Regional Conference on Contemporary Christian Leadership “Ecumenical Leadership in the Present Day Milieu”

 Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs 

Regional Conference on Contemporary Christian Leadership “Ecumenical Leadership in the Present Day Milieu” 

19-21 November 2016, Hong Kong 

Conference Statement.pdf

Contemporary Christian Leadership Program Schedule.pdf

presentation(Max).docx

Sleep on the floor Max Ediger 1.docx

A Response about.pdf

Regional Conference on Contemporary Christian Leadership 

Summary: 

30 delegates from 17 Asia Pacific countries attended the 2016 Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs Regional Conference on Contemporary Christian Leadership “Ecumenical Leadership in the Present Day Milieu”.  Topics covering ecumenical leadership for social transformation, contemporary discipleship, gender relations in the Christian context and leadership for peace building were discussed over 3 days with the following objectives in mind: 1) To re-visit the calling of Jesus Christ, in terms of being his disciple in realising His ministry in the contemporary world 2) To search for the meaning of Christian leadership and learn how to put it into practice in our daily life. 3) To review the mission of the YMCA, in terms of facing the present day challenges of the world, especially to bring peace, harmony and sustainability among the nations. 4) To understand deeply the biblical interpretation of Christian Leadership from gender perspective. 

Points of Interest: 

Delegates were challenged to consider the following key issues: • Core-components of responsible and effective ecumenical leadership • Proactive work for peace and justice and how to respond to injustice • How to be a true Christian disciple in contemporary society • How to achieve gender equity as a Christian Movement • Proposed Amendment by Dom: YMCA by its very nature as a social movement can not be apolitical but can be non-partisan and therefore must be aware of its political role and how to constructively engage politically in order to achieve it’s goals according to Challenge 21. 

Outcomes / Recommendations: 

The following outcomes and recommendations are made: 

• Revitalise the dialogue between Text and Context within our local, national, regional and international YMCA bodies 

• Be proactive when responding to the challenges of social transformation  

• Ensure our actions are effective and are focused on the grassroots and the disadvantaged, marginalised and oppressed 

• Always try to address the root causes of problems especially when dealing with peace and justice issues 

• As a global movement, YMCAs must strive towards solidarity by working closely together with all peoples irrespective of their faith, culture, nationality in to achieve the common goals of Challenge 21. 

• Be open minded to new and innovative solutions to address contemporary challenges

• Acknowledge and address gender issues and find ways to connect Text to a positive dialogue for gender equity in both our movement and society at large. 

• Prioritise youth empowerment and active engagement within the movement 

• The delegates make a collective commitment to the following Statement:

Key Statement 

As responsible leaders, we should proactively work for social transformation according to the goals of YMCA Challenge 21 and in response to the respective context of our YMCAs. Further, we commit ourselves to develop innovative solutions conducive to peace and justice, human dignity, gender equity, and non-discrimination.  In order to achieve these goals, we reaffirm the importance of active youth participation and its key role at all levels within the YMCA movement.

A Response about “The core component of ecumenical leadership for building a culture of peace”

Lee, Yun Hee (Center for Life-Peace, NCYK)

Thank you so much for your wonderful presentation. I deeply received some the impressions and interests reading your presentation paper. That’s just the core component of ecumenical leadership for building a culture of peace. So, I’d like to share my some feelings about your presentations.

 

First, it is that his activities are based on grass roots and focus on the field. Therefore, his activities are the practical and he could explain his activities by giving specific examples. He emphasize to have to stand as equal with the ‘lowest’ in our societies and a vision must be translated into action. And he is proposing to get in the mud but remains pure. I’d like to emphasize the importance of ‘Contexts’ of ecumenical movement, the field of peoples living and working in specific political, economical and cultural limitations and conditions. I think, Christianity was rapidly conservative to become a religion of empire and to lose the contexts and the fields. So, to regain the attentions and activities toward the context at the same time, I think, it, the context, is just a core component of ecumenical leadership.

