In a little less than 20 weeks, ATA will be holding another General Assembly. And in a time and an age where gatherings, conferences, and pod casts abound, you may be asking “why should I attend this 2019 General Assembly? How different is this General Assembly from the rest?”

Well, the upcoming ATA General Assembly will be unlike previous gatherings and even consultations in many ways and first of which is the format and speakers. Unlike previous gatherings wherein we had seasoned thinkers present their paper on a certain topic, this GA will have a number of younger leaders from different parts of Asia share on topics and issues relevant to the next generation and how the church and theological institutions can possibly address them. Additionally, each talk will be patterned after the popular TED talks. TED Talks are known for their factual, engaging, relevant, and concise speeches.

Second, unlike previous gatherings, the panel discussions will involve both seasoned and younger leaders. This kind of panel discussion will allow for an intergenerational dialogue and sharpening.

It may be worth noting that the aim of these aforementioned changes is to provide an avenue by which the voices of the next generation are not only heard but listened to.

Third, is the output of this gathering. In previous ATA gatherings, we had always aimed at publishing a book or find a way to compile papers presented both in the plenary and the breakout sessions. But in this gathering, we are aiming at producing a series of videos along with the transcript of the talk, all of which will be made available in our website.

Well, if that’s not enough to convince you to come and join us, then here are more:

This year’s General Assembly seeks to address the issues that have surfaced in reaching out to the next generation, the future church. Several studies have been conducted on the next generation- the generation fondly called Millennials- and striking results have surfaced, results we as a church should take seriously if we are sincere about reaching the next generation and even beyond!

For one, millennials strongly desire community and connection. Unfortunately, with the plethora of distractions and superficiality, this is very difficult to come by. Additionally, this is a generation that moves in an environment that is almost always dependent on the internet. This access to the internet has not only hampered the ability of this generation to establish genuine connection, it has likewise allowed access to myriad of resources- from podcasts, videos, blogs, etc- which on one hand has been very good, but has also served to challenge the traditional methods of education. This has thus has likewise created an ordeal in the field of theological education. 

Apart from that, an alarming percentage of the millennial generation have either left the church or chosen to be bible neutral and even bible skeptical. This is a generation that longs for an authentic experience and demands that they see the church walk its talk and engaged in social justice, peace, reconciliation, and community development. Furthermore, this is a generation that does not see the need for denominational barriers, being a generation that values “togetherness” and “partnership”. Unfortunately, countless people who make up the church have been tight-fisted with their traditions. This has definitely added to the number of those turned off by the church.

And lastly, the millennial generation is one that has a strong bent towards artistic excellence and creativity. Yet while this is true, much of the church has not capitalized on this.

How then should the church respond to all these if we truly want to reach the next generation and engage the next Christian leaders, workers, missionaries… the future church?

All these will be addressed in the upcoming General assembly through the following topics and speakers:

Understanding Millennials and post millennials- Rev. Joey Asher Tan (Singapore)

Building communities~ Dr. Dwi Maria Handayani (Indonesia)

Digital Christianity~ Ms. So- Young Kang (Korea)

Authenticity~ Rev. Samuel Koshy (India)

Arts and Spirituality~ Mr. Rei Lemuel Crizaldo (Philippines)

Evangelical Diversity~ Dr. Motoaki Shinohara

Theological Education and Millennials~ Rev. Victor Lee

In addition to all that mentioned above, there will be many exciting Interest Groups and breakout sessions to choose from!

And last but not the least, you should come because this year’s General Assembly will kick off the Golden year anniversary celebrations of ATA! Yes, in less than a year’s time, we will turn 50- and what better way to begin celebrating than by wrestling with issues that affect the future church?!

So, don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to learn, fellowship, and celebrate! The 2019 ATA General Assembly is not just simply another gathering… but a time of intergenerational conversation and sharpening. Register at www.ataasia.com. See you there!