly as people and churches of Asia. We need to guard against the conquest approach and to be open to the possibility of the dialogical approach."

A Word on the Relocation to Chiang Mai

2006-08-10T13:51:00.000+07:00

My apologies for the long silence.

The relocation to Chiang Mai in early July kept all the executive staff and support staff very busy -- e.g. setting up our temporary office at Payap University, renovating the office, unpacking our boxes of books and files, settling down as families, getting the team work going with a new set of administrative assistants (support staff), etc.

Even while we were yet getting online and connected with the rest of the world, both in the office and at our homes, work on programs and other activities already planned still continued. And so from August onwards, we have had various activities held, as scheduled and as planned.

Following will be some short repors on some of the activities carried out by FMU.

Living Together in the Household of God

2006-06-05T14:05:00.000+07:00

It was a great privilege for me to attend the 8th Quadrennial General Assembly of my church, the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), in Digos City, Davao del Sur on 23-30 May 2006.

As one of the resource persons, giving one biblico-theological reflection (BTR) on day 1 and a sermon for the last day's (day 6) morning worship was a chance to share CCA's ecumenical perspectives on the theme, "Living Together in the Household of God." My BTR was on "Becoming a Household of Love, Faith and Hope" while my sermon focused on Mark 9:50, "Have salt among yourselves and be at peace with one another."

Being a resource person was a good chance to help expand the assembly's understanding and perception of what it means to be ecumenical -- i.e. to be part of the household of God. There is a tendency to limit the household of God to the church, which I call the household of faith. People need to be reminded that UCCP is only one household of faith but that there are many other households of faith in the household of God, which is the whole universe that God created.

My two papers will be published in the next edition of CTC Bulletin. The national secretariat of the UCCP plans to put these together with other materials (2 BTRs by Dr. Eleazar Fernandez, a morning worship sermon by Rev. Noel Villalba, etc.) in a book form with guide questions for use as study materials for the local churches.

During the policy discussion groups, I served as resource person for the group on ecumenical relations and partnerships and had a unique opportunity of sharing about the needed shifts for ecumenical thinking to come about.

Elected by the General Assembly was a new set of officers led by Bishop Eliezer M. Pascua, current bishop of the Southern Luzon Jurisdiction, as General Secretary, and Atty. Joel Bodegon as chairperson. Their term is effective immediately following the assembly. Bishop Elmer M. Bolocon was named bishop emeritus.

Three incumbent bishops were re-elected: Benjamin G. Barloso of Northwest Mindanao; Constante D. Claro of Southeast Mindanao; and Ebenezer C. Camino of West Visayas. Three pastors, one a woman, were elected bishops: Jessie S. Suarez of Southern Luzon, Dulce Pia-Rose of East Visayas, and Marino Ib. Inong of Northern Luzon.

It was also important for CCA's presence to be felt especially at this time when the church is being threatened with the killing of several of its peace activists and human rights workers among its clergy and laity. In fact, during the few days around and during the assembly, four workers were brutally killed and two sustained wounds, perpetrated by masked men on motorbikes. Although the military says that such killings are results of the in-fighting of left-wing groups, reliable sources say they are killings perpetrated by the military, which the present President is not able to control.

In view of these brutal killings, the General Assembly decided to call for a dialogue with the military and the President, together with leaders of the church and other religious groups, and ecumenical partners, including CCA.

Asian Feminist Theologizing with Indigenous Women

2006-04-30T17:17:00.000+07:00

I had a wonderful opportunity to facilitate a day-and-a-half's sessions on Asian Feminist Theologizing at the second Indigenous Women's Alternative Leadership for Transformation (IWALT), held in Chiang Mai, Thailand on 17-27 April 2006.

Through powerpoint presentation and participatory activities, I went through the five steps of Asian feminist theologizing: (a) naming the oppression; (b) identifying the reinforcing agents; (c) identifying the dominant theology or ideology; (d) making a feminist critique by deconstructing traditional interpretation of texts and teachings; and (e) commitment to action for transformation.

Other resource persons were Anna May Say Pa (Myanmar) who facilitated the reading of the Bible with women's eyes, Cynthia Ca Abdon-Tellez (Philippines/Hong Kong) who made an input on globalization and its impact on indigenous women, Chuleepran Srisoontorn who gave the challenge at the opening worship, and Corazon Tabing-Reyes (CCA-EGY) who led sessions on the ecumenical movements and creative worship.

IWALT is a three-year program jointly done by the Ecumenical Formation, Gender Justice and Youth Empowerment program area of CCA (CCA-EGY) and the World Council of Churches.

This second IWALT gathered representatives of indigenous women from Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia and Bangladesh. The first one held in Shillong, Megalaya, Northeast India last July gathered Indigenous and Dalit women from India and Nepal. The third will gather indigenous women from the Philippines, Taiwan, Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia this September in Baguio, Philippines.

Program Area Committee Meeting

2006-03-13T21:30:00.000+07:00

The new Program Area Committees for Faith, Mission and Unity (FMU), Ecumenical Formation, Gender Justice and Youth Empowerment (EGY), and the Justice, International Affairs and Development and Service (JID), which were constituted during the CCA 12th General Assembly, met in Taipei, Taiwan on 3-8 March.

Nine out of the 12 elected CCA-FMU Program Area Committee members made it to the meeting, which was generously hosted by the National Council of Churches in Taiwan (NCCT).

After getting acquainted with one another, members shared some contextual realities in their respective countries and throughout the region which impinge on the work of FMU. The FMU PAC members articulated afresh the mandate and priorities for the work of the program area for the years 2006-2010.

One of the new things that the committee suggested is to have a program and budget allotment for "Emerging Issues" so that the program area can respond appropriately to emergencies or unforeseen events.

In this connection, an occasional reflection called "Vistas of Peace" has been initiated by CCA-FMU in order to facilitate the articulation and sharing of reflections on issues that arise in any parts of the region. Members of the CCA-FMU PAC are expected to share their reflections.

CCA-FMU Contribution at WCC General Assembly

2006-02-28T19:29:00.000+07:00

Almost all the CCA staff were in the 9th General Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Porto Alegre, Brazil on Feb. 13-24, 2006.

The CCA staff were invited by various desks of the WCC as delegated observers, or to provide leadership as resource persons or consultants in the Youth and Women's Pre-Assembly Forums, in mutirao workshops, in ecumenical conversations, etc.

A. Wati Longchar, joint CCA-WCC consultant for Ecumenical Theological Education, helped in the parallel gathering of theological students and conducted a workshop on the use of indigenous resources in theologizing. Assisting him in the workshop were Nantiya Pechgate of Bangkok Institute of Theology in Thailand and Awala Longkumer of the National Council of Churches in India.

Hope S. Antone, joint executive secretary for Faith, Mission and Unity, assisted a workshop on interfaith religious education (with Christy Lohr and Heidi Hadsell of Hartford Seminary). She was one of three resource persons at the three-day ecumenical conversation on "memories and renewed quest of ecumenical formation." A summary of her conversation sharing will be published in the March 2006 issue of CCA News.

Although earlier invited to help with the Urban Rural Mission workshop, Josef Widyatmadja, joint executive secretary for CCA-FMU, was not able to attend the assembly because of his daughter's wedding in Indonesia.

Towards a Re-reading of Asian Feminist Herstory

2006-01-21T18:10:00.000+07:00

CCA-FMU joint executive secretary Hope Antone attended a series of meetings on 14-20 January 2006 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia organized by the Asian Women's Resource Centre for Culture and Theology (AWRC).

