ASIA PACIFIC ECUMENICAL NEWS (APEN)
25 April 2010
People’s forum urges ecumenical movement to speak for voiceless and to accompany them in their struggles
KUALA LUMPUR (APEN) – “Asian churches are in a situation similar to the frog in the water that is slowly allowed to boil unaware of the rising temperature until it is too late.”
This was stated here by a gathering of faith-based social activists and church leaders, held from 12-13 April, prior to the 13th general assembly of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA).
They said that “church often fails to act” in the economic, social, political, and cultural realms, and added that “The activities of the church are mostly limited to maintenance, self-preservation, amassing wealth and privileges.”
The participants, who came from different parts of Asia to attend the CCA-organized People’s Forum, noted that the church “tends to avoid conflicts especially where its own interests may be put at risk,” and as a result it is in “danger of losing its identity and reason for being.”
The People’s Forum began with a bible study by Reverend Rienzie Perera, associate general secretary for finance and relations of the CCA, who challenged the churches not to be conformed to the world but to transform it as followers of Christ.
Dr M P Joseph, a professor from a theological university in Taiwan wanted the churches to be “informed, transparent, accountable, responsible and self-critical” and be in solidarity with the poor and the vulnerable.
The forum felt that the ecumenical movement has become “empire building and ecclesial-techno-bureaucratic.”
“The ecumenical movement must amplify the voice of the voiceless and accompany in their struggles,” it said.
Affirming the message of justice, hope, love and the biblical notion of the fullness of life for all, the forum noted that the ecumenical movement has a prophetic role to challenge the systems that are based on “greed, violence and competition.”
In a presentation on “Tourism: A challenge to justice. A call to Asian churches” Caesar D’Mello, director of Ecumenical Coalition on Tourism said that “tourism industry as structured today is a factor in third world poverty.”
He noted that there are cases in different part of Asia where tourism is becoming a tool for community, social, political and even physical violence, and hence a threat to peace.”
The forum also discussed peace building in the militiarized Korean peninsula and the Kamir valley, conflicts and human rights in the Asia region and the churches’ engagement with people’s movements in the context of globalization.
The pre-CCA assembly forum urged the CCA to encourage its member churches and related organizations to support the Korean Ecumenical Forum and similar initiatives that promote trust and understanding between the two Koreas.
It also urged the CCA to create its capacity to support member churches to engage in efforts for building peace, especially to strengthen peace initiatives of the churches in India and Pakistan in relation to supporting the interests of the people living in the Kashmir valley.
The participants recommended the Asian ecumenical body to continue and develop ecumenical pastoral visits including fact-finding, study and solidarity missions, and provide support to member churches to protect victims of human rights violations, displaced persons, refugees and other asylum seekers.
One of the objectives of the forum was “to draw implications for churches’ mission amidst broken, bruised and brutalized people and communities.”
Sunday, April 25, 2010
ASIAN PACIFIC ECUMENICAL NEWA (APEN)
25 April 2010
Church feels discriminated, but has a message
KUALA LUMPUR (APEN) – Worship in local churches by the participants during general assemblies was always an important part in the life of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA).
The just concluded 13th general assembly of the CCA, which gathered here some 300 church representatives, observers and fraternal delegates from different parts of Asia and outside, was no different.
The local host, the Council of Churches in Malaysia, facilitated the assembly participants to worship at the local churches in and around the Malaysian capital city on Sunday 18 April.
When the majority of the participants attended different mainline churches for worship, a group of six attended the Good Samaritan Metropolitan Community Church (GSMCC), which does not belong to any mainline or “wider church.”
The sermon by the pastor on that Sunday afternoon service was on the familiar biblical theme, “Love thy neighbor.”
“We have our own individuality,” said a church member, and added that we have been moved by the “power of love and the love of Jesus.”
Music has been important part of the worship, which encourages people with musical talents to join the worship every Sunday.
Besides the Sunday worship, the church also has thrice-a-week group meetings to discuss and reflect on issues concerning them.
Personal counseling has also been an important function of the church, the pastor told the group from the CCA assembly, which concluded on 21 April.
When the opening hymn “Amazing grace” was being sung, the small worshipping place became full with more than 30 people in the congregation.
The GSMCC is small church, which was started in 2008, to provide spiritual and moral support to people with a different sexual orientation.
