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Christian Conference of Asia
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CCA roundtable meeting held in Hong Kong
CCA General Secretary Dr Ahn Jae Woong addressing the CCA roundtable meeting on 8 November in Hong Kong. Also seen are member of the CCA Presidium Bishop Joseph Mar Irenaeus (on his right) and CCA Treasurer Israel Paulraj and Associate General Secretary for Finance Prawate Khid-arn on his left Asian churches urged to become instruments for building communities based on peace and justice HONG KONG � Chief of an Asian ecumenical organisation has stressed the need for �revitalising� Asian spirituality at a time when traditional cultures are on the verge of extinction due to western influences. Presenting a report at the roundtable meeting held here of representatives of partner agencies and ecumenical leaders, Dr Ahn Jae Woong, general secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) said that a spirituality which promotes a culture of peace and rejects violence need to be built into the lives of Asians to enhance human dignity. Violence and destruction originate from human minds and how to change it to preserve peace and justice is a key question in our time, he told the 32 participants who attended the 8 to 9 November meeting organised by the CCA. According to Ahn Jae Woong, �The mindset of people is formed by the way they show love and compassion towards their neighbour and to the wider community.� Roundtable meetings are organised to share the programs and concerns of the CCA to the partner agencies. It is also an occasion for agencies to make their long term commitment and support to the CCA and it�s various programs and activities. Member of the CCA Presidium Bishop Dr Joseph Mar Ireneus welcomed gathering. Speaking on Asian churches, Ahn Jae Woong noted that they are divided as liberals, conservatives, ecumenicals, evangelicals, people orineted and congregational oriented. Many churches have lost their missionary vocation and have become corrupt, he noted and added that they focus their energy, time and resources on buildings and infrastructures, and indulge in the number game by increasing the membership. �They eventually are more concerned about managing, or rather mismanaging their infrastructure and assets.� He felt it was time to discuss and to act to recover the lost mission of Asian churches situated in secular settings. He urged the Asian churches to become instruments for building peace and justice in societies and to reach out in creating networks with people of other faiths and no faith and civil society groups to build communities based on justice and peace. Making a presentation on �Current trends in geo-politics in Asia� Dr Ninan Koshy told the meeting that religion has become an important factor in geo-politics and international politics. �With religion returning to centre stage in civil and political life in the post-Cold War period, there is an unprecedented increase in the incidence of religious discrimination, intolerance and violence.� He called on the ecumenical movement to understand the reality of a new world order and the reality of an "empire. " How does the ecumenical movement deal with an empire was a question he posed during his presentation. He felt that it was important to have an �ecumenical response� on the war on terror waged by the USA and its allies. Dr Prawate Khid-arn, associate general secretary for finance presented a report on the CCA fianance and budget proposals. The two-day meeting began with morning worships led by CCA staff Dr Hope Antone and Dr Lee Hong Jung. The different sessions of the two-day meeting were moderated by Mr Israel Paulraj, Ms Hannelore Moll and Mr Ad Mook. The partner agencies were represented at the meeting by Mr Charlie Ocampo (Christian World Service, Australia) Ms Andrea Mann (Anglican Church of Canada), Mr David M Weaver (Church World Service, USA), Mr Kjell Helge Godtfredsen (Norwegian Church Aid), Mr Ad Mook (The Protestant Church in the Netherlands), Rev Johan Hasselgren (Church of Sweden), Ms Chris Eliot Hall (Methodist Church, UK), Ms Hannelore Mall (Bread for the World, Germany), Mr. Heiner Knauss (EED Germany) Mr Olaf Rehren (EMW Germany), Ms Rachel Parry, (USPG, London), Ms Marcia L Florkey (GBGM of the United Methodist in the USA), Mr Andrew Clayton (Christian Aid, UK), Mr Leo Bashyam (Christian Aid, UK), and Rev Insik Kim. (Presbyterian Church USA). 
A section of the participants at the meeting held at the Tao Fong Shan Christian Centre in Hong Kong 
Participants of the roundtable meeting 
Bishop Joseph Mar Irenaeus addressing the ecumenical partners and CCA staff 
A section of the participants 
From right: Andrea Mann (Anglican Church of Canada), Marcia L Florkey (GBGM of the United Methodist Church, USA), Cora Tabing-Reyes (CCA staff) and Chris Elliot Hall (Asia-Pacific Secretary of the Methodist Church, UK) 
From left: John Hasselgren (Church of Sweden), Heiner Knauss (EED) and Olaf Rehren (EMW) 
Ninan Koshy making a presentation at the meeting posted by Anonymous on Monday, November 08, 2004 |