First was a two-day meeting of the Young Women Doing Theology network. The second was a workshop on "A Reconstruction of the Early Christian Origins - An Asian Feminist Perspective". The third was the meeting of the Planning Team - consisting of Virginia, Anna Marsiana, Hisako, Malini Devananda, Jessica Richard, Arche Ligo, Yong Ting Jin, Clare Law and Hope Antone.

Speakers at the workshop were Sr. Virgina Fabella, on "What is Asian Feminist Perspective?"; Ms. Nelun Gunasekera, "A Criticial Reconstruction of Early Christian Origins in a Feminist Perspective"; Sr. Pauline Chakkalakal, on "Women's Leadership and Apostleship in Pauline Christianity"; Dr. Hyunju Bae, on "Women's Leadership and Apostleship in Pauline Christianity" and "Women in Apocryphal and Gnostic Writings"; and Dr. Hisako Kinukawa, on the "Discovery of Nag Hammadi and Gnostic Texts".

The writing and/or re-writing of history surfaced as a real issue in the workshop on feminist re-reading of history. For how do we begin to record (or retrieve) the already forgotten memories of the roles of women in the Jesus movement, in early Christianity, in Asian Christianity and the ecumenical movement, etc.? How do we make sure that the history that is going on today will no longer exclude women and other marginalized groups in church and society?

This will certainly have some bearing for CCA especially as we prepare for the 50th anniversary in 2007.

Theologizing on Life-Promoting Trade

2006-01-05T18:04:00.000+07:00

The series of events that were held in Hong Kong parallel to the 6th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) last December 2005 kept us CCA staff very busy not only during the preparation and implementation of said events but even after all that.

These events provided concrete ways for CCA to work closely with civil society groups and ecumenical bodies who believe that "peace means economic justice". Thus, our involvement in the events was part of our observance of the Decade to Overcome Violence (DOV) Focus on Asia.

CCA-FMU joint executive secretary Josef Widyatmadja co-organized with some civil society groups the Conference on Globalising Economic Justice and Social Sustainability on 8-12 December. The conference was a platform for faith communities to critique their role, reflect on the economic justice aspect of the WTO, and search for alternatives towards social justice and sustainability.

CCA-EGY joint executive secretaries Cora Tabing-Reyes and Chang Chung Chih, together with CCA-FMU joint executive secretary Hope Antone, helped to co-organize the "Ecumenical Women's Forum on Life-Promoting Trade" on 12-14 December. CCA-EGY interns Lo Chia Fang and Ma La Wu Shwe Wut Ye also helped and participated in the forum.

One highlight of both the Conference and the Forum was the chance to join the public assembly and march organized by the People's Alliance on WTO on 13 December.

Very interesting sharing of analyses, theological reflections, and experiences and visions of new alternatives characterized the women's forum.

Following is a prayer that Hope Antone offered at the opening of the women's forum:

Dear God,
We share the groaning, weeping and lamenting
not only of your people,
but also of your whole creation.
It is for this that we gather here.
It is for this that we open this forum.
During this Advent Season, we await your coming
as the source and embodiment of Love and Justice.
In the face of powers and principalities that cause
violence, injustice, and unpeace in our time,
we pray again and again for your
justice to roll down as waters
and your righteousness as an everflowing stream.
May it touch leaders and governments that they
may hear the cries of the suffering peoples.
May it transform structures so there will be
life-promoting and just trade for all.
May it change our lives - so that we become
strengthened by your spirit,
inspired by your compassion,
empowered by your will
to make all things new in your reign of
Love, Justice and Peace for all.

Feminist Perspective on Women and Healing

2005-11-28T17:21:00.000+07:00

I was invited by the Asian Institute for Liturgy and Music (AILM) to make a presentation at the international workshop on women and healing in Quezon City, Philippines on Nov. 10-20.

With the theme Women and Healing: An Asian Feminist Perspective I gave the following points in my presentation:
(a) We live in a broken world because we have failed to deal with our plurality creatively by living as interconnected and interdependent beings;
(b) Asian feminist theology can be a tool for our healing as it helps us diagnose many of our problems by naming the oppression experienced by women and other vulnerable sectors of society, and by going into the roots behind the oppression, to challenge traditional theologies and ideologies that support the oppression and by thinking of alternatives to transform the situation.

Theology and art go hand in hand. While art in the past reflected the theology of patriarchal times, art today has the potential to bring about healing of the distortions that have been made through history. Therefore, artists and theologians must correct the distortions in theology through art. Art and theology must be used to advocate for peace with justice, for healing and transformation.

Intensive Teaching in Christian Education, Part 2

2005-11-28T17:10:00.000+07:00

The second part of my intensive teaching at Silliman University Divinity School in Dumaguete City, Philippines, was scheduled on 2-11 November. This time, the two classes were on Communication in Christian Education for juniors and Curriculum Development for seniors, in both the BTh and MDiv programs.

I used these classes as opportunities to broaden the students thinking about Christian Education and Religious Education, mission, evangelism and ecumenism. The project in the curriculum class was a draft curriculum material for local churches to be assisted in broadening their understanding of mission, evangelism and ecumenism.

While at Silliman University, I was also invited as convocation speaker for the School of Communication on 10 November. Being an alumna of that school, I was featured as a Balik-Talent lecturer (returning talent) and my topic was "Communication Challenges in an Age of Globalization."

National Workshop on Ecumenism and Feminism in Thailand

2005-10-27T17:36:00.000+07:00

A national workshop on ecumenism and feminist theologizing was held in Chiang Mai on Oct. 20-22 at the McGilvary Faculty of Theology. Participants included female and male faculty from Thailand, students from Vietnam and Cambodia, women working with NGOs, seminary faculty from Myanmar. Churches represented included Church of Christ in Thailand, Baptist Church and Catholic Church. There were at least 40 regular participants (there were more coming in for some sessions only due to prior commitments).

"We should have done this a long time ago," a number of the participants, including seminary faculty, said of the workshop, which was a first of its kind.

I did two presentations: an introduction to ecumenism and an introduction to Asian feminist theology. Anna May Chain, principal of Myanmar Institute of Theology, facilitated workshop on reading the Bible with Women's Eyes. Mary Dun, faculty of MIT, did a presentation on Asian women's spirituality.

During the evaluation at the end of the workshop, many participants tried to share what they plan to do after the workshop. Many of them said, "first the change must begin with me." Then they hope to share with their families and co-workers.

One of the concerns raised and for which a follow-up workshop needs to be planned is sexuality - which must include issues of sex workers and homosexuality that are prevalent in Thailand.

Input on Feminist Leadership at ATESEA General Assembly

2005-10-27T17:12:00.000+07:00

I participated in the General Assembly of the Association for Theological Education in South East Asia (ATESEA) on Oct. 16-20 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I gave a paper and a powerpoint presentation on one of the key themes, "Women's Role in Transformational Leadership".

In my presentation I modified the topic to "Contributions of Feminist Leadership in Theological Education" - highlighting the fact that having a woman in leadership does not automatically guarantee feminist leadership for feminism is not gender-specific. Part of my challenge to the seminary heads and faculty is to integrate feminist perspective in their teaching - in terms of content, methodology, and also in the way of relating with colleagues and students.