It was started for a diverse community of Christians, including the “gay community.”
According to the GSMCC, “We are a Christian church that affirmed the Apostle’s Creed and Nicene Creed.”
The church is an extension of Metropolitan Community Church New York and seeks to
enlarge its membership through the internet.
Facebook and Twitter are used to promote the work of the church.
“The discrimination we face due to our sexual orientation makes us feel excluded and rejected,” the pastor said during a conversation.
He wants the mainline churches to “hear our story.”
The GSMCC leaders told the visiting members that a good amount of support came from heterosexuals.
The church membership is open to “absolutely everyone regardless of your gender, race, denomination, religion, sexual orientation, cultural background…”
“You have a message, which you have to share with the wider churches,” senior pastor from Australia told the congregation after the worship.
Reverend Yap Kim Hao, the well known Asian ecumenical leader has been a staunch supporter of this community.
He has been reminding them about the importance of their ministry.
Yap Kim Hao, the first Methodist bishop in Singapore and a former general secretary of the CCA, has been actively involved in the ministry of the gay community in Singapore for the last few years.
He serves as the pastoral advisor of the Free Community Church whose vision is to be “an inclusive community that celebrates diversity in living our God’s love and promises of abundant love for all.”
The circle of God’s love is wider and the wider church must share the love of God with communities like GSMCC, the Australian pastor told the congregation.
The CCA assembly participants who attended the worship were from Australia, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Pakistan and India.
Email GSFMY2008@gmail.com for more information.
25 April 2010
Church feels discriminated, but has a message
KUALA LUMPUR (APEN) – Worship in local churches by the participants during general assemblies was always an important part in the life of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA).
The just concluded 13th general assembly of the CCA, which gathered here some 300 church representatives, observers and fraternal delegates from different parts of Asia and outside, was no different.
The local host, the Council of Churches in Malaysia, facilitated the assembly participants to worship at the local churches in and around the Malaysian capital city on Sunday 18 April.
When the majority of the participants attended different mainline churches for worship, a group of six attended the Good Samaritan Metropolitan Community Church (GSMCC), which does not belong to any mainline or “wider church.”
The sermon by the pastor on that Sunday afternoon service was on the familiar biblical theme, “Love thy neighbor.”
“We have our own individuality,” said a church member, and added that we have been moved by the “power of love and the love of Jesus.”
Music has been important part of the worship, which encourages people with musical talents to join the worship every Sunday.
Besides the Sunday worship, the church also has thrice-a-week group meetings to discuss and reflect on issues concerning them.
Personal counseling has also been an important function of the church, the pastor told the group from the CCA assembly, which concluded on 21 April.
When the opening hymn “Amazing grace” was being sung, the small worshipping place became full with more than 30 people in the congregation.
The GSMCC is small church, which was started in 2008, to provide spiritual and moral support to people with a different sexual orientation.
It was started for a diverse community of Christians, including the “gay community.”
According to the GSMCC, “We are a Christian church that affirmed the Apostle’s Creed and Nicene Creed.”
The church is an extension of Metropolitan Community Church New York and seeks to
enlarge its membership through the internet.
Facebook and Twitter are used to promote the work of the church.
“The discrimination we face due to our sexual orientation makes us feel excluded and rejected,” the pastor said during a conversation.
He wants the mainline churches to “hear our story.”
The GSMCC leaders told the visiting members that a good amount of support came from heterosexuals.
The church membership is open to “absolutely everyone regardless of your gender, race, denomination, religion, sexual orientation, cultural background…”
“You have a message, which you have to share with the wider churches,” senior pastor from Australia told the congregation after the worship.
Reverend Yap Kim Hao, the well known Asian ecumenical leader has been a staunch supporter of this community.
He has been reminding them about the importance of their ministry.
Yap Kim Hao, the first Methodist bishop in Singapore and a former general secretary of the CCA, has been actively involved in the ministry of the gay community in Singapore for the last few years.
He serves as the pastoral advisor of the Free Community Church whose vision is to be “an inclusive community that celebrates diversity in living our God’s love and promises of abundant love for all.”
The circle of God’s love is wider and the wider church must share the love of God with communities like GSMCC, the Australian pastor told the congregation.
The CCA assembly participants who attended the worship were from Australia, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Pakistan and India.
