A handbook of councils and churches profiles of ecumenical relationships

Church Family: Baptist

Local Churches: 1,214

Membership: 844,150

Regions: 5

Pastors: 617

Member of: WCC (1965) – CCA – NCCI – BWA – ABF

The Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches is a registered organization con­sisting of 1,214 independent Baptist churches. American Baptists started mis­sionary work in South India among Telugu-speaking people in 1836. In 1887 the existing churches were organized into the Convention of Telugu Baptist Churches. In 1962 the convention became the Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches, with a unanimously adopted constitution. It was registered in 1963. From then on the support of the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society, which changed its name to Baptist International Ministries (BIM), was channeled to the Samavesam through the Inter-Church Service Association in Chennai. The prop­erties were also transferred to the Association of Baptist Churches. Afterwards all the American missionaries left India and the leadership of the STBC was entrusted to the national officers. The STBC is self-supporting financially. Only the Andhra Christian Theological College in Hyderabad continues to receive assis­tance from the BIM, as it is an interdenominational institution.

Evangelism and the development of Christianity in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil-nadu States are at the heart of the STBC. It runs educational institutions, hospi­tals, health centres and one theological seminary, in Ramapatnam. There are five degree colleges, eight junior colleges, 14 high schools and 14 primary schools. The interdenominational theological college at Hyderabad is affiliated with the Ser­ampore University, Kolkata. The STBC has 4,500 Sunday schools with an enrol­ment of some 72,000 children.

The STBC strongly favours interdenominational cooperation through the Andhra Pradesh Council of Churches and the NCCI. It participates actively in the programme of retreat and training centres of the AP Council of Churches, for the training of voluntary church workers. It is involved in the work of the Henry Martin Institute of Islamic Studies in Jabalpore and the Christian Medical College in Vellore. It supports the Student Christian Movement and the United Mission Tuberculosis Sanatorium in Arogyavaram.

Church Family: Lutheran

Membership: 1,500,000

Congregations: 3,000

Pastors: 1,291

Member of: WCC (1948) – CCA – NCCI – LWF

Periodical: Indian Lutheran (in English)

Nearly three out of ten of Asia’s Lutherans live in India, where Protestant mis­sions began work in 1706. India’s Lutheran churches, established by German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian and American mission societies and boards, extend from the far north/north east to the southern tip along the eastern part of India. In 1853 the first Evangelical Lutheran synod was held at Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. In 1905 a Lutheran general conference was held in Kodaikanal with

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representatives from five missions. In 1926 the constitution of the Federation of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in India was presented. The common liturgy was approved in 1935. In 1947, a convention at Ranchi proposed the formation of a United Lutheran Church in India. Lutheranism found new meaning by changing the constitution of the FELCI so that it became the United Evangelical Lutheran Churches in India in 1975. In 1998 the name was changed to United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India.

Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church

Arcot Lutheran Church

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Madhya Pradesh

Evangelical Lutheran Church in The Himalayan States

Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church

Good Samaritan Evangelical Lutheran Church

India Evangelical Lutheran Church

Jeypore Evangelical Lutheran Church

Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church

South Andhra Lutheran Church

Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Through the UELCI the eleven member churches participate collectively in the WCC and the CCA, but they are individual members of the LWE.

Lutherans in India have been pioneers in composing indigenous lyrics to Indian tunes. Primary concerns of the churches include developing programmes spon­sored by the Division of social action; awareness-building on the need to fight poverty, hunger and unemployment; self-reliance in matters of theology, publica­tions and finance; effective participation in the Indian ecumenical movement; global partnership as a task of each Christian community; and improvement of the training of ministers at Gurukul Theological College and Research Institute, Dalit movement, gender justice, HIV/AIDS, water, disaster relief, etc.

The UELCI maintains close relations with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany, the ELM, Goss­ner Mission, the Danish Missionary Society, the Church of Sweden Mission, Nor­wegian Church Aid, and Danmission.