Other speakers were: Huang Po Ho on "Covenant with the Churches in Asia: Retargetting Theological Education in Responding to the Life and Death Struggles of People in Asia" which focused on the challenges to theological education amidst the changing context of Asia; Emmanuel Gerrit Singgih on Revisiting/Rethinking Critical Asian Principle"; and Wong Yew Chong on "Self-Reliance in Theological Education in Asia."

The CCA-FMU, like its former desks for theological concerns,is a network partner of ATESEA.

Teaching and Learning to Live in Oikoumene

2005-10-03T21:33:00.000+07:00

CCA-FMU co-organized with Rev. Edwin EH Kharkongor, seminary principal, three ecumenical lectures at John Roberts Theological Seminary in Mawklot, Shillong, Meghalaya, India on 20 September 2005. More than a hundred students and some elders of the church were present at the lectures.

Speaking on "Learning to Live in Oikoumene: Integrating Ecumenism in Theological Education", Hope Antone, executive secretary of CCA-FMU, shared her experiences of learning ecumenism in various ways, gave biblical bases of ecumenism and showed the needed shifts in ecumenical thinking in order to have a wider ecumenism.

Anna May Chain, a Bible scholar and principal of Myanmar Institute of Theology, narrated a "Chorus of Voices: Reading the Bible from Many Perspectives." Recognizing that there are many voices right within the Bible, in interpretation, and among the readers today, she highlighted the need to hear the minority voices within, the women's voices, and voices from other cultures and religions

Chuleepran Srisoontorn, faculty at McGilvary Faculty of Theology in Chiang Mai, Thailand, spoke on "Pastoral Theoogy from a Global Perspective." Using a case method approach of an HIV/AIDS patient, she highlighted issues in a growing pastoral ministry to victims of the pandemic.

These lectures will soon be published in CTC Bulletin.

Proclaiming the Gospel in a Pluralistic World

2005-10-03T21:01:00.000+07:00

"We live in a plural or diverse world. What is threatening the world is not because we have different religions, languages, cultures, etc. but because we have used our differences to lord over, eat up, or subjugate the other. It is high time we re-visit the original intention of God for creating the world."

This is the gist of one ecumenical lecture, in the form of a Bible study, which I presented at the Silliman University Divinity School (SUDS) in Dumaguete City, Philippines during the 44th Annual Church Workers' Convocation on 30 August-1 September 2005. My second ecumenical lecture was "Dialogue of Life as Our Way of Proclaiming the Gospel." These two lectures were among the inputs at the convocation on the over-all theme, Proclaiming the Gospel in a Pluralistic World Towards a Dialogue of Life.

An annual program of the SUDS, the convocation gathers around 400 alumni, church workers and leaders for update and sharing.

The opening message was given by Joel L. Bodegon, a local lay preacher of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines who pointed out that we have not yet reached but are still aiming for a pluralist world - a way to real living together - towards ecumenism.

Bishop Erme R. Camba, a former General Secretary of the UCCP and former dean of SUDS, gave the theme presentation which emphasized the full witness of proclaiming the gospel - providing healing to the sick, food to the hungry, enlightenment to those in darkness, liberty to the captive and oppressed, and love, justice and peace for all, without any discrimination based on religion, ethnicity, gender or age.

Asian Contributions to Overcoming Violence

2005-08-27T18:12:00.000+07:00

In observance of the Decade to Overcome Violence (DOV) Focus on Asia, the CCA program areas have integrated the concern to overcome violence in its various activities. As CCA DOV coordinator and as staff for theological concerns, I recently participated in some of these activities.

On August 13-14, I led four sessions on Contextual and Feminist Theologizing and facilitated a Bible study with feminist hermeneutics at the Asia Ecumenical Academy organized by Cora Tabing-Reyes of CCA-Ecumenical Formation, Gender Justice and Youth Empowerment in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Focusing on the theme, "Ecumenical Formation towards Building Communities of Peace for All", AEA ran for three weeks (August 8-27).

The sessions that led to a workshop on using an Asian feminist framework for doing feminist theology, were situated in the context of the glaring lack of peace in many Asian communities because of the highly patriarchal cultures and hierarchical structures that marginalize and oppress Asian women and girl children. Therefore, an Asian contextual feminist theologizing framework was offered as a tool to critique and transform the divisions brought about by sexism, racism, classism, casteism - which result in unequal relationships that contribute to the lack of peace in our region.

Using the Asian framework of feminist theologizing, participants worked in small groups to analyze some issues of oppression experienced by Asian and Pacific women and to come up with strategies to transform them. Issues identified included sexual harrassment and rape; trafficking of women; feminization of poverty;sexual abuse and incest.

On August 15-20, I joined the interfaith conference organized by Tony Waworuntu of CCA-Justice, International Affairs, and Development and Service (CCA-JID) in Cipayung, Indonesia. The theme was, "The Role of Religion to Overcome Violence without Violence."

Many of the participants were part of a panel of speakers on various topics. During small group discussions, they shared stories of their experiences of violent conflicts, often orchestrated by forces other than religious, that have torn their once harmonious communities. They also shared stories and experiences of their struggle to build peace again through their own interfaith initiatives.

I was part of the panel that tackled the issue of interfaith dialogue and cooperation as an urgent necessity of the times. Dialogue however should be seen, not as an "ambulance" when violent conflict erupts but as a way of life - where there is mutual trust, respect, and solidarity.

Consultation on Challenges to Christian Unity

2005-08-11T23:52:00.000+07:00

As part of CCA's ongoing collaboration with the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences, I attended the consultation organized by the FABC Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs on Challenges to Christian Unity last August 1-6 in Pattaya, Thailand.

The consultation focused on the challenges to Christian unity arising from relations with Evangelical and Pentecostal Christian communities in Asia or churches and ecclesial communities that have not taken part in the ecumenical movement.

Fr. Tom Michel provided a historical input on the rise of Christian fundamentalism. Two papers by Dr. Cecil Robeck Jr. of the Pentecostal church were read on his behalf and they were on The Contemporary Challenges Pentecostalism poses to the Historic Churches and The International Roman Catholic Church – Pentecostal Dialogue: An Update on the Fifth Round of Discussions. These papers were an eye-opener to me that there is a much longer history of Catholics dialoging with Pentecostals.

Forty-five participants from 14 countries came with country reports on their experiences of Evangelicals/Pentecostals, how they relate with each other, and what Catholics can learn from them and vice versa.

In the final statement, participants recommended the following: (a) animating liturgy to be more joyous, participatory, creative and spontaneous; (b) developing charisms; (c) biblical formation for the laity; (d) welcoming parishes; (e) taking initiative to contact Evangelicals and Pentecostal alliances; and (f) making friends to move beyond misunderstandings and suspicions of the past, and to overcome prejudices and biases.

CCA and FABC are currently planning on a joint seminar, the fourth Asia Movement to Christian Unity (AMCU IV) that will hopefully open up a dialogue with Evangelicals and Pentecostals.

Theological Roundtable Follow-up

2005-07-27T20:38:00.000+07:00

As mandated by the theological roundtable meeting in Tainan, representatives of existing theological consortia were invited to a meeting on July 11, 2005 at the CCA Centre. The existing consortia are the Association of Theological Education in South East Asia / South East Asia Graduate Studies (ATESEA/SEAGST) and Board of Theological Education-Senate of Serampore College / South Asia Theological Research Institute (BTE-SSC/SATHRI).

The purpose of the meeting was to share with the consortia the recommendations from the Tainan roundtable for an Asian theological union that would be degree-granting and specializing in contextual Asian theologies, would use the best faculty as well as use the approach of mobile faculty and mobile studentry.