Email GSFMY2008@gmail.com for more information.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
FRINGE DIALOGUE EVENTS AT CCA GENERAL ASSEMBLY APRIL 2010 IN KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
1. Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies
The Anglican Bishop of West Malaysia, Ng Moon Hing who is the current President of the Council of Churches of Malaysia, its General Secretary, Rev Dr Hermen Shastri and Rev Thomas Philips, President of the Malaysian Consultative Council on Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) invited me to attend the event at the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies–Malaysia. IAIS pursues high calibre academic research on Islam in contemporary context, with the aim of elaborating ethical and intellectual principles of Islam and promoting interfaith dialogue.
IAIS had invited Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches to speak on “ Future of Muslim-Christian Dialogue: Prospects and Challenges.” Dr Tveit was in Kuala Lumpur to attend the General Assembly of the Christian Conference of Asia. He was moderator of the Church of Norway - Islamic Council of Norway contact group and the same for the Jewish Congregation contact group. He also was a member of the Inter-Faith Council of Norway.
The host who presided at this important event was Professor Dr. Datuk Osman Bakar, now Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, and Deputy CEO of the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies–Malaysia. He is currently a Senior Fellow at the Prince al-Waleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University, Washington D.C. When we met him before the meeting he recalled that he first participated in the Interfaith event in Kuala Lumpur organized by the Christian Conference of Asia in the seventies when I was the General Secretary. It was good to re-establish this link.
Dr Tveit in his address shared his experience in Christian-Muslim dialogue in Norway where the Christians are in the majority with Muslims as a tiny minority. The situation is the opposite here where the Muslims are in the majority. There are lessons to be learnt of dialogue between Christian-Muslim relationships. It calls for tolerance and respect of differences as we engage in building bridges of understanding between faith communities leading to a peaceful society.
2. High Tea with Anwar Ibrahim
Following this event the Christian group was entertained by Anwar Ibrahim, the Opposition Leader in the Malaysian Parliament to High Tea at his private residence for over two hours even though he was busily engaged in the campaigning in the Hulu Selangor bye-election immediately after our meeting.
At the outset he recalled his connections with the Christian community when he acknowledged my first meeting him in the “ceremah” or dialogue sessions in the home of the former Opposition Leader, the late Dr Tan Chee Khoon. He also acknowledged the assistance given to him when he first started Abim’s (Malaysia Islamic Youth Movement) school for drop-outs from ecumenical sources in the early seventies. He participated in a few CCA events subsequently.
Anwar Ibrahim had just returned from his visit to the United States and was promised support from the leaders there as well as other countries in his current Sodomy Trial. He is optimistic about his prospects of acquittal. He has furnished irrefutable medical evidence that the sexual act did not occur.
We dealt at some length about the use of the name Allah and he expressed his concern. We discussed other issues arising from the present political and religious situation in the country.
The group expressed their appreciation for his contribution to Malaysian politics and assured him of their support. An old friend from the early sixties, Goh Keat Peng, is the liaison person.
3. Prime Minister Najib Razak
The Christian Conference of Asia concluded its business officially and the Prime Minister, Najib Razak, met with the remaining less than one hundred delegates who were waiting to board their planes to travel home the day after it ended. Najib had returned from Japan early on that day of the event at the Grand Seasons Hotel which coincidentally also houses the offices of vocal Malay rights group, Perkasa.
At this encounter he narrated his 1Malaysia concept for religious and racial unity in Malaysia. I expected the PM to repeat his speech which he delivered to the Foreign Correspondents Club meeting in Singapore recently. I did not bother to change my flight to take part in this event.
Present were the newly-elected general secretary of the CCA, Reverend Dr Henriette T. Hutabarat Lebang, who is also the director of the Institut Telogi Gereja Toraja in Indonesia; Anglican Archbishop of Perth Roger Herft; and the Vatican’s diplomatic representative to Southeast Asia, Salvatore Pennacchio.
Malaysian Insider, an influential online news portal, reported that the Malaysian delegates “felt the words still rang hollow, and expressed doubts that Malaysia was moving from mere tolerance to acceptance and mutual respect as espoused by the prime minister.”
“Utusan Malaysia should be here,” the church leader said on condition of anonymity, referring to the Malay-language national newspaper.
The Umno-owned daily has been at the forefront of criticism against a recent Cabinet-endorsed committee to promote harmony and understanding among religions in Malaysia.
