Login
Login

Christian Conference of Asia

{{Short description|Regional ecumenical organisation}}

File:Payap University 59.jpg

The Christian Conference of Asia is a regional ecumenical organisation representing 15 National Councils and over 100 denominations (churches) in New Zealand, Australia, Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, East Timor, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Thailand.

These councils and churches are committed to working together in mission, leadership development, ecumenical relationships, and issues of social justice such as human rights, peace and reconciliation, poverty alleviation, and interfaith dialogue.Eun-Young Cho, The Christian Conference of Asia's Contributions to Promoting Human Rights in Asia

The offices of the Christian Conference of Asia have been located in Payap University, Chiang Mai, Thailand;{{cite web|url=https://www.cca.org.hk/contact-us|title=Contact Us|access-date=2023-08-08|publisher=Christian Conference of Asia}} since 2006.{{cite web|url=https://www.oikoumene.org/organization/christian-conference-of-asia|title=Christian Conference of Asia|publisher=World Council of Churches}} In 2023, the General Secretary (since 2015) is Dr Mathews George Chunakara.{{cite web|url=https://www.cca.org.hk/about-us/structure|title=Structure|access-date=2023-08-08|publisher=Christian Conference of Asia}}

History

Representatives of churches, national council of churches, and Christian councils decided to constitute the East Asian Christian Conference during a meeting at Prapat, Indonesia in 1957. It was inaugurated at an assembly in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1957 under the theme Witnessing Together. The fifth Assembly in 1973, meeting in Singapore, decided to change the name to Christian Conference of Asia (CCA).{{Cite web|url=http://cca.org.hk/home/cca-history/|title=CCA History - Christian Conference of Asia|website=Christian Conference of Asia|language=en-US|access-date=2016-05-18|archive-date=2019-04-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190413131150/http://cca.org.hk/home/cca-history/|url-status=dead}} It established its regional offices in Singapore at Toa Payoh Methodist Church in 1974.{{Cite web|title=Thanksgiving, dedication service|url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19740426-1.2.98|access-date=2022-01-29|website=eresources.nlb.gov.sg|language=en-SG}}

The organisation operated from Singapore until its expulsion from the country in 1987,{{Cite web|title=Protestant body shut down for engaging in political activities|url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/biztimes19871231-1.2.53|access-date=2022-01-29|website=eresources.nlb.gov.sg|language=en-SG}}{{Cite web|title=Singapore dissolves Christian Conference of Asia, deports its leaders|url=https://www.ucanews.com/story-archive/?post_name=/1987/01/06/singapore-dissolves-christian-conference-of-asia-deports-its-leaders&post_id=34815#|access-date=2022-01-29|website=ucanews.com|language=en}} when the Singapore government charged that it was engaging in political activities and had broken a promise of not doing so.{{Cite web|title=Singapore expels Christian organisation|url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19871231-1.2.5|access-date=2022-01-29|website=eresources.nlb.gov.sg|language=en-SG}} The organisation's assets were frozen and eventually returned in 1988.{{Cite web|title=$1.5m assets returned to expelled church group|url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/stoverseas19881015-1.2.9.4|access-date=2022-01-29|website=eresources.nlb.gov.sg|language=en-SG}} Member churches and council in Singapore, the Methodist Church of Singapore, the Anglican Church of Singapore and Singapore's National Council of Church withdrew from the organisation,{{Cite web|title=Methodists to quit group|url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/newpaper19881205-1.2.5.4|access-date=2022-01-29|website=eresources.nlb.gov.sg|language=en-SG}}{{Cite web|title=S'pore Anglican Church quits regional body|url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/stoverseas19880625-1.2.6.19|access-date=2022-01-29|website=eresources.nlb.gov.sg|language=en-SG}}{{Cite web|title=Council of Churches to cut ties with regional body|url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/stoverseas19890304-1.2.6.2|access-date=2022-01-29|website=eresources.nlb.gov.sg|language=en-SG}} leaving it with no official representations from Singapore since. The organisation replied to the charges that there was a 'basic misunderstanding of the role of the Church in society and the way which church and state relate to each other'.{{Cite web|title=Christian body replies to charges|url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19880506-1.2.37.30|access-date=2022-01-29|website=eresources.nlb.gov.sg|language=en-SG}}

The CCA and the Catholic-run Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences worked together to found the Asian Movement for Christian Unity in 1994;[https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv1ddcmr3 JStor website][https://www.oikoumene.org/organization/christian-conference-of-asia World Council of Churches website] the Evangelical Fellowship of Asia joined the movement in 2007.

In October 2017, the organisation celebrated its 60th anniversary with an event in Yangon.[https://mattersindia.com/2017/10/christian-conference-strengthened-ecumenism-in-asia-world-council-official/ Matters India website, article dated Oct 17, 2017]

Member churches

Member Councils

Associated bodies

See also

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • {{Official website|http://www.cca.org.hk}}

{{World Council of Churches}}

Category:Regional councils of churches

Category:Members of the World Council of Churches

Category:Christian organizations established in 1957