The group of the July 11 meeting affirmed the desire expressed at the Tainan roundtable but suggested that the process would take some steps or stages. During this first stage, the group felt that the following steps would be appropriate:
(a) conduct an orientation for first year doctoral students from both existing consortia (BTE-SSC and SEAGST) for three weeks;
(b) strengthen the disciplines for doctoral students before dissertation level; and
(c) foster interdisciplinary research (partly IASACT) for ABD (all but dissertation) doctoral students.

It was emphasized that the need is to conduct an inventory/evaluation of existing consortia and to strengthen them to respond to existing needs. Later, the consortia should also think of how to bring in NEAATS and to help facilitate and bring in a China consortium.

Thinking long-term, the possible union (beyond the consortium) will involve the following: (a) sharing of faculty between the ongoing consortia; (b) institutionalized associations will continue to need constant challenge from theological movements, hence, the role of the movements should be kept and encouraged; and (c) it should provide faculty orientation/development in a wider framework.

The first stage to reach the dream of a theological union is for a strategic alliance of existing consortia – to enlarge the resources of both faculty and students. In view of this, it was suggested that both BTE-SSC/SATHRI and ATESEA go back to their respective faculty to share these suggestions, with the emphasis that this move towards a consortium and perhaps a union is without prejudice to one or the other. Instead there is mutual recognition of the programs that are ongoing; but there are suggestions for programs of mutual enrichment; and there are concerns for mutual exchange of students.

CCA-FMU will continue to help facilitate this process of building the alliance.

Intensive Teaching in Christian Education

2005-07-25T16:55:00.000+07:00

As a way of reconnecting with my church and seminary and in response to their request for help, I used half of my home-leave doing intensive teaching at the Silliman University Divinity School in Dumaguete City, Philippines. I handled two classes: 'Introduction to Christian Education' for juniors and 'Ministry to Various Age Groups' for seniors. This time of intensive teaching has been a good opportunity to broaden theological education perspective on Christian Education with ecumenical concerns and issues.

I also had a chance to give a message at the chapel service on July 1, which marked the beginning of Rural Life Emphasis Month of the UCCP.

On July 6, I gave some words of remembrance during the memorial service in honor of the Rev. Lydia Niguidula, who passed away on July 2. Niguidula, Ma'am Lyds to her students and Ng Lyds to friends, was an educator and pastor of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines whose expertise included Christian Education, Lay Formation, and Liturgy. She wrote liturgies for various occasions of CCA and WCC.

UCCP Theological Summit

2005-06-26T17:13:00.001+07:00

The United Church of Christ in the Philippines organized a theological consultation on 20-24 June 2005 at Shalom Center in Manila to clarify and articulate the theological position of the church on a number of issues.

With the help of Filipino resource persons, four topics were specifically dealt with. An input on Christology, with emphasis on the life, message, mission and ministry of Jesus was facilitated by Dr. Levi Oracion. Ecclesiology, with emphasis on the nature of the church, unity, life and ministry, was facilitated by Bishop Erme Camba.

Two presentations were made on missiology. Dr. Oscar Suarez focused on mission and the missionary task of the church while Dr. Hope S. Antone focused on mission in relation to pluralism and inclusivity. Dr. Everett L. Mendoza dealt with the topic of church and society with focus on the world we live in.

UCCP General Secretary Bishop Elmer Bolocon gave the keynote address at the start of the consultation, calling it an attempt to open the door 'so that we may all go in, and together claim a common space' for an encounter deriving from the variety and diversity of experiences and perspectives. Co-facilitating the consultation were Bishop Erme Camba, chair of the Faith and Order Commission, and Ms. Edna Orteza, staff of the national office.

There were 35 participants, including the members of the UCCP Faith and Order Commission, the incumbent bishops of the jurisdictional areas, representatives of UCCP ministerial formation centers, representatives of some other commissions, and some staff of the national office.

The theological consultation is part of a series of processes planned by the Faith and Order Commission of the UCCP. These are intended to provide order, relevance, coherence, and consistency in the theological articulations of the UCCP. Another ongoing initiative is the writing of commentaries on the various articles of the UCCP Statement of Faith, which will constitute a study material for the local churches.

The theological consultation was characterized by a spirit of openness and dialogue. Participants coming from different theological standpoints felt uninhibited to share their concerns and questions, thereby marking the beginning of understanding and acceptance.

The UCCP is a member of the Christian Conference of Asia. It was established in 1948 when 5 denominations merged as a united church. Many of its ongoing activities are to lead up to the General Assembly in May 2006.

Dispelling Myths about Women and Feminism

2005-06-01T17:04:00.000+07:00

I had a wonderful opportunity of participating as resource person and workshop facilitator in the Feminist Theology Conference organized by the Association for Theological Education in Myanmar (ATEM) at Lisu Theological Seminary in Pyin Oo Lwin, Myanmar on 22-26 May. My input was a general introduction to Asian feminist theologies while the workshop I facilitated was on spirituality and sexuality.

Perhaps one of the good things about that conference, attended by 70 participants 15 of whom were men, is the openness that many of the participants demonstrated in sharing myths they have held about women, sexuality, and feminist theology as a whole.

A theologically trained woman shared how her own mother had told her that it would be unthinkable for her to receive blessing/benediction from her own daughter – thereby showing how women themselves cannot see women ordained into the ministry. Very few denominations ordain women in Myanmar, and those qualified for ordination are, according to the women participants, those who are single and old. In view of such comments, I felt the need for education on the meaning of ordination as well as the leadership of women and men.

A male participant shared that a medical doctor had told him that the reason why women have faster pulse beats is because they are short-tempered. He therefore concluded that it is better to prevent women who are prone to be short-tempered from getting ordained. As facilitator of the workshop where this was raised, I had to say that being short-tempered and hot-tempered is not gender specific and what the doctor said is part of the gender stereotyping that has always put women down or in a negative light. In fact, there are men who are short- and chili-tempered but they have not been barred from positions of leadership.

Another male participant said that since women are already biased, the best teachers of feminist theology are men who are free from any biases. I had to say that if even God is not free from bias for the oppressed and marginalized, men are not free from their own biases either. It would in fact be dangerous if feminist theology is taught by men who are against the goals of feminism, i.e. gender justice and empowerment of women.

Such an openness to share myths and biases could be the beginning of genuine gender justice in Myanmar. The conference was attended by teachers of feminist theology from 35 member institutions of ATEM and some representatives from the Catholic Church and evangelical churches in Myanmar.

Anna May Say Pa, principal of Myanmar Institute of Theology, facilitated three creative and participatory Bible studies. Elizabeth Tapia, faculty at Bossey Ecumenical Institute in Geneva, gave an input on women in mission and facilitated a workshop on the World Mission Conference. Limatula Longkumer, instructor from Jorhat Theological Seminary in Northeast India) gave an input on feminist pedagogy and facilitated a workshop on Asian feminist theology. Other workshops were facilitated by Myanma resource persons: Mary Dun and Soe Soe Mar on feminist theology curriculum; Eh Tar Gay on feminist hermeneutics; May May Phyone on women and development; Thit Thit Myat San on women and culture; Lily Kadoe on women and religions; and Khin Swe Oo on women and church.

Five Thai women participated in this conference with the hope that a similar conference can be held in Thailand in the near future. CCA-FMU is committed to supporting such initiatives in order to dispel myths about women and feminism as well as to enrich theological education in Asia.

