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Christian Conference of Asia
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After 50th Anniversary - Quo Vadis, CCA?Medan, Indonesia * This means expanding or reviving the geographical membership (e.g. churches in China and Singapore could be brought or welcomed back to the CCA). posted by hope on Wednesday, March 14, 2007 Welcome Message of the CCA General Secretaryat the opening of the 50th Anniversary International Symposium: Journeying together as communities of peace for allof the Christian Conference of Asia 4-7 March 2007, Parapat, Indonesia Sisters and brothers in Christ, Amazing! We are now in Parapat. This is the birthplace of Christian Conference of Asia, and I want to thank you for making us from various countries, various corners of the world feel right at home. It is indeed a pleasure to assemble here today for the 50th Anniversary International Symposium: Journeying together as communities of peace for all. On behalf of officers, committee members, member churches and councils, I extend my sincere appreciation and heartfelt thanks to sisters and brothers from the Catholic churches, the Pentecostal and other denominations & the CCA member churches who have joined us here. We wish to recognize and acknowledge the sincere efforts of the members of the local organizing committee and for the efficient and well-ordered arrangements. It was here in Parapat on 17-26 March 1957 that Asian churches leaders, young and old, women and men, clergy and lay decided to establish East Asia Christian Conference for the unity of Asian churches. We are now commemorating the 50th Anniversary of this establishment and are indeed blessed to have your presence with us on this occasion. May the love and blessings of the Lord be upon you all. For the first 50 years, Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) has been buffeted by the tumultuous changes of the new era, doing good work in many instances but falling short in others. Now, this International Symposium: Journey together as communities of peace for all offers us and churches an unparalleled opportunity to reshape the CCA well into the new jubilee, enabling it to make a real and measurable difference to people’s lives. Over the years, the issues of primary concern to the CCA have remained fairly constant: Asian theological education, church and society, Christ and cultures, freedom, democracy, gender equity, people’s struggle and human rights, natural calamities, and many other socio-economic questions. Thus the key agenda items for the First Conference in 1957 “the Common Evangelistic Task of the Churches in East Asia” affirmed the role of churches to become God’s instrument for the better world. It was described by Dr. D.T. Niles, the founding member and first General Secretary, who laid down the ecumenical mission that “the churches in Asia accept that they belong to one another and are willing increasingly to live a shared life”. We today continue living in a divided global society. What are the challenges facing Christianity in the 21st century? Who are the leaders whose voices need to be heard? What churches and individuals—known and unknown, small and large—are models for faithfulness and effectiveness for the upcoming generation? We now face an urgent need to secure the freedom of future generations to sustain their lives in the world. Changing this is a challenge for the Church today. No shift in the way we think and act can be more critical than this: we must put people as God’s people at the centre of everything we do. No responsibility greater than that of enabling women, men and youth to make the world’s peace and livable place for all. In today’s uncertain world, there are no easy answers to these new challenges. They demand innovative approaches, sustained commitment and closest possible cooperation between churches and each and every one of us. We must make God’s mission visible. We must do more than talk about our future. We must start to create it now. Let the jubilee symposium and celebration signal the renewed commitment of each every one of us, by agreeing on our common vision. Let us prove this commitment by acting on it as soon as we return home. And now, with great pleasure, I welcome you all again to the 50th Anniversary celebration of the Christian Conference of Asia. I would like to wish all those involved, and especially delegates, a most fruitful and memorable Symposium and an enjoyable stay in Parapat. May God’s peace be with you. Thank you. posted by cbs on Monday, March 12, 2007 Greetings of the CCA General Secretary to the 50th Anniversary Worship and Celebration with President of the Republic of Indonesia March 7, 2007, Medan,Indonesia His Excellency the Minister of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia His Excellency the Governor of North Sumatra Region Religious Dignitaries, Distinguished Guests, Sisters and brothers in Christ I invite you in a silence moment! All of us in the Christian Conference of Asia extend our deepest sympathy to the victims, and to the families of the victims, of two recent tragedies here in Indonesia- the earthquake in West Sumatra and the air crash in Yogyakarta. The prayers of the churches around Asia are with you at this time of grieving loss. Today is an important day for all of us and for the faith communities related to the life and destiny of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA). As the General Secretary of the CCA, I count it a privilege to bring greetings to all of you from the CCA family representing about 55 million people in almost 100 national churches and 16 national councils of churches and national Christian councils in the whole of Asia including Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. The vision that we have for Asia today is to ‘build communities of peace for all’ based on justice, healing, reconciliation, harmony, equality and unity. Today is also a special day for the Indonesian people because the CCA was conceived in its institutional form 50 years ago (1957) in Parapat, and the presence of your late President, Sukarno at the inaugural conference gave the CCA its international character and visibility. CCA was born at a time when the world was breaking away from shekels of colonialism, grip of imperialism and the might of European domination. Nations were being born and the peoples of Asia were determined to move ahead to preserve their freedom, dignity and to fight against all forms of divisions and violence which denied their humanity. The leaders of the Christian Communities met in Parapat to confer together to discern ways and means to spiritually undergird and empower Asian people to realize their dreams and visions. Furthermore, CCA was also conscious that it was called to be witnessing community in the midst of healing the wounds of nations and within the process of National Building and the struggle for self-determination. After 50 years of our existence we decided to come back to Indonesia merely to celebrate, but also to thank God for accompanying us right through these 50 years. We have also come here to seek God’s forgiveness for our lack of courage to witness and to take a stand for justice and peace amidst untold sufferings of our people. Our hope and prayer is to go from Parapat with a renewed commitment to become ambassadors of Jesus Christ to transform the principalities and powers of this world which kill the innocent, deny food, shelter, education and security to the majority of our people and abuse God’s creation. As we move to the future we are also committed to walk hand in hand with people of other faiths and no faiths to make this world a place where “… they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation and neither shall they learn war any more;…” (Micah 4:3) This is the challenge before us and therefore let us put aside all forms of divisions within and among nations, within and among faith communities and within us, which make us ineffective and spiritually paralyze us and discredits us in the face of the world. The need of the hour is to pool all our resources together in order to transform this continent and the world to become humane, just and compassionate. Therefore I urge you my sisters and brothers to go forth into the world in peace; be of good courage; hold fast that which is good; render to no one evil for evil; strengthen the fainthearted; support the weak; help the afflicted; honour everyone; love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit. God Bless You Prawate Khid-arn General Secretary Christian Conference of Asia posted by cbs on Monday, March 12, 2007 |
