Letter from Christisan Conference of Asia

by Global Ministries | published on Oct 10, 2014

A Letter from CCA” is a sharing message of the CCA General Secretary to update member churches and ecumenical friends the life and works of CCA.

My dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

Yesterday, October 4, was “UN Day” and the week, from October 24-30, has been declared a “Disarmament Week” to encourage all countries to seek peace without violence and arms struggle.

However, the realities we are facing together now are wars, violence, arms race, arms struggle and arms fighting in many parts of the world. The situation seems to be more violent and more complicated in our time.

The end of cold war, seventeen years ago, should have led to rapid progress toward the global elimination of arms and nuclear weapons. Instead, the nuclear weapons states are maintaining thousands of nuclear weapons, many on high alert and are continuing to design, research and test and deploy new nuclear weapons systems.

It is good for Iran and North Korea to stop nuclear tests. Unless genuine effort are made by the nuclear weapons states to eliminate, and, or to destroy their stockpiles totally under international non-proliferation treaty, other countries are also likely to acquire nuclear weapons such as North Korea and Iran.

Ongoing developments on the US policy of pre-emptive war, the military threats against Iran and North Korean suspected nuclear weapons programs, a sizable and sophisticated undeclared Israeli nuclear arsenal in the volatile Middle East, the simmering conflict between India and Pakistan, the potentiality of South Korea, Japan and Taiwan to develop such nuclear capability are really threatening the world, particularly here in Asia. The risk and potentiality of using nuclear weapons at this stage is higher than any situation in the past. Many people in this world have borne the brunt of health and environmental damage caused by uranium mining, nuclear weapons testing and production wherever it has taken place. Further, radioactive and toxic contamination has damaged the health of tens of thousands of workers and people living near nuclear facilities in all countries that have nuclear production and nevertheless has put at risk our earth and water. That means ongoing nuclear weapons activities compound these health and environmental crisis.

CCA believes that all nuclear states have a legal obligation under Article VI of the non-proliferation treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons within a reasonable time frame. They should also take immediate steps such as taking all existing nuclear forces off alert.
CCA understands that the abolition of nuclear weapons and small arms and light weapons, which is not less dangerous than nuclear weapons are a huge and complex task. Therefore we need strong efforts and commitments from all nations to stop the production of all these kinds of weapons.

He (the Lord) will settle disputes among great nations.
They will hammer their swords into plows
and their spears into pruning knives.
Nations will never again go to war,
never prepare for battle again. (Isaiah 2:4)

In entering this International Disarmament Week, let us together build and put all efforts for a nuclear weapons-free world; so that the verse from the prophet Isaiah could really becomes a reality in our world.

Youth for peace

I am pleased to share in this weekly letter, a statement circulated by the youth group in Pakistan. Mr. Eric Attique, Youth Coordinator of the National Youth Forum-Church of Pakistan (NYF-CoP) circulated a statement urging youth to become an instrument of peace. The statement said:

“South Asia (SA) is going through severe transformation and facing many challenges at the same time such as, unstable political situation, poverty, terrorism, racism, religious persecution, militarism, injustice, and insurgency. The peace process in SA is unfortunately patchy or too slow, and insecurity in other parts threatens our own security whether directly or indirectly.

SA Christian youth recognizes that they have a crucial part to play in encouraging the peace progress in South Asia. As a result of this ongoing peace communication, the SA youth intended to observe a SA Youth Solidarity Sunday 2006. It is our hope that person-to-person connections could be made that can continue in the future peace building process.”

At the end of his message Eric appeals, “Please spare some time from your important schedule and share a few words with SA youth. Sharing your viewpoint with them will go a long way toward giving youth, new ecumenical generation, a new perspective”.

New leaders for CCT

The 29th General Assembly of the Church of Christ in Thailand (CCT) was held from October 16-20, 2006 at its headquarters in Bangkok. Around 500 voting delegates, observers, stewards and ecumenical delegates got together to give thanks to God for His blessings, love and mercy over the ministries of the CCT. The assembly was also a time for setting up a new policy for the next quadrennial.

The assembly elected new officers, central committee members and executive committee members. The newly elected officers are as follows:

Rev. Virat Koydul, Moderator
Dr. Banjong Choopoowong, Vice-moderator
Mr. Sayam Muangsak, General Secretary, and
Mr. Chusak Opasnirattisai, Treasurer

It is my appeal that we continue to pray for the new CCT leaders as they effectively carry on God’s mission in Thailand and regional and global ecumenical family.

CCA Roundtable Meeting is on the way

In joint coordination with the WCC-Asia Desk, CCA is holding its roundtable meeting with ecumenical partners from October 30-31, 2006 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The meeting will be a time of sharing, reflection and to seek closer cooperation for God’s mission in the challenging global and regional contexts.

Welcome to Chiang Mai.

Prawate Khid-arn
General Secretary