Dealing with Religious Differences in Schools

2005-02-05T10:35:00.000+07:00

How do religiously affiliated schools deal with cultural, socio-economic, gender and religious differences within the school population? Should the schools be advocates for the truth of their religious communities or should they be sites for learning to participate in interreligious dialogue?

These and other questions were behind the holding of the 4th Conference of the Education and Ethos Network held at Radboud University in Nijmegen, The Netherlands on January 20-22. CCA-FMU executive secretary Hope S. Antone was invited as one of the keynote speakers on "Religious Differences in Religiously Affiliated Schools"

Key points in Hope's paper, shared with a powerpoint presentation, are the following:
* There is definitely a place for education in the 'first language', i.e. Christian Education for church-related schools for even other religious adherents would expect and understand that. But schools need to guard against fostering an oppositional identity which can become the foundation for intolerance and demonization of the other.

* Knowing that there are different religious adherents in the religiously affiliated schools, educators need to teach in ways that stimulate among students a deep and learned commitment to their own traditions while urging them to participate in religiously pluralistic societies.

* The language of conversation and encounter begins with recognizing, appreciating and valuing differences, including the differences in our lenses for viewing the world.

* Learning from differences needs to be viewed not simply to foster tolerance but for mutually enriching each other, including learning from and correcting each other.

* Venturing into the second language of Religious Education would at its best require a different curriculum that involves the participation of religious educators from other faith communities.

There were four keynote addresses, each tackling a section of the theme of "Matters of Difference: Cultural, Socio-economic, Gender and Religious Differences within Religiously Affiliated Schools". Other speakers and paper presentors on other related themes came from religiously affiliated schools in Europe and some from USA and Canada.

The invitation for Hope came from the office of Dr. Chris Hermans upon the recommendation of Prof. Aad de Jong, both of Radboud University. The organizers felt the need to hear from a voice from another continent where religious differences were a common reality.

Continuation Committee sets CATS V theme

2005-02-05T09:58:00.000+07:00

"Sharing Hope for a New World" is the theme of the Fifth Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS V) which is set for July 2006. This was the consensus of the CATS V Continuation Committee which met in Tainan Theological College and Seminary in Tainan, Taiwan on Jan. 13-14, following the theological roundtable meeting.

The theme is a call to affirm and re-affirm "the hope that we have" in the midst of so much ruin, destruction and devastation experienced by peoples in Asia brought about by serious poverty and injustice, violence, the negative impact of globalization, war on terrorism, and most recently, the tsunami disaster that caused the loss of lives and property as well as much trauma for the surviving people.

The theme also affirms that hope for a new world or a new future is something that Asian communities of faith do share and that other communities that are not based on faith can also be communities of hope, thus, sharing hope with them can take the form of solidarity and joint action.

The committee also expressed gratitude for the offer of Rev. Dr. Lo Lung Kwong to host CATS V at the Divinity School of Chung in the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong. More details of the plan for CATS V will be shared later.

Present at the meeting were Kang Namsoon and Soosai Arokiasamy, co-moderators; Yangrae Son, treasurer; Hope Antone, secretary; Samuel Ngun Ling, Wati Longchar, Sientje Merentek-Abram, and Hannah Chen. Arche Ligo was co-opted to join the meeting for one day.

Tainan Seminary hosts theological roundtable meeting

2005-02-05T00:03:00.000+07:00

On January 9-12, a group of representatives of theological movements and associations of theological education in Asia met in Shoki Coe House at Tainan Theological College and Seminary TTCS)in Tainan, Taiwan, to share their assessment of Asian contextual theologies and their dreams of working together.

The words of Huang Po Ho, president of the Tainan Theological Seminary that hosted the meeting, aptly summarized the sharing of stories by movements and associations. He said, "All contextual theologies are experiencing a setback weakened in the wake of the current situation. It seems that we cannot find any role of Asian theology in the life of the church, thereby, making the church more marginalized in Asia."

The group therefore tried to envision Asian theological education that would help bring about transformation. It is one that is rooted in and responsive to Asian contexts and realities. Informed by global theological movements, it is liberating and empowering. It critically draws from our Asian resources for spirituality and wisdom. It transforms church and society, seminaries and theological education, and Christian higher education. Holistic in methodology, it is engaged in the public arena and models right relationships between local and other cultures, disciplines and faiths.

The group consisted of representatives of the following movements and associations: Program for Theologies and Cultures in Asia (Kang Namsoon and Simon Kwan); Association of Theological Education in Southeast Asia (Sientje Merentek-Abram); CCA-WCC Ecumenical Theological Education (Wati Longchar); Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians-Asia (Arche Ligo); Northeast Asia Theological Schools (Huang Po Ho); Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences (Soosai Arokiasamy); Asian Women's Resource Centre for Culture and Theology (Yong Ting Jin); Congress of Asian Theologians (Kang Namsoon and Soosai Arokiasamy); Archie Lee and David Suh (Asian Christian Higher Education Institute); and Christian Conference of Asia (Hope S. Antone). CCA-FMU desk organized and facilitated this meeting.

Bridging Gaps between Mission, Evangelism and Ecumenism

2004-12-08T22:14:00.000+07:00

Twenty program and related staff and representatives of mission, evangelism and ecumenism units of member churches and councils of the Christian Conference of Asia gathered on 2-7 December in Taipei, Taiwan, for the workshop on Doing Mission and Evangelism with an Ecumenical Vision, bearing in mind the CCA General Assembly theme, "Building Communities of Peace for All." The meeting was jointly organized by the CCA and the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan, which also served as host of said workshop.

The group in session.

The workshop opened with worship during which Rev. William Lo, general secretary of the PCT, spoke on the "Incarnation of the Kingdom of God".

In a summary of the four-day workshop, the group affirmed their belief that "it is God who calls us into God's mission of turning to the world in love and compassion (mission), through sharing the good news of fullness of life for all (evangelism), throughout the one household of God (ecumenism)." But the group was deeply aware of the many challenges that impact the churches including the distortions and gaps that have come about with regards to mission, evangelism and ecumenism. These are worsened by the impact of globalization, terrorism, and fundamentalism, to name a few.

The group at morning worship

The workshop included the sharing of and listening to stories of passion or involvement in mission, evangelism and ecumenism; input on bridging the gaps between the three by Hope S. Antone of CCA-FMU; an overview of the challenges to doing the same in Asia by Cheng Yang-en, a historian-theologian of Taiwan; a panel presentation on contextual responses to the challenges by Tarcisius Fernando (Sri Lanka), Rex Reyes (Philippines), Tina Rendell (Australia) and William Lo (Taiwan). Workshops and discussions were held to deepen the sharing which included strategies and suggestions for future direction.

Worship and visits with four local churches enabled the participants to learn about special ministries of the PCT, including the church for the hearing impaired and for families of people with Henson's disease.

Eang Chhun, Nurdiana Sari Wijaya, Tarcisius Fernando and Chang Chung Chih sharing a song in sign language following their visit to the church of the hearing impaired.

Among the recommendations of the group was to support the capacity building needs of churches and/or councils of young or newly open nations such as Timor Leste, Laos, Cambodia and Nepal; to do more sharing and exchange for mission with youth, women and children; to initiate and facilitate building bridges and relations; and to affirm the prophetic role/function of the church especially in these challenging times.

Meeting of Asia Secretaries of Ecumenical Partners

2004-10-21T22:28:00.000+07:00

Hope S. Antone of CCA-FMU attended the meeting of Asia secretaries of ecumenical development agencies and mission organizations on invitation by WCC Asia Desk secretary, Dr. Mathews George Chunakara, at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland on 10-14 October.

