Pray with Indonesia, October 20, 2024
Lectionary Selection: Mark 10:35-45
Prayers for Indonesia
O Lord, the Triune God, Creator, Sustainer, and Savior of life. God, who created the nation and state of Indonesia through a long Indonesian history. God, who calls the Church to follow. God, who continues to work in the midst of this nation. At the end of September, we remember the human tragedy of September 30, 1965, in our history.[1] We are grateful for God’s care for Indonesia so they can continue a more harmonious and peaceful national life and develop a democratic life together.
We are grateful for Oase Intim, a small institution that God has used in the ministry of Indonesian churches and society for almost 20 years.
We ask God to bless Oase Intim’s ministry of equipping the churches of God through the development of leadership, literature, and relevant teaching materials.
We ask for the guidance of the Spirit of God so that churches may faithfully witness and serve in Indonesia, which is struggling with various socio-ecological crises, including economic, family, education, and ecological crises.
We pray for Indonesian partners as they prepare to hold the 18th PGI (the National Council of Churches in Indonesia) General Assembly in Toraja in early November 2024. May this celebration of faith run smoothly and successfully.
We also pray for the Indonesian government. Soon, the office of the President, who was elected in the last General Election, will be handed over. This will be followed by the election of regional heads. Grant your Spirit to the leaders of Indonesia so that they work with love, honesty, and justice for the welfare of all the people.
In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Indonesian Mission