Another local church representative noted that the PM’s speech steered clear of mentioning religion, and focused instead on the social and economic elements to promote unity and mutual understanding among communities from diverse backgrounds.
‘There’s a place under the Malaysian sun for everybody’,” the church leader said, citing the PM, but he appeared skeptical of Najib’s sincerity in his own message.
“He may say this here but he likely says something else in front of a different audience,” he pointed out.
“He’s got to add substance to his stand,” he added, noting that as a Malaysian delegate, he was hoping to hear “something more tangible” from the PM.”
4. Interfaith Project for Reconciliation in Sri Lanka
Preman Niles in his D T Niles lecture at the General Assembly traced the development of CCA from the beginning of a Movement of Friends to the Movement of Movements to the present stage of Movement of Churches. There is always the danger of institutionalizing any movement. There is also the risk of having a movement which is cut off from the churches.
Perhaps the time has come for Christians to partner people of other faith communities to engage in a common project of service to the whole human community. Increasingly we find ourselves as a Christian community in a human community which is religiously diverse and including those who do not hold any religious conviction. We then link up into a network of local projects/programmes for mutual enrichment and support and then seek further linkages regionally and globally.
One such effort is for me to work with Bhante Dr K Gunaratne, a Sinhalese Buddhist who is resident in Singapore for over ten years. We met one another in the Inter-Relgious Organisation in 1995. When he was engaged in a relief mission last year at the conclusion of the Civil War in Sri Lanka I decided to join him to visit the Internally Displaced Persons camp for the Tamil Tigers undergoing re-education.
We have now moved on to establish an Education Center for enrichment classes including English and Computor classes for upper secondary students. It will also provide interfaith education and reconciliation initiatives. Located in Vavuniya which has a Tamil majority in the north we will enhance the dialogue programme which is already in existence among different religious leaders in the community.
Bhante Gunaratne made a special trip to Kuala Lumpur to meet with the church leaders from Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankans in diaspora from Australia, United Kingdom and the United States. It was a time of clarification of the project which aims to engage in the process of reconciliation between the Sinhalese and the Tamils and moving forward to a new future for the country.
5. Good Samaritan Metroplitan Community Church
Delegates to the CCA General Assembly were dispersed in small groups to different churches in the city for the Sunday Worship Services. I posted the notice introducing Good Samaritan Metropolitan Community Church (GSMCC) for them to register so that the logistics could be arranged.
A group of eight chose to attend the Good Samaritan Metropolitan Community Church which was organized a little over two years ago. Within the group were a Pastor from the Uniting Church in Sydney, Australia, CCA staff responsible for the programme of HIV/AIDS, two journalists from India and Pakistan.
The journalist from Pakistan filed her report of the visit to the Church. I was surprised it was published in the Conference Daily newsletter the following day.
Naveen quoted Pastor Joe Pang: “This Church welcomes absolutely everyone - regardless of their gender, race, denomination, religion, sexual orientation and cultural background. The Church contains a diverse group of members including people from the “gay community.” We aspire to be a church of diversity. We believe in the power of love and healing” says Pastor Joe. The discrimination we face due to our sexual orientation makes us feel isolated. We ask the churches to hear our story, but we often refused a listening ear” he further added.
Pastor Joe ended by saying: “ We are glad CCA participants attended our worship. We pray with you and support the theme of the Assembly: Called to Prophesy, Reconcile and Heal.”
6. Personal Notes
My relationship to the Christian Conference of Asia was early in my ministry in the beginning of the sixties. I was invited to attend the 3rd General Assembly in 1964 in Bangkok. Early I had met the founder, D. T. Niles of Sri Lanka of what was then known as the East Asia Christian Conference. He was a leader with great charisma of the Methodist Church in Ceylon and became the first General Secretary of EACC. He took the liberty to select the members of the Continuation Committee and I was included in his list and was elected to that office. In the 5th Assembly which met in Singapore I was elected General Secretary in 1973 and served till 1985. The name was changed to the Christian Conference of Asia since then
I have made many friends since I was related to CCA and made new ones till today. A General Assembly is an occasion to renew and form friendships in the ecumenical movement. The meeting is a time to review the ecumenical programme and to chart new directions of mission and service for the churches in Asia.