She gave a reflection at the WCC chapel service on Oct. 11 on the laments of Asia, a service that also served to open the meeting. Following WCC staff Hansuli Gerber's presentation on the Decade to Overcome Violence, Hope also made a presentation on the DOV Asia Focus in 2005. She shared another reflection on the CCA General Assembly theme at the last day of the meeting.

The meeting was a time for Asia secretaries of ecumenical development agencies and mission organizations to share common concerns related to their work and partnerships in the Asian region.

Women from the South Call for Alternative Globalization

2004-09-18T12:07:00.000+07:00

"We are not afraid to say that we live in a time of empire." Thus said a group of church women, feminist economists and women activists from Africa, Asia, Latin America, Caribbean, Middle East and Eastern Europe gathered in Antipolo City, Philippines, on 27-29 August.

A group photo at the venue

Meeting as Women�s Voices on Alternative Globalization Addressing People and Earth (WV - AGAPE), the group analyzed the signs of the times and issued a call to transformative reflection and action to counter the negative globalization that is dominating the world today. This empire-building means the "coherence of economic, cultural, political and military powers that constitute a global system of domination directed by powerful nations and organizations".

It follows a neo-liberal economic model which has made the market into an absolute, and is leading the world towards systemic crises, increased vulnerability, globalization of inequality, and continuous ecological destruction. It has also been accompanied by heightened repression, militarization and massive human rights violations � for where there are profits to be made, these are quickly secured by military might. All these, the women said, have impacted the peoples of the South, especially the poor women.

"We believe that the present neo-liberal globalization is completely against God�s vision of Oikoumene, the household of God that is founded on a theology of caring for all life, that promotes justice, compassion and solidarity with the impoverished, the vulnerable and the excluded," they said.

Instead, they affirmed an alternative vision � of a just, sustainable and caring economy that supports and upholds the sacred nature of all life and creation. They called for a move from the so-called free trade (which is only free for the powerful nations and multinational corporations) to a just, sustainable and caring global trade which, among other things, respects and protects biodiversity, local and collective wisdoms, and cultural identities.
"Just, sustainable and caring global trade and finance ensure that the movement and utilization of goods, services and funds best serve the interests of all peoples. Therefore, decision-making structures and processes on trade and financial agreements and policies must be genuinely democratized to involve and represent women and the diversity of society," they stated.

The consultation was sponsored by the World Council of Churches through the Office of Athena Peralta, consultant on women and economy of the Justice, Peace and Creation Team, based in Manila. The Christian Conference of Asia was represented in said consultation by Hope S. Antone.

On August 30, the group of women from the South attended a public forum organized by the National Council of Churches in the Philippines. The forum on "Voices from the Global South: Women's Perspective on War and Globalization" featured a panel presentation by Ofelia Ortega (Cuba), Namsoon Kang (Korea) and Lucy Mulenkei (Africa).

Namsoon Kang, Ofelia Ortega, and Lucy Mulenkei with Edna Orteza

Mission and Youth in a Context of Globalization

2004-08-24T23:47:00.000+07:00

Twenty-five young people from various churches and youth organizations in Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America participated in a seminar on mission and youth in the context of globalization at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, Switzerland on 17-23 August.

Through worship, community building activities, creative and participatory Bible studies, small group discussions, sharing of experiences, analysis of realities and issues, as well as cultural art forms, the group reflected on the role of young people and the church in carrying out mission in today's challenging context. Apart from the economic and political aspects of globalization, the young people acknowledged how the cultural aspects are seriously influencing young people today so that young people have "consciously and unconsciously become its agents".

The group however affirmed that globalization does not have the last word. "More and more young people are becoming aware and are challenged to affirm their Christian faith through finding innovative alternatives and strategies in education and advocacy" to counter the negative impact of globalization.

"As young people, we understand mission today as the announcement and realization of the fullness of life for all, which is the message of the Word of God," they said in a statement. This is done through witnessing and action both within the church and the wider society. Mission is also faith in action, they affirmed, "where 'we should walk the talk' if we are to be true to our calling".

The group included a message to the World Council of Churches' Conference on World Mission and Evangelism, urging the conference to seriously consider the context of globalization today as part of the realities which mission efforts should address, and to enable the full participation of young people in all processes.

Hope Antone of CCA-FMU was invited by the Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Tapia (faculty of Bossey and in-charge of the seminar) as one of the Bible study leaders and co-facilitator with Andreas Nufer.

Click here to see some photos

Theological Students Ask for More Ecumenical Programs

2004-08-07T14:33:00.000+07:00

At the end of a busy five-day program, a total of 67 Asian Catholic and Protestant seminarians attending the Second Asia Conference of Theological Students in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on July 25-31, called upon churches in Asia to encourage holding more such ecumenical conferences by providing more financial and moral support.

They also called on church leaders to encourage and initiate inculturation of teachings and liturgies in order to develop a truly Asian theology. In line with the wider understanding of ecumenism, they also called upon leaders of mainline Protestant and Roman Catholic Churches to actively build ties with Evangelical, independent and charismatic groups, even as interreligious dialogue and cooperation should be continuously pursued.

Recognizing that the development of China will have an impact on the rest of the world, they also called on the churches to help the ecumenical mission of Christians in China.

These recommendations were contained in a statement that was read as an act of commitment during the closing worship.

The group also had recommendations for their sending theological institutions: (a) that the curriculum include studies on inter-religious relations, inculturation and feminist theology; (b) that they teach and encourage the use of scriptures from other faiths and of indigenous elements in liturgies; and (c) that they send more participants to ecumenical conferences by increasing financial and moral support.

They also had recommendations for themselves: (a) to strive to learn and know more about other religions and cultures than their own; (b) to exercise respect for Christians of other denominations and persons of other faiths; and (c) to write reflections on ecumenism and inter-faith efforts to give greater support and publicity to such activities.

ACTS II was held to coincide with the Faith and Order Plenary Commission taking place in Kuala Lumpur from July 28-August 6. While the Faith and Order sought to lead the global churches into theological dialogue as a means of overcoming obstacles to and opening up ways towards the manifestation of Christian unity, ACTS II sought to explore issues, trends and challenges in theology in an effort to promote a more contextualized approach to doing theology in Asia.

The program consisted of sharing of contextual experiences by participants; synthesis and analysis of trends by Edmund Chia; inputs by Sathianathan Clarke on Christian theology and on being contextual theologians in Asia; survey of theological methods by Robert Schreiter; presentation on Asian feminist theologies by Hope Antone and Yong Ting Jin; inputs on Islam by Tom Michel; and a sharing on ecclesiological welcome by Anne Marie Reijnen.

The group of seminarians said that many ecumenical ventures they know of came about due to social and political factors rather than religious or spiritual factors. They said that most joint-projects are done to address poverty, HIV/AIDS, globalization, or in response to discrimination and oppression of Christians in some Asian contexts. They therefore called for mainstreaming the following in theological education: Asian/African contextual theologies; feminist theologies; religious pluralism and interreligious dialogue; poverty and globalization; ecological and environmental issues; and conflict management and resolution.

The program did not only begin and end with worship; each day began with worship led by various groups of participants � bringing cultural and religious symbols and elements from various countries and traditions. A solidarity meal was celebrated, commemorating the Passover meal and the Last Supper � but giving new meaning to common Asian elements like tea, a sweet, dry biscuit, sour fruit, bitter herbs, and rice.

