Asia, Oceania & Pacific Islands
Asie, Océanie et îles du Pacifique
- Australasian Theological Forum (ATF)
- The Australasian Theological Forum Limited is an independent, ecumenical and interdisciplinary body. The Forum seeks to enrich public discourse on contemporary issues through the disciplines and wisdom of Christian theology. To this end the Forum:
- holds as central the witness to Jesus Christ contained in the Scriptures and summarised in the confession of the Triune God as expressed in the ecumenical council of Nicea.
- recognises that the Christian faith is expressed in a variety of theological forms.
- is committed to an engagement with other disciplines in addressing areas of social, scientific and cultural concern, including those related to the multi-cultural character of Australian society and the quest for national reconciliation.
- encourages theology within an ecumenical context, in association with universities, theological institutions and other interested groups and individuals.
- fosters informal networks of communication, exchange of ideas and fellowship between members.
- engages in research and publishing.
- achieves its aims by organising, often in association with other institutions, symposia, public lectures and other forms of dialogue.
The Forum has a National Board representative of Christian traditions in Australia. The Board determines policy and achieves its objectives through various sub-committees.
- Australian Student Christian Movement (ASCM)
- The Australian Student Christian Movement (ASCM) is an ecumenical movement of tertiary students, university faculty and senior friends with a history in Australia dating back over a hundred years. It is an affiliate movement of the World Student Christian Federation (WSCF), an international federation of over 100 national movements spanning six WSCF regions: Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and Caribbean, Middle East and North America. In 2004 the General Assembly of WSCF affirmed the following statement as the guiding vision of the federation:
The WSCF is a global community of Student Christian Movements committed to dialogue, ecumenism, social justice and peace. Its mission is to "empower students in critical thinking and constructive transformation of our world by being a space for prayer and celebration, theological reflection, study and analysis of social and cultural processes and solidarity and action across boundaries of culture, gender and ethnicity."
- Christian Conference of Asia (CCA)
Christian Conference of Asia
- The Christian Conference of Asia began as the East Asia Christian Conference, which was constituted by a decision of churches, national councils of churches and Christian councils, whose representatives met at Prapat, Indonesia, in 1957. It was inaugurated at an assembly in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1959, under the theme Witnessing Together. In the light of changing circumstances, the 1973 assembly, meeting in Singapore, agreed to change the name to Christian Conference of Asia (CCA). The purpose statement of the CCA says that CCA exists as an organ and a forum of continuing cooperation among the churches and national Christian bodies in Asia, within the framework of the wider ecumenical movement, believing that the purpose of God for the church in Asia is life together in a common obedience of witness to the mission of God in the world. In order to be a member of the CCA, churches must “confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour according to the scriptures and therefore seek to fulfill their common calling to the one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit”. National councils or similar bodies joining the CCA must also approve this basis. The CCA strives for the unity of the church in Asia, joint action in mission, Asian contribution to Christian thought and worship, sharing and fellowship among the churches in Asia and beyond, effective Christian response to the challenges of the changing societies of Asia, relationships with people of other faiths in Asia, human dignity and care for the creation.
Among the current priorities of the CCA are the strengthening of the koinonia of Asian churches and Christian communities, the healing of divisions in the churches and society, ecumenical formation, the expansion of the ecumenical fellowship in Asia to involve Roman Catholics and Evangelicals, and revitalizing the ecumenical vision, thought and action in regard to the emerging challenges in Asia and Asia’s place in the world. The core programmes of the CCA are Faith, Mission and Unity, Ecumenical Formation, Gender Justice and Youth Empowerment, Justice, International Affairs, Development and Service. Special concerns include the Congress of Asian Theologians, Ecumenical Theological Formation and the Decade to Overcome Violence (the DOV focus was on Asia in 2005). The CCA and the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC, Roman Catholic Church) have formed an Asian Ecumenical Committee to monitor joint activities and programmes, e.g. in the field of ecumenical formation. Together they founded the Asian Movement for Christian Unity, which was joined by the Evangelical Fellowship of Asia in 2007. The CCA has 95 member churches and 16 member councils in 17 countries, representing 55 million Christians in Asia. Councils (national councils of churches and national Christian councils) are full members of the Conference along with the churches. The 2005 assembly decided that the offices of the CCA should be moved from Hong Kong to Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2006.
- Conference of Churches in Aotearoa New Zealand (CCANZ)
- "The Conference of Churches in Aotearoa New Zealand (CCANZ) was established in 1987 to succeed the National Council of Churches (known as the NCC) that had been set up as an ecumenical council of (male) church leaders in 1941. The aim of the new organisation is to provide ecumenical space in a more representative forum for the member churches in this country to express obedience and take common actions to respond to Jesus' prayer in John 17 verses 20-23, when he called his followers "to be completely one". There is a detailed set of goals. The new ecumenical body aims at representing the grass-root voices of women, youth, ordained and laity from the member churches. It initially included Protestant, Anglican, Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches and had an active Treaty partnership with the Maori Council of Churches (Te Runanga Whakawhanaunga I Nga Hahi o Aotearoa). Today, it provides a model that is inclusive, age and gender-balanced with decision making processes by consensus." [from the website]
- Ecumenical Centre for Research, Education and Advocacy (ECREA)
- "ECREA is a Non Government Organisation (NGO) based in Suva, Fiji Islands. Founded in 1990 by the late Reverend Paula Niukula, with the aim to address the social, religious, economic and political issues that confront Fiji." [from the website]
- Hong Kong Christian Council (HKCC)
- The Hong Kong Christian Council is the ecumenical body of Christian churches, organizations and institutions in Hong Kong. Founded in 1954, the Council promotes a united witness and outreach to the whole society. It is the visible sign of church unity in Hong Kong, promoting the spirit and work of the ecumenical movement.
