Ecumenical Formation
The Asian Ecumenical Institute (AEI) 2024 began on Sunday, 21 July 2024.
Among the participants in the month-long training in Chiang Mai, Thailand, is NCCA’s Oliver Slewa, the sole Australian in the group of over twenty young people from across Asia.
The theme of this year’s AEI is Creation Care and Eco-Justice: Our Faith and ‘With-ness’. Oliver not only has the opportunity to listen and learn from the likes of acclaimed theologians, biblical scholars, social scientists, ecumenists, peace activists, development practitioners, and environmental activists, but to actively participate and lead in group sessions.
Oliver shares an update of his experience at the conclusion of the first week, below.
| Participating in the CCA AEI for 2024, has been a wonderful experience for me. I am the only Australian participant in the programme.
On the first day of the programme, I was nominated by the participants to be one of the co-leaders alongside a participant from the Philippines, which meant we were to lead the programme for the first week and provide a report at the conclusion of week one.
The AEI program has given me insight into the various church initiatives in Asia, their customs, traditions, and dedication to working with young adults in various sectors. On our first Sunday, we were invited to attend the Mae Lek Church in Lamphun, a member of the Church of Christ in Thailand and the only CCA member in the country. The community welcomed us warmly, and we sang a hymn titled “For Everyone Born, a Place at the Table.” At the conclusion, I was asked to say a few words about the meaning of this hymn, emphasising that we are all united in Christ.
Update from Oliver Slewa, AEI Australian participant, Chiang Mai, THAILAND Oliver, pictured above presenting Australian context and top right with Dr Benjamin Simon from the WCC. |
During our first week, Dr Matthews George, the CCA General Secretary, welcomed us and provided an overview of Ecumenism, the work of the CCA, and our role in participating in ecumenism. We were also honoured to have Dr Benjamin Simon, the Programme Executive for Church Relations, who has recently served as a Professor of Ecumenical Missiology at the Ecumenical Institute Bossey, WCC. Dr Simon outlined the involvement of young adults in the Ecumenism movement, shared the history of the WCC, and led break-out sessions where we discussed what our communities are doing in various aspects of world Christianity and how to find a way forward.
During the second week, AEI participants attended sessions with Action Together in Combating HIV and AIDS in Asia (ATCHAA), an initiative of CCA, where 50 other young adults from Asia participated in a 3-day program. For our shared experience, I spoke about the Australian context, focusing on Care for Creation: Dignity of People with Disabilities. I highlighted the importance of access for people with disabilities, the challenges they face during natural disasters, and the services provided by the Australian government. |
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| Above: The AEI 2024 participants on opening day. | ||
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| Participants at capacity building training | Oliver Slewa participating in group session | |
| Images courtesy of the CCA | ||
Read more
CCA News | Asian Ecumenical Institute (AEI – 2024) commences | cca.org.hk
CCA News | Capacity building training for young Christians to enhance HIV Advocacy in Asia | cca.org.hk
View more: CCA Photo gallery here |cca.org.hk
Background
AEI–2024 is jointly organized by the CCA and the World Council of Churches (WCC). It aims to highlight the interconnectedness between faith and creation care in the context of ecological crisis, the deliberations at the AEI will help the participants learn about eco-justice from deeper biblical theological perspectives, and emerging socio-economic and political contexts in Asia.