The participants joined the Faith and Order Plenary Commission at its opening worship at St. Mary�s Cathedral and a dinner reception at the Selangor Club on 28 July. They also sent a brief version of their statement to the commission meeting.

ACTS II was jointly organized by the Christian Conference of Asia and the Federation of Asian Bishops� Conferences. Of the 67 participants, 32 came from CCA member churches and related organizations while 35 came from FABC. Of these, 33 were women and 34 men. Participants, ranging from the age of 21 to 60, came from Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Four overseas participants came from France, Hungary, Syria and Zambia. Among the group of Protestant and Catholic seminarians was a Muslim Indonesian woman who is presently doing her Ph. D. studies in systematic theology. Her presence at this Christian conference was greatly appreciated by the participants.

Hermen Shastri, general secretary of the Council of Churches in Malaysia, gave a welcome greeting during the opening service while Ahn Jae Woong, general secretary of CCA, came later to greet the participants.

Full statement from ACTS II

Christian and Theravada Buddhist Leaders Meet

2004-08-07T14:17:00.000+07:00

In order to enable conversation between Christians and Theravada Buddhists as people of faith with common concerns about peace, reconciliation and harmony, the World Council of Churches and the Christian Conference of Asia jointly sponsored a consultation involving the two faith groups at Tao Fong Shan Centre, Shatin, Hong Kong on July 2-6, 2004 on the theme, "Towards a Culture of Religious Diversity and Communal Harmony."

A total of 35 participants, 6 of them women, and 9 Buddhist monks, came from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand, countries where Theravada Buddhism has been predominant. Few observers and organizers came from Japan, Switzerland, Philippines, and Hong Kong, including staff from WCC and CCA.

Two keynote addresses were given by U Kyaw Than, a Christian ecumenical leader from Myanmar, and Parichart Suwanbubbha, a Buddhist scholar from Thailand. Country groupings took turns in leading the morning devotion, some of which were attempts at interfaith prayer.

Group discussions allowed participants to share and listen to stories � good stories on one side of harmonious relations; and painful stories on the other side of tensions, antagonisms, pain and suffering among people of different religions. Among the issues of great concern were conversion, religious and ethnic identities and power, intra-religious and inter-religious relations, and a possible code of conduct.

Affirming that different identities have many attachments that create barriers, the group pointed to the "need to transcend these identifies in order to become human. Then only we will respect and honour others as human beings with different religious and ethnic identities". Referring to the Buddha and Christ Jesus as having transcended their narrow identities through emptying of themselves, the group agreed that transcending one�s identities assures the protection of different minority groups.

The group noted that interreligious relations and dialogue cannot be dissociated from relations within their own faith communities. They therefore called for a re-reading of their own scriptures in light of a religiously plural world, and to engage in intensified dialogue within their own communities as well as with other faith communities.

Knowing that conversions take place in different contexts for different reasons, the group emphasized that conversion from another religion should result from the freedom to change, not because of fear or coercion. "True spiritual conversion will respect the dignity and value of persons and religious traditions." It can take place within one�s religion as well as a journey from one religion to another. It should lead people from ignorance to wisdom, darkness to light, injustice to justice, falsehood to truth. Thus, the problem of unethical conversions need to be tackled by religious and civil societies, not by state legislature since bills on prohibitions against conversion can easily lead to abuse.

The Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia, general secretary of the World Council of Churches, was able to address the group during his visit to Asia. Speaking on "the spiritual dimension to promote peace and communal harmony", he said, "There is in spite of all the differences an inner core common to all religions: the mystery of life, that life matters, that human beings matter, whether we are appearances of the moment or created in the image of God." This spiritual dimension in striving for peace and communal harmony is a sign of unity between Buddhists and Christians, he said.

Drawing from the rich tradition that goes back to Emperor Ashoka�s time 2300 years ago, the group included in their consultation statement a code of conduct saying:

In a world where religious plurality has become increasingly important, the words of Emperor Ashoka seem astonishingly modern and communicate both meaning and spirit for a culture of peace and communal and religious harmony: "One should not honour only one�s own religion and condemn the religions of others, but should honour others� religions for this or that reason. So doing, one helps one�s own religion to grow and renders service to the religions of others too. In acting otherwise one digs the grave of one�s own religion and also does harm to other religions. Whosoever honours his own religion and condemns other religions does so indeed through devotion to his own religion, thinking, �I will glorify my own religion�. But on the contrary, in so doing he injures his own religion more gravely. So concord is good: Let all listen, and be willing to listen to the doctrines professed by others" (Rock Edict 12).

In line with the Rock Edict, we propose the following to create a culture of religious diversity and communal and religious harmony:

Share the same purpose of mutual spiritual development for the transformation of individuals and communities.
Make the agenda clear, without any hidden agendas.
Be mindful in sharing in a responsible and ethical manner.
Have trust, honesty, openness to engage in dialogue with a self-critical mind.
Have moral imperatives � do good to others, if you want others to do good to you.
Learn in depth the core of your religion.
Engage in democratic and humane relations.
Engage in social dialogue which leads into action � to work for peace, reconciliation and justice.

Theologizing on Migration

2004-05-04T14:47:00.000+07:00

As a follow-up to the consultation on migrant workers' struggles in Kaohsiung, Taiwan in November 2003, a small group consultation was held in Hong Kong on April 19.

Jointly organized by CCA-FMU and the Mission to Filipino Migrant Workers, the consultation gathered 20 church workers and theologians dealing with Indonesian and Filipino migrant workers in Hong Kong as well as a representative each from the National Council of Churches in the Philippines and the Communion of Churches in Indonesia.

The group shared reflections on such questions as: "where is God and what is God saying in situation of forced migration?"; "what is God telling us, churches and Christians [in the host countries and countries of origin], about ministering to migrant workers and their families"?; "what alternative vision is there for migrant workers, their families, and the churches"? These reflections will be disseminated later.

It is hoped that through these initial attempts at theologizing on migration, churches will be helped to deal with struggles of migrant workers and their families.

Younger Theologians from the South Claim their Ecumenical Space

2004-04-24T16:25:00.000+07:00

In a consultation on interrogating and redefining power, younger theologians from the South claimed their ecumenical space, which they named AAPACALA. The acronym stands for Afro-Asia-Pacific-Caribbean-Latin America, where the 29 younger theologians came from, but has a deeper meaning, gleaning from its closeness in sound to the Indonesian word, 'apakala', meaning "what time is it"? For the younger theologians it signifies a kairotic moment in the ecumenical movement as younger theologians interrogate and redefine power.

Locating themselves as younger theologians from the South, they defined their ecumenical space as more than the geographical connotations of South and North but more as being aligned with the Empire (North) or with the voices of resistance (South).

Making critiques of the Bible and Christianity as having been made ideological tools of dominance, they called for relocating sites of power by making the central peripheral and putting the margin at the centre. They also portrayed Jesus as a Southerner, a symbol of resistance to oppressive power, subverter of situations and ways of seeing and living, and a symbol against misused of the prosperity gospel. For the news story on this, see CCA News, March 2004.

Click here to read the summary of the consultation

Consultation for Younger Theologians

2004-02-11T13:30:00.000+07:00

CCA-FMU is co-organizing with the World Council of Churches Faith and Order Unit a consultation for younger theologians from the South on interrogating and redefining power.

