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!

I was in Manila last February 11-12 for a series of meetings with local heads of churches and ecumenical organizations. I was welcomed to the birthday celebration of Rev. Fr. Rex R.B. Reyes, general secretary of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), on February 11 at the NCCP building. Afterwards I met with members of the research team on "Poverty, Wealth and Ecology". The research is being done for the forthcoming WCC-CCA Joint Conference on Poverty, Wealth and Ecology to be held in November, 2009. The research moves forward well and the first draft will be submitted to the organizers in June, 2009.

On Feb. 12, I met Rev. Lee Hong Jung over breakfast, a former CCA Joint Executive Secretary for JID and currently the President of the Asia-Pacific Christian College and Seminary. The seminary is sponsored by the Presbyterian Church in Korea, with three major areas of focus, namely: practical theologies, Christian education, and community development.

The meeting with church leaders followed at 10:30 a.m. Twelve men and women representing the five CCA member churches exchanged concerns and challenges regarding church unity, neo-ecumenism and the ecumenical movement in Asia. The sharing from the NCCP Youth Desk especially on youth internship and exchange program was impressive. CCA is being challenged to facilitate more youth exchange programs among Asian churches.

I took part in a press conference organized by the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) on the abduction of Pastor Edwin Egar on Feb. 11 by armed men. Fortunately, he was released that same night. Rev. Reyes of NCCP said, "it is clear an act of harassment. The government must scrap its counter insurgency program and return to the negotiating table to talk peace instead." Thank you, Rev. Reyes, for your warm hospitality and NCCP's efficient arrangements for the meetings.

The 2009 CCA Ecumenical Lectures

The Ecumenical Lectures on "Gender and Ethics" were held at the University Chapel of Central Philippine University in Iloilo City, Philippines on February 6. The university (with a capacity of 1000 people) was filled with students and faculty from the university, especially the religion and ethics department, social work department and the college of theology. Questions related to gender and sexuality, e.g., "Can homosexuals be saved?"; "Is homosexuality only a matter of psychological orientation or preference?"; and "Does sexual abuse of women in the churches really happen?" - figured prominently in the question and answer section of the afternoon lectures. Hope Antone (CCA-FMU) and Anna May Say Pa (from Myanmar Institute of Theology) were the guest ecumenical lecturers.

From the 6th Congress of Asian Theologians

Seventy-nine theologians from around Asia attended the 6th Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS VI) and committed themselves to articulate new paradigms for Christian mission suitable to the challenges of the day. Participants also decried the on-going extra-judicial killings and disappearances happening in the Philippines, and urged the Philippine government to take effective measures to end them.

In their statement, the Iloilo Declaration, the participants affirmed that, "As Asian theologians, we are called to follow the model of Jesus in proclaiming and working for the reign of God. In light of the imperative to take seriously the voices of people from the "underside" as agents of transformation towards peace, justice and wholeness, we are called to explore new paradigms for mission and vocation." 

Sri Lankan Churches Respond to Emergency Situation

The humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka is reaching breaking point due to lack of access to food, medicines and other basic needs. The UN reported 250,000 people trapped within a 25 square kilometer area of Mullaitivu in the Vanni Region in Sri Lanka's Northern Province which, according to the Government of President Mahinda Rajapakse, is the final staging ground in the war with the LTTE. 

The National Christian Council in Sri Lanka (NCC SL) and its member churches are responding to the emergency needs of the internally displaced population in Vavuniya and other holding camps. Churches are also preparing long-term rehabilitation programs and in binding up the wounds inflicted by 25 years of war.

The Ecumenical Christian Forum for Human Rights

The Rev. Christopher Rajkumar of the Tamilnadu Theological Seminary in Madurai, India, shared that the Ecumenical Christian Forum for Human Rights (ECFoHR) has been jointly established by representatives from the Church of South India, the Roman Catholic Church, the Methodist Churches in India, the Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Salvation Army, the Indian Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Pentecostal Church Movements. 

The ECFoHR-Madurai joins the global community in renouncing vicious wars victimizing the innocent and trapping civilians in the war zones. It also called on the Sri Lankan Government, Indian Central and State
Governments and the United Nations Organization, as an immediate response, to provide humanitarian assistance of medicine, food, shelter and other supplies necessary to reduce the terrible trauma that victims experience every day.

If you wish to know more about the ECFoHR-Madurai, please contact Rev. R. Christopher Rajkumar, Coordinator, by e-mail: directorrti@gmail.com

Some reminders

EAA: The Search Committee of the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance (EAA) is looking for an Executive Director to be based in Geneva, Switzerland, to begin in September 2009 for a term of three years (renewable). The
application deadline is February 28, 2009. Inquiries and applications are to be sent to: execdirsearch@e-alliance.ch. Complete job description, application form and more information about the EAA can be found at http://www.e-alliance.ch/execdirsearch

WCC: Dr. Agnes Abuom, moderator of the Search Committee for the post of the WCC General Secretary, invites all regions, member churches, men and women to apply. The deadline for applications is 28 February 2009. Nominations of potential candidates must be addressed to the moderator of the search committee, Dr Agnes Abuom. The search committee will screen applications and short-list candidates at the beginning of April, while interviews are expected to take place in late June. A new WCC general secretary is to be elected at the council's Central Committee meeting to be held in Geneva, Switzerland from 26 August to 2 September 2009.

Welcome and Congratulations

Welcome, Dr. Ms. Amelie Vignaud! Mr. Caesar D'Mello, executive Director of the Ecumenical Coalition on Tourism (ECOT) shared that Dr. Vignaud succeeds Ms. Julia Schonharl, Coordinator for Communications and Research, who has to leave her job earlier due to health problems.

Congratulations to the two newly elected bishops of the United Methodist Church (UMC) in the Philippines. They are Bishop Lito Tangonan of the Manila Episcopal Area, and Bishop Rudy Juan of the Baguio Episcopal Area.

CCA in Action

The following are CCA's forthcoming activities:

Prawate Khid-arn
General Secretary

No. 07/18 February 2009