"Two ecumenical bodies facilitate co-operative work among the Protestant churches in Hong Kong. The older one, dating from 1915, is the Hong Kong Chinese Christian Churches Union with a membership of 275 congregations. The second co-operative body is the Hong Kong Christian Council, formed in 1954. Major mainline denominations and ecumenical services constitute the membership core of the Council, which is committed to building closer relationships among all churches in Hong Kong as well as with churches in China and overseas. The HKCC also encourages local Christians to play an active part in the development of Hong Kong society. It seeks to serve the wider community through its auxiliary agencies such as the Hong Kong Christian Service, Christian Industrial Committee, United Christian Hospital, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital and the Christian Family Service Centre. The Council runs weekly 'Alternative Tours', which give visitors and residents an opportunity to see how the church is serving the community." [from the website]
- National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA)
National Council of Churches in Australia
- The modern ecumenical movement began to take shape as the 19th century drew to a close. Initiatives among students and between Church mission agencies led the way. This country saw the formation of the Australian Student Christian Movement (1896) and the National Missionary Council (1926). Out of the devastation of World War II sprang the Australian Committee for the World Council of Churches (1946). This developed into the Australian Council of Churches which, in 1994, gave way to the National Council of Churches in Australia.
The movement for Christian unity in this country was, initially, an Anglican and Protestant affair. Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches came in, in strength, during the 1960s and 70s. For Catholics, the 2nd Vatican Council opened up fresh possibilities for relationships with other Churches, and the transition to the National Council of Churches in Australia (1994) saw the Catholic Church become a full participant in Australia's national ecumenical body.
The NCCA is its nineteen member Churches in their commitment each to the others and all to the world for which Christ died. It works in collaboration with state ecumenical councils around Australia. It is an associate council of the World Council of Churches, a member of the Christian Conference of Asia and a partner of other national ecumenical bodies throughout the world.
- National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK)
- The NCCK is a faith movement which confesses only God in Christ, is a movement of solidarity and unity among churches for mission and is working on building a common evidence for bringing about a sense of social responisbilities and realization of social justice within society. The NCCK does not insist on a particular doctrine/dogma or regulations, and respects and appreciates the true and valuable experiences of all the member churches. In order to realize the spirit of ecumenical movement, it brings together Presbyterian Church of Korea(PCK), the Korean Methodist Church(KMC), the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea(PROK), the Salvation Army Korea, the Anglican Church of Korea, Evangelical Church, Orthodox Metropolis of Korea, the Assemblies of God of Korea, and Lutheran Church in Korea. The NCCK maintains a close relationship with the World Council of Churches(WCC), the Christian Conference of Asia(CCA), and all other international Councils of Churches, which expresses our interdependency and enables us to carry out our communal service globally. The NCCK began on September 24th 1924, under the name of the Chosun Christian Joint Council and has continued to the present.
- National Council of Churches in the Philippines
National Council of Churches in the Philippines
- The National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) is the largest aggroupation of non-Roman Catholic churches in the Philippines. For over four decades, the NCCP has kept abreast with and is continually responding to the signs of the times, ever focused on its vision for itself and the wider church and following the example of Jesus. Founded in 1963, the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) is an ecumenical fellowship of non-Roman Catholic denominations in the Philippines working for unity in faith and order. This implies providing the churches opportunities for common prophetic witness and service in responding to the people’s issues, specifically justice and peace, human dignity and rights, and the integrity of creation. It finds its theological basis on the fact of the incarnation – of God in solidarity with us, especially with those who suffer and the vulnerable – for the affirmation of just and inclusive communities. It also compels the church to bring about Christian hope in to the realm of the possible in a society weighed down by systemic violence and degradation. With ten member-churches and nine associate members, it is the largest non-Catholic church organization in the Philippines.
- Pacific Conference of Churches
- The Pacific Conference of Churches is a fellowship of churches which confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour according to the scriptures and therefore seek to fulfill their common calling to the glory of the one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The roots of the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) go back to the first consultation of the Pacific Churches, which took place in 1961, at Malua, Western Samoa. The PCC as such was founded in 1966, at its first assembly, on the Loyalty Island of Lifou, New Caledonia. The Conference grew rapidly as new churches joined, in particular the Roman Catholic Bishops' Conferences of the Pacific, in 1976 and 1991. In 1976 the membership was opened also to national councils of churches. The basic principles of the PCC are an ecumenical spirit welcoming all humankind regardless of religion, belief or ideology; the promotion of justice, peace and the integrity of creation; the respect of equality between men and women; the recognition of the cultures of population groups; equal sharing of resources; sharing of responsibilities; consistency between word and action. Ecumenism in the Pacific refers not only to the unity of the churches but also of the people of the Pacific islands and the communal life of their communities.
The programmatic activities of the PCC began after its second assembly, in 1971, in five areas: Christian education; Christian communication; family life; faith and action; church and society. The PCC has promoted the role and status of women and has devoted much attention to economic development rooted in the realities of village life. It has taken a lead in dealing with political problems in the region, and has spoken out against nuclear testing. In the 1980s, a drastic reduction of programmes and restructuring of the organization became necessary, because of the increasing dependence on external funding and other problems.