 

Second, his activities for peace are also thoroughly based on ‘Text’, the Bible as a Christian. Besides, his understanding of the Bible is included the dialogues between Christianity and other religions. I think, Christianity as an ecumenical movement shall be an universal, open and collaborative movement with other religions and Faiths such as Islam, Buddhism and Eastern philosophies. It is especially an important issue in Asia because Asia is multiple religious society. Asia area have often faced some conflicts in the name of the religions among Islam, Christianity, Buddism, Judaism and Hinduism so on. But, in fact, they have actually concealed their political or economical real goals and reasons. I think, ecumenical movement based on ‘Text’. The Bible said to us, Jesus is the sickest place with the poor and powerless in the world. It is just second core component of ecumenical leadership.

Third, we have to clarify on the objectives of tasks and should be able to take shape. The constant dialogue between the text and context will help refine and clarify our visions and action plans. Mr. Max proposed, “these dream are important, but they are not enough”, “we can hear their stories and respond to their needs”, “we stop being so busy, and think more about how can be most effective”, “A vision must be translated into action”.

 

Fourth. he also emphasize that ecumenical activists to be planter and to plant seeds that will produce beautiful fruit in the future. I think, this is a very important view at this time. I want to understand two aspects in this mention.

 

One is an emphasis that problems of the field must be resolved themselves by people of the field. In order to do it, ecumenical activists must be a servant to support their efforts for peace. We have to make a effort to empower the problem solving skills and capabilities of the field. I mean, we are not a leading role but a shadow of backstage like Alensky’s mention.

 

On the other hands, I think, Christianity is not peace of God, it became a power of world. Rather ecumenical movement is also gradually losing their roles and activities for peace in the world. Especially, young person are leaving Christianity and the church. Maybe Christianity has already lost hope for new human being, new society and new covenant. The Sermon on the Mount and Kingdom of God is just a slogan. So, if we think, Christianity is meaningful for peace at this time, ecumenical movement shall breed up young person as a peacemaker. I think, the core of Jesus movement is that to breed up and care the people and also YMCA movement.

 

Fifth, in order to do these, YMCA needs a ‘YMCA Mission Theology’. Christianity as a peace movement to overcome modern civilization must be escaped from a religion of empire, fundamental, conservative even fascism attitudes and recovered the conversations and relationships between the text and the context. I believe that it is a responsibility as a christian in Asia. Because Asia has experienced the history of suffering and can therefore say ‘peace of God’, not ‘the peace of the world’, I think, and it is an axis that can determine the path of modern civilization. Next year is 5 anniversary of church reform. I think, we need a new Christianity and reform church. What will we do? I hope to make an international network of young person for peace pedagogy and activities in Asia including Palestine.   

 

Last, I’d like to introduce ‘life-peace movement’ of Korea YMCA. Since 2003, life(Saeng Mueong), justice and peace has been a key concept for the direction of the Korean YMCA movement. And it was adopted the theme at the Busan General Assembly of WCC in 2013. Three concepts, likened to a tree, Life is a root, justice is a stem and peace is a fruit. Life is a foundation for justice and peace of a whole universe. Thus, Peace is based on justice and life. Without life, there can be no justice. Without justice, there can be no peace. Without peace, there can be also no justice and life. Korea YMCA used ‘peace based on justice’ instead of ‘justpeace’ because ‘justpeace’ can not accurately reveal the relationship between justice and peace and it can be mixed with concepts like ‘just war’. Korean YMCA calls such a movement ‘life-peace movement’. Life-peace movement of Korea YMCA includes two aspects.

 

One is a concern that structural issues to hinder the peace, justice and life. It contains the political, economical and cultural issues. Especially, Center for Life-Peace of Korea YMCA is handling the issues regarding contemporary industrial civilization and peace such as nuclear plants, climate change, reunification between North and South and Palestine, peace pedagogy and so on. So, ‘life-peace movement’ is a global and political movement against empire and the supremacy of international political order.

 

On the other side, the center of NCKY makes the effort to pursue alternative change of life in the community and us right now. So, ‘life-peace movement’ is a local community movement and alternative movement. we say, if you want peace must be peace yourself, if you want justice must be justice yourself. Mr. Max also said, “The way we live, work and organize ourselves now reflects the future society we are building and as Gandhi said, we must be the change we wish to see in the world.”, “To build positive alternatives which can replace those things we do like”. The ‘life-peace movement’ of Korea YMCA is a holistic approach to life and society.

 

Now, I think, we must ask again, what is the value of existence as a christian? ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you: not as the world gives you(John 14:27)’, ‘what is peace of God in today’s world? A leader of ecumenical movement will be in place where can ask and response to such questions.