Hosted by the Church of Christ in Thailand and the Payap McGilvary Faculty of Theology, the consultation is from 23 to 28 February 2004 at Crystal Spring House in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Expected to attend are 26 younger theologians from Asia and Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Pacific. They will come as resource persons in their own right, bringing in their stories, experiences and reflections on power in its many dimensions.

Two resource persons to provide inputs will be Kim Yong Bock, chancellor of the Advanced Institute for the Study of Life in Korea who will provide the biblical and theological foundations on power; and Carolyn Anonuevo of the UNESCO Institute for Education to provide a feminist sociological pespective on power.

The consultation is part of the series of activities in observance of the WCC-initiated Decade to Overcome Violence.

Consultation on Migrant Workers' Fullness of Life

2003-12-16T16:56:00.000+07:00

Although migrant workers are hailed as economic saviors of their respective national economies, their governments are often ill equipped to respond to their needs especially when they are faced with danger and hardships abroad. Governments are also unprepared or unwilling to re-absorb returning overseas workers. In fact they are aggressively promoting the migration of labor.

As churches and non-government organizations strive to respond to their plight, the question comes up: is our response band-aid solution to the problem or does it address the root of the problem? Is our goal for reformation or transformation?

The CCA Faith, Mission and Unity program area held a consultation on "Affirming Fullness of Life in the Context of Migrant Workers' Struggles" in Kaohsiung, Taiwan on November 10-15, 2003 to try to address these questions.

Hosted by the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan, the meeting gathered representatives of URM network members, migrant workers' organizations, and theologians dealing with migrant issues.

The group felt the need to address both reformation and transformation, not one or the other. They urged churches to include migrant workers in their mission activities by being actively involved in building shelters as sanctuary, providing a holistic safety net, including medical care, education and empowerment through organizing, establishing self-help programs, giving counselling and visits and developing spiritual strength among migrants, irrespective of their faiths.

Click here to view statement.
2003_12_statement.doc

Highlights of the CATS IV meeting

2003-09-15T16:50:00.000+07:00

CATS IV calls for repentance, conversion and communion
"In the context of economic and political violence, social disintegration and cultural alienation, it becomes an urgent imperative for the churches in Asia to build communities of resistance for peace and justice. These are communities that are inclusive, life-affirming, healing and transforming. But for the churches to build such transforming communities, they have themselves to be transformed -- through repentance, conversion and communion... This means that churches recognize their own complicity in the maintenance of exploitative and oppressive forces in society."

This is part of the statement made by the participants of the Fourth Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS IV) at their final session in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on August 9, 2003.

A total of 100 participants from 15 Asian countries and 11 other countries attended the Congress. Of this number, 64 were men and 36 women. There was also a good presence of younger theologians.

Unique to CATS IV was the one-day Women's Forum held on August 4 before the opening of CATS proper. Sharing on the forum's deliberations during the CATS proper, the women called the attention of all Congress participants to the continuing discrimination, exploitation and oppression of women and children in church and society. They pointed out that even if globalization, militarization and wars cause sufferings to all, women and children are the worst victims. They emphasized that unless patriarchy is named and understood as the root of all oppressions, and interlocked with other systems of structural injustice, our quest for authentic Asian theologies would have no basis.

"Unless churches and theologians struggle and overcome patriarchal values and structures in their own institutions, they cannot denounce patriarchy in society with credibility and effectivity," the women stated.

CATS IV included keynote address by Dr. Wong Wai Ching, co-moderator of CATS IV and president of CCA; and input presentations on the CATS IV theme, "Building Communities: Asians in Search of New Pedagogies of Encounter," by Dr. Clive Pearson, a professor from Australia, and Dr. Ninan Koshy, from India. Their respective respondents were Dr. Noh Jung Sun from Korea, Sr. Dr. Mary John Mananzan from the Philippines, and Rev. Sylvanna Ranti-Apituley from Indonesia.

The full statement of the Congress will be published in CCA News, September issue.

Continuation Committee Members for CATS V
Members of the Continuation Committee which will plan for the Fifth Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS V) were selected from among the participants of CATS IV during the business session on August 9.

Chosen as co-moderators were Dr. Nam Soon Kang and Rev. Fr. Soosai Arokiasamy. Namsoon comes from Korea and thus represents North Asia as well as the Programme for Theologies and Cultures (PTCA). Soosai comes from India, and hence, represents South Asia as well as the Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences (FABC).

Chosen as secretary was Dr. Hope S. Antone, CCA's newly appointed Joint Executive Secretary for Faith, Mission and Unity. Chosen as treasurer was Rev. Yangrae Son, a pastor of the Uniting Church in Australia, representing the Pacific sub-region.

Members-at-large include Ms. Hannah Chen of Taiwan, Sr. Dr. Mary John Mananzan of the Philippines, Rev. Sylvana Maria Ranti-Apituley of Indonesia, and Dr. Samuel Ngun Ling of Myanmar.

Other institutional representatives on the committee are: Dr. Sientje Merentek Abram of the Association of Theological Education in South East Asia (ATESEA), Bro. Edmund Chia of FABC, and Dr. Samson Prabhakar of the South Asia Theological Research Institute (SATHRI).

Towards a Common Future

2003-05-05T18:03:00.000+07:00

[CCAnews Sept.02] More than 150 people, including thirty participants from Tanzania, South Africa, Senegal, Egypt, Lebanon, Myanmar, Thailand, the Philippines, Korea, China, Hong Kong, India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan and two observers from the Netherlands and Switzerland attended the program on Asia-Africa beyond Globalisation on 25-27 June in Bandung, Indonesia.

Bandung was a historic place for this meeting as it was in Bandung that the conference of Asian and African states met on 18-24 April 1955 in order to respond to the Cold War and where the seeds of the nonaligned movement were planted.

In his keynote speech, the former President of Indonesia, Abdurrahman Wahid, spoke of how important it is for the countries of Asia and Africa to be independent and to release themselves from the strong hands of other countries. He said that there is no escape from globalisation, and neither can we continuously blame those powerful countries. Instead, Asians and Africans have to face globalisation independently with great self-reliance. He cited the example of China, which is able to provide its people with inexpensive food and clothes.

Other speakers focused on international policies related to globalisation, which are unfair to Third World countries, and on issues of terrorism and interreligious cooperation for peace and justice.

The participants reaffirmed the significance of revitalising the Spirit of Bandung for people of Asia and Africa and other nations who advocate independence and freedom. Having been subjects of colonialism historically, many Asian and African countries are now finding themselves being victimised by the negative impact of globalisation. Hence an alternative just and peaceful world is envisioned through the spirituality of a common future.

The Spirit of Bandung is not the spirit against certain powerful countries, faiths or groups. It is the movement towards a common future of human beings who seek peace and justice for all. It is based on the belief that all human beings are equal and that people have the same basic human rights. It is a movement against economic globalisation--a situation that has brought about suffering, misery, famine and millions of deaths, especially among children and women.

In their communiqu�, participants called for, among other things, a serious implementation of economic, social and cultural rights that would enable countries of Asia and Africa to develop their own people-centered economies. This includes debt cancellation (of illegitimate debts), a campaign for payment of historical, social and ecological debts, and a call for transforming the IMF, World Bank and WTO into more democratic agencies.

Participants also called for the settling of all disputes through conflict resolution and dialogue because, as history teaches, war never resolves any dispute. They also called upon all Asian and African nations to establish just and democratic institutions, implement all UN resolutions and adopt all human rights declarations in order to eliminate all forms of discrimination, which fuel conflicts and violence.

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