We look forward to another five years of witness and service to the people in Asia by individual Christians, member churches, and CCA.
The Anglican Bishop of West Malaysia, Ng Moon Hing who is the current President of the Council of Churches of Malaysia, its General Secretary, Rev Dr Hermen Shastri and Rev Thomas Philips, President of the Malaysian Consultative Council on Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) invited me to attend the event at the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies–Malaysia. IAIS pursues high calibre academic research on Islam in contemporary context, with the aim of elaborating ethical and intellectual principles of Islam and promoting interfaith dialogue.
IAIS had invited Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches to speak on “ Future of Muslim-Christian Dialogue: Prospects and Challenges.” Dr Tveit was in Kuala Lumpur to attend the General Assembly of the Christian Conference of Asia. He was moderator of the Church of Norway - Islamic Council of Norway contact group and the same for the Jewish Congregation contact group. He also was a member of the Inter-Faith Council of Norway.
The host who presided at this important event was Professor Dr. Datuk Osman Bakar, now Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, and Deputy CEO of the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies–Malaysia. He is currently a Senior Fellow at the Prince al-Waleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University, Washington D.C. When we met him before the meeting he recalled that he first participated in the Interfaith event in Kuala Lumpur organized by the Christian Conference of Asia in the seventies when I was the General Secretary. It was good to re-establish this link.
Dr Tveit in his address shared his experience in Christian-Muslim dialogue in Norway where the Christians are in the majority with Muslims as a tiny minority. The situation is the opposite here where the Muslims are in the majority. There are lessons to be learnt of dialogue between Christian-Muslim relationships. It calls for tolerance and respect of differences as we engage in building bridges of understanding between faith communities leading to a peaceful society.
2. High Tea with Anwar Ibrahim
Following this event the Christian group was entertained by Anwar Ibrahim, the Opposition Leader in the Malaysian Parliament to High Tea at his private residence for over two hours even though he was busily engaged in the campaigning in the Hulu Selangor bye-election immediately after our meeting.
At the outset he recalled his connections with the Christian community when he acknowledged my first meeting him in the “ceremah” or dialogue sessions in the home of the former Opposition Leader, the late Dr Tan Chee Khoon. He also acknowledged the assistance given to him when he first started Abim’s (Malaysia Islamic Youth Movement) school for drop-outs from ecumenical sources in the early seventies. He participated in a few CCA events subsequently.
Anwar Ibrahim had just returned from his visit to the United States and was promised support from the leaders there as well as other countries in his current Sodomy Trial. He is optimistic about his prospects of acquittal. He has furnished irrefutable medical evidence that the sexual act did not occur.
We dealt at some length about the use of the name Allah and he expressed his concern. We discussed other issues arising from the present political and religious situation in the country.
The group expressed their appreciation for his contribution to Malaysian politics and assured him of their support. An old friend from the early sixties, Goh Keat Peng, is the liaison person.
3. Prime Minister Najib Razak
The Christian Conference of Asia concluded its business officially and the Prime Minister, Najib Razak, met with the remaining less than one hundred delegates who were waiting to board their planes to travel home the day after it ended. Najib had returned from Japan early on that day of the event at the Grand Seasons Hotel which coincidentally also houses the offices of vocal Malay rights group, Perkasa.
At this encounter he narrated his 1Malaysia concept for religious and racial unity in Malaysia. I expected the PM to repeat his speech which he delivered to the Foreign Correspondents Club meeting in Singapore recently. I did not bother to change my flight to take part in this event.
Present were the newly-elected general secretary of the CCA, Reverend Dr Henriette T. Hutabarat Lebang, who is also the director of the Institut Telogi Gereja Toraja in Indonesia; Anglican Archbishop of Perth Roger Herft; and the Vatican’s diplomatic representative to Southeast Asia, Salvatore Pennacchio.
Malaysian Insider, an influential online news portal, reported that the Malaysian delegates “felt the words still rang hollow, and expressed doubts that Malaysia was moving from mere tolerance to acceptance and mutual respect as espoused by the prime minister.”
“Utusan Malaysia should be here,” the church leader said on condition of anonymity, referring to the Malay-language national newspaper.
The Umno-owned daily has been at the forefront of criticism against a recent Cabinet-endorsed committee to promote harmony and understanding among religions in Malaysia.