INDONESIA

Population: 225,313,495

Surface area: 1,9 million sq.km

Capital: Jakarta

GNI per capita: 810 US$

Classification: Developing economy

Languages: Indonesian

Religions: Muslim 80%; Christian 13%; Hindu 3%; Buddhist 1%

Christianity: Protestants 14,216,100; Catholics 7,000,000;

Independent 7,380,700

The Indonesian archipelago has been an area of migration for thousands of years. Successive movements of people brought Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam to the region. From the 17th through the mid-20th century the Dutch colonized Indonesia. During World War II it was occupied by Japan. In 1945, Indonesian nationalists led by Sukarno declared independence, which was recognized by the Netherlands in 1949, after three years of unavailing military action against the liberation forces. Sukarno unified the country by introducing one language, and ‘Pancasilla’(the five pillars: belief in one God, humanism, national unity, democ­racy, and social justice). One of the challenges of Indonesia is the balance between a unitarian state and regional autonomy, e.g. in Aceh, North Sumatra, and Tanah Papua, in the eastern part of the archipelago. Christianity in Indonesia is com­prised of two religions: Protestantism and Catholicism. Protestant churches are numerous, because many are ethnic and cover an island or part of it, or an island group. The ecumenical Communion of Churches, which aims at forming one church, has over 80 member churches. The Pentecostals and the Evangelicals have each their own group, and there is overlap, and cooperation, between the three. Indonesia is the largest Muslim nation in the world. It has a tradition of tolerance, but since 1998 there has been an upsurge of Islamic extremism, resulting in vio­lent conflicts between Muslims and Christians that have disrupted communities in Java, the Moluccas and Central Sulawesi. Many people have been killed and properties destroyed. Communal peace has become a high priority for the Christians.

*Communion of Churches in Indonesia

Founded in 1950.

Basis: The Communion of Churches in Indonesia confesses that Jesus Christ is God and Saviour of the world, head of the church and source of truth and life, who gathers and nurtures the churches according to God’s word in the Bible, namely the Old Testament and the New Testament: “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 3:11, comp. Math. 16:16-18; Eph. 4:15 and Deut. 7:6).

Objective: The aim of the Communion of Churches in Indonesia is to realize the United Christian Church in Indonesia.

Member churches:

Abdiel Christian Church

Alliance Bible Church (GKKA)

Assembly of Fellowship in Jesus (AFY)

Batak Mission Church (GMB)

Christian Church in East Timor (GKTT)

Christian Church in North-East Java (GKJTU)

Christian Churches of Southern-part Sumatra (GKSBS)

Christian Evangelical Church in Bolaang Mongondouw (GMIBM)

Christian Evangelical Church in Talaud (GERMITA)

Church of Christ

Church of Christ the Lord (GKT)
Church of God of Prophecy in Indonesia (GTDI)
Communion of Protestant Church (ONKP)
Ecumenical Christian Church in Indonesia (GKO)
Evangelical Christian Church (GKPI)

Evangelical Christian Church in Halmahera (GMIH)

Evangelical Christian Church in Indonesia (GEKISIA)

Evangelical Christian Church of Indonesia (GKII) Evangelical Church of Tanah Java (GITJ)

Friends Church in Indonesia (GSI)

Indonesian Protestant Church in Luwu (GPIL) Indonesian Protestant Church Papua (GPI – Papua) Isa Almasih Church

Keesaan Injili Indonesia Church (GEKINDO) Mamasa Toraja Church (GTM)

New Testament Christian Church (GKPB)

Pentecostal Movement Church (GGP)

Protestant Christian Church in Mentawai (GKPM)

Protestant Church in West Kalimantan (GPKB) Protestant Church in South Sulawesi (GPSS)

Rehoboth Church

Surabaya Centre Pentecostal Church (GPPS)

United Muria Christian Churches of Indonesia (GKMI)

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The Communion of Churches in Indonesia is affiliated with the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism of the World Council of Churches.

Website: www.pgi.or.id

Batak Christian Community Church*

(Gereja Punguan Kristen Batak, GPKB)

Church Family: Lutheran

Membersip: 20,000

Congregations: 41

Bishop: 1

Pastors: 21

Member of : WCC (1975) – CCA – CCI – LWF – UEM

The Batak Christian Community Church was originally started by the former Batak people who had moved to Jakarta from the Batak land in North Sumatra at the beginning of the 20th century. They were not satisfied with the use of Malay and Dutch languages in church services, so they organized themselves to become a community worshipping, singing and praying in their original Batak language. The church was officially founded in 1927 under the name Batak Christian Com­munity and became the Batak Christian Community Church in 1975. The GPKB’s headquarters are in Jakarta (the capital of Indonesia), where the majority of people are Muslims. It is a strategic place from where a wide network can be built to develop and empower the GPKB’s ministry in church and society. The doctri­nal basis of the GPKB is derived from Martin Luther’s Small Catechism, and its forms of worship and other practices are in keeping with the Lutheran legacy.

