Letter from CCA

(“A Letter from CCA” is a sharing message of the CCA General Secretary to update member churches and ecumenical friends about the life and works of CCA. It is electronically published every Wednesday.)

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ!

The Lord is risen indeed. (Luke 24:34).

I wish you all a very blessed and happy Easter, on behalf of the CCA staff, committee members and ecumenical friends. Easter is a time for us to reflect on Jesus' sacrifice, crucifixion and resurrection, and how he demonstrated God's unconditional love for us. Christ rising is also an opportunity for us as churches and faith communities to reconcile and heal the pains of the broken world that we live in.

CCA office will be closed on Good Friday (21 March 2008).

Tomorrow, 20 March will mark the fifth year to the US led war in Iraq. Pope Benedict XVI in his traditional "Urbi et Orbi" Easter address (2007) lamented that "nothing positive" is happening in Iraq and condemned the unrest in conflict ridden areas of the world.

"Afghanistan is marked by growing unrest and instability," Pope Benedict said. "In the Middle East, besides some signs of hope in the dialogue between Israel and the Palestinian authorities, unfortunately, nothing 
positive come from Iraq, torn apart by continual slaughter as the civil population flees."

In the recent CCA News (March issue) Dr. Hope Antone talked about the significance of Easter from women's perspective by reflecting on "who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb (Mark. 16:3)?" We know that women around the world are struggling for their rights and gender justice. Their empowerment and equal participation in society and decision-making process are also the aspects that should be reflected upon, as we have just commemorated the International Women's Day on 8th March.

On Easter, we celebrate God's gift of freedom and the power of love that conquered death and gave new life to the world. The Lord is risen indeed (Luke. 24:34. Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me (Mathew. 28:10).

We thank for God's blessings and pray for the peace to prevail amidst us.

Theological Workshop in Indonesia

CCA-FMU organised a workshop with the Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI) on "Doing Theology in Context of Religious Resurgence" on 9-13 March in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Rev. Dr Sungkook Park, Joint Executive Secretary for FMU shared that twenty-three Indonesian theologians, which included women and students actively participated in the wide range of theological discussions, case 
studies and personal testimonies in the workshop. In discussions it came out that a new challenge for churches and Indonesian theologians is how they indigenize theologies in their national context. Participants 
strongly requested CCA for follow up strategies and programs.

CCA General Assembly Malaysia, 2010

The CCA Executive Committee in coordination with Council of Churches in Malaysia (CCM) approved the date for CCA 13th General Assembly to be held on 14-21 April 2010 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with a theme "Called to Prophesy, Reconcile and Heal". The decision was taken in the Executive Committee meeting held in Chiang Mai on 18-19 March.

I would like to invite all member churches, national councils, ecumenical partners and friends to block these dates in your calendar. Here are some of the ecumenical events that will be happening in year 2010, along with CCA General Assembly:

Prawate Khid-arn
General Secretary

No. 12/19 March 2008