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Christian Conference of Asia
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NCC general secretaries' meetingChristians urged to develop Asiatic ecumenical movement CHIANG MAI, Thailand � Christians must not only confess faith in a context where their neighbours follow other faiths or no faith, but they must also live �the Christian way of life,� CCA General Secretary Dr Ahn Jae Woong told a gathering of ecumenical leaders here on 21 September. Addressing the general secretaries of the national councils of churches and Christian councils from 15 Asian countries, Ahn Jae Woong posed the question, �How does a Christian differ from others in work place, in social life and in public life in this continent that we live in? �In every moment of our life, whether it is struggle for life or death, Christians are called to take sides with the poor, oppressed, marginalised, victimised, powerless and weaker sections of the societies,� he told them. Quoting Miguez Bomino, the CCA general secretary said that �there is no socially and politically neutral theology; in the struggle for life and death, theology must take sides.� He said that Christian life is relevant for achieving people�s aspirations and added that �The ecumenical movement has a special role to play in liberating people�s captivities of thinking, writing, speaking and performing core values.� �The ecumenical movement should offer new ways of theological framework for fullness of life for all God�s people and building communities of peace for all.� He urged Asian Christians to develop an Asiatic ecumenical movement with the following characteristics: Christocentric in nature, where God-Christ event need to be highlighted Ecclesiocentric in character, where God-Church need to be understood, and Anthropocentric in manifestation, where God-People-World need to be interrelated. Ahn felt that Asiatic ecumenical movement should focus on the whole idea of Bona fide, undertaken in good faith as the basis for its values. �Bona fide will help in overcoming any fear of confronting multifaiths and multicultural realities in Asia.� According to the CCA general secretary, the Asiatic ecumenical movement should deal with: Crossing national boundaries in order to achieve the ideals of Oikoumene Overcoming theological and ecclesiological barriers in order to be faithful to God Confessing Christian beliefs in order to propagate biblical messages Witnessing Christian values in order to be good neighbours He listed war on terrorism, crime and violence, discrimination and exclusion, poverty and hunger, negative impact of globalisation, religious fundamentalism, militarisation and nuclearisation, HIV and AIDS and new kinds of pandemic, plight of migrants, refugees, internally displaced people, environmental degradation, women and children, unemployment, poverty, differently abled persons, church and society related issues, Asian spirituality and missionary vocation of the churches. 
CCA General Secretary Ahn Jae Woong addressing the NCC general secretaries' meeting in Chiang Mai 
Clement Jonn (fourth from left) and Hansulrich Gerber (fourth from right) resource persons from the WCC, seen with other participants. 
A section of the participants. Ninan Koshy, a resource person from India, (clock wise, fourth on the right side) is also seen 
Ahn Jae Woong expressing appreciation to Salvador Martinez, who preached sermon at the opening worship posted by Anonymous on Sunday, October 03, 2004 |