Today the church has branched out to North Sumatra and has six districts of ministry. Since the general synod in 2002 it has a new spirit and vision of its mis­sion, which is to participate more actively in the building of the kingdom of God. A new constitution and a new structure have been adopted, in order to improve the programmes of the church in the future. Three departments are responsible for Marturia, Koinonia and Diakonia. In this way the GPKB seeks to express the three aspects of the fundamental calling of the church and build an active and intensive ministry. It will continue to improve its mission to the Maya-maya people who have transmigrated to the Kubu area and who are keen to hear the gospel message. It also wants to reach the Batak Christian people who live in close-knit communities in the cities and do not have the opportunity to gather for wor­ship in the church because they are poor and feel ashamed to join the others. Many of them also are facing difficulties in relation to Islam. In present-day Indonesia people are generally struggling with social problems due to the multi­dimensional crisis affecting the country: economic, political, legal, moral and cul­tural. In this context the GPKB faces the problems of human rights, environment, gender, drug abuse, HIV/AIDS, poverty, and interreligious conflict. Dealing with these problems is the challenge to the church at the present time. The GPKB main­tains a particular relationship with the Lutheran Church of Australia.

(Gereja Kristen Sulawesi Tengah, GKST)

Church Family: Reformed

Membership: 188,000

Congregations: 376

Pastors: 625

Member of: WCC (1948) – CCA – CCI – WARC

The Netherlands Missionary Society came to Celebes (now Sulawesi) in 1892. The church became autonomous in 1947. Most of its members live in the central part of Sulawesi, as its name suggests, but the church has also spread to South Sulawesi provinces. In recent years the GKST has been affected by violent con­frontations between Muslims and Christians, as in other parts of Indonesia. Many Christians fled from the villages to the main town, Poso, for security reasons. There were still some 16,000 displaced persons in the region of the central synod of the GKST in 2003. The general secretary of the church, who was actively involved in efforts to resolve the conflicts, was accused of transporting arms and put in prison. While in prison he was elected president of the church. Since his release he has taken up office.

The conflicts in the area have affected the church and created some tensions. Reconciliation, internally and especially with the Muslim population, is therefore a high priority of the GKST. The church is also concerned with the enforcement of the law, in particular with regard to human rights. Other important concerns are the education and formation of the members of the church, and the improve­ment of their living conditions. Central Sulawesi is an isolated area and difficult of access, and the economy has suffered from the civil strife.

Christian Church of Sumba

(Gereja Kristen di Sumba, GKS)

Church Family: Reformed

Membership: 256,000

Congregations: 97

Pastors: 126

Member of: WCC (1998) – CCA – CCI – WARC – REC

The Christian Church of Sumba (GKS) grew out of the missionary work of the former Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (now Protestant Church in the Netherlands). The church became autonomous in 1947. It confesses the Nicean-Constantinopolitan and Apostolic Creeds. The GKS is organized according to the presbyterian-synodal tradition with a synod as the supreme governing body, meet­ing every four years, and councils of elders in the local congregations. Evangelism is one of the priorities. The church has been growing steadily in the past years. It runs various schools (primary, secondary and higher education), two hospitals and programmes of welfare and development. In all, the GKS employs more than 700 full time workers.

(Gereja Masehi Injili di Minahasa, GMIM)

Church Family: Reformed

Membership: 730,000

Presbyteries: 90

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Pastors: 1500

Elders & Deacons: 17,220

Religious teachers: 155

Member of: WCC (1948) – CCA – CCI – WARC

Periodicals: Menjabarkan Trilogi Pembangunan Jemaat and Renungan Harian

Minahasa is a region in the northern part of the island of Sulawesi. A few Dutch missionaries worked in the area in the 17th and 18th centuries. In 1827 the Netherlands Missionary Society was invited to work there. A teacher-train-ing school was opened as early as 1851. Assistant pastors were trained but not allowed to administer the sacraments. By 1880 the Christian population had grown to 80,000 members which was about 80 percent of the Minahasa popula­tion. In 1876 the church became a part of the colonial state church, later called the Protestant Church in Indonesia. At the first synod meeting at Tomohon in 1934, the church was proclaimed autonomous and took its present name. Besides a few Dutch pastors there were only twenty indigenous “assistant pastors”. Most congregations were being cared for by “teacher-preachers” of the teacher-training school. The GMIM suffered greatly under the Japanese occupation from 1942-45 but it also learned during this time to stand on its own feet. The church now believes in the necessity of formulating its own theology and ecclesiology, and of cooperating responsibly with fellow citizens who adhere to Islam or other religions.