Another local church representative noted that the PM’s speech steered clear of mentioning religion, and focused instead on the social and economic elements to promote unity and mutual understanding among communities from diverse backgrounds.
‘There’s a place under the Malaysian sun for everybody’,” the church leader said, citing the PM, but he appeared skeptical of Najib’s sincerity in his own message.
“He may say this here but he likely says something else in front of a different audience,” he pointed out.
“He’s got to add substance to his stand,” he added, noting that as a Malaysian delegate, he was hoping to hear “something more tangible” from the PM.”
4. Interfaith Project for Reconciliation in Sri Lanka
Preman Niles in his D T Niles lecture at the General Assembly traced the development of CCA from the beginning of a Movement of Friends to the Movement of Movements to the present stage of Movement of Churches. There is always the danger of institutionalizing any movement. There is also the risk of having a movement which is cut off from the churches.
Perhaps the time has come for Christians to partner people of other faith communities to engage in a common project of service to the whole human community. Increasingly we find ourselves as a Christian community in a human community which is religiously diverse and including those who do not hold any religious conviction. We then link up into a network of local projects/programmes for mutual enrichment and support and then seek further linkages regionally and globally.
One such effort is for me to work with Bhante Dr K Gunaratne, a Sinhalese Buddhist who is resident in Singapore for over ten years. We met one another in the Inter-Relgious Organisation in 1995. When he was engaged in a relief mission last year at the conclusion of the Civil War in Sri Lanka I decided to join him to visit the Internally Displaced Persons camp for the Tamil Tigers undergoing re-education.
We have now moved on to establish an Education Center for enrichment classes including English and Computor classes for upper secondary students. It will also provide interfaith education and reconciliation initiatives. Located in Vavuniya which has a Tamil majority in the north we will enhance the dialogue programme which is already in existence among different religious leaders in the community.
Bhante Gunaratne made a special trip to Kuala Lumpur to meet with the church leaders from Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankans in diaspora from Australia, United Kingdom and the United States. It was a time of clarification of the project which aims to engage in the process of reconciliation between the Sinhalese and the Tamils and moving forward to a new future for the country.
5. Good Samaritan Metroplitan Community Church
Delegates to the CCA General Assembly were dispersed in small groups to different churches in the city for the Sunday Worship Services. I posted the notice introducing Good Samaritan Metropolitan Community Church (GSMCC) for them to register so that the logistics could be arranged.
A group of eight chose to attend the Good Samaritan Metropolitan Community Church which was organized a little over two years ago. Within the group were a Pastor from the Uniting Church in Sydney, Australia, CCA staff responsible for the programme of HIV/AIDS, two journalists from India and Pakistan.
The journalist from Pakistan filed her report of the visit to the Church. I was surprised it was published in the Conference Daily newsletter the following day.
Naveen quoted Pastor Joe Pang: “This Church welcomes absolutely everyone - regardless of their gender, race, denomination, religion, sexual orientation and cultural background. The Church contains a diverse group of members including people from the “gay community.” We aspire to be a church of diversity. We believe in the power of love and healing” says Pastor Joe. The discrimination we face due to our sexual orientation makes us feel isolated. We ask the churches to hear our story, but we often refused a listening ear” he further added.
Pastor Joe ended by saying: “ We are glad CCA participants attended our worship. We pray with you and support the theme of the Assembly: Called to Prophesy, Reconcile and Heal.”
6. Personal Notes
My relationship to the Christian Conference of Asia was early in my ministry in the beginning of the sixties. I was invited to attend the 3rd General Assembly in 1964 in Bangkok. Early I had met the founder, D. T. Niles of Sri Lanka of what was then known as the East Asia Christian Conference. He was a leader with great charisma of the Methodist Church in Ceylon and became the first General Secretary of EACC. He took the liberty to select the members of the Continuation Committee and I was included in his list and was elected to that office. In the 5th Assembly which met in Singapore I was elected General Secretary in 1973 and served till 1985. The name was changed to the Christian Conference of Asia since then
I have made many friends since I was related to CCA and made new ones till today. A General Assembly is an occasion to renew and form friendships in the ecumenical movement. The meeting is a time to review the ecumenical programme and to chart new directions of mission and service for the churches in Asia.
We look forward to another five years of witness and service to the people in Asia by individual Christians, member churches, and CCA.
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