The church offers many educational opportunities to young people with schol­arship possibilities. It runs kindergartens, primary, secondary, and high schools, vocational schools, and a university where the school of theology is housed. It fur­ther operates several hospitals, polyclinics, maternity clinics, mother and child-care stations and family planning clinics. Lay training courses are regularly con­ducted which concentrate on social justice and stewardship education and the participation in village cooperatives. In recent years many new denominations have established themselves in Minahasa which has caused loss of membership to the GMIM, the majority church in an area where 90 percent of the population is Christian. Although many GMIM members live in other parts of Indonesia the church maintains its policy of not forming congregations outside Minahasa.

Particular relations exist between the GMIM and the Uniting Church in Aus­tralia, United Church of Christ in Japan, Presbyterian Church in Korea, Reformed Church in America, Protestant Church in the Netherlands, the Evangelical Mis­sion in Stuttgart, Germany and the Evangelical Church in South-West Germany.

(Gereja Masehi Injili Sangihe Talaud, GMIST)

Church Family: Reformed

Membership: 198,200

Congregations: 322

Pastors : 280 (of whom 158 women)

Member of: WCC (1974) – CCA – CCI – WARC

Periodical: Kadadamehe (monthly, in Indonesian)

Carpenter missionaries from Germany, sent by the Dutch Missionary Society, started working in the Sangihe islands north of today’s Sulawesi in 1857. They worked as craftsmen while teaching the gospel to the people. Their mission was difficult because of isolation and hardships. After their death, the mission society established a committee to continue the work they had initiated. Later on, the responsibility for all the missionary work was handed over to the synod of the Christian Evangelical Church of Sangihe Talaud (GMIST), which came into being in 1947. The GMIST is organized according to the presbyterian-synodal system. Its doctrinal bases are the Apostle’s Creed and the Creed of Nicea-Constantino-ple. The area of Sangihe Talaud is composed of 124 islands. In the beginning the GMIST was active in 42 of these. In 2001 the synod of the GMIST decided to form a new church, the Christian Evangelical Church in Talaud (GERMITA), to serve the congregations spread throughout the Talaud archipelago.

Until 1960 the pastors of the GMIST were trained at the theological school in Makasar (South Sulawesi), and some were sent to the higher theological school in Tomohon (Minahasa, North Sulawesi). The church gradually became aware of the importance of having more and well prepared full-time pastors. Today most of the candidates study at the theological faculty in Tomohon. Since 1990, some pastors are selected by the synod in order to pursue advanced theological studies, with the help of ATESEA (Association of Theological Education in South East Asia). Besides the development of human resources, other priorities of the church are: strengthening of ecumenical relationships and cooperation with other churches, foundations and institutions in the region; developing a contextual the­ology that can assist the members of the church in their daily life; enhancing the work with teenagers and youth ministries; launching a gender programme; pro­moting community health services, especially for the people in the remote areas; inter-faith dialogue as a response to the regional and national religious conflicts. The GMIST runs 70 kindergartens, 136 primary schools, four secondary schools and one high school.

(Geraja Kristen Protestan Angkola, GKPA)

Church Family: Lutheran

Membership: 28,295

Districts: 4

Congregations: 168

Pastors: 51

Member of: WCC (1990) – CCA – CCI – LWF

The Christian Protestant Angkola Church was officially established in 1976 when it obtained its autonomy from the Protestant Christian Batak Church (HKBP), under the name HKBPA. It joined in 1988 with the Protestant Angkola Church, and the present name was adopted. The GKPA ministers to the Angkola Batak people in their language. It states its purpose as “strengthening Christian­ity in the Islamic environment” and tries to create good mutual understanding and tolerance between Christians and Muslims.

The church provides training programmes for youth and children, programmes for training in spirituality, and publishes teaching materials. It runs three junior and two senior secondary schools, one public health centre, and technical train­ing programmes in agriculture, animal husbandry, fishing, etc. It also conducts courses and training for pastors, presbyters, women and Sunday school teachers. The church is committed to promoting programmes such as overcoming violence, gender balance, justice, peace and integrity of creation, and workshops on HIV/AIDS. It is involved in mission work in areas of new settlement and trans­migration. New materials in the Angkola language, including the Bible, have been produced and are widely used. The experience of working among the Angkola

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people – an ethnic group of some 450,000 – has contributed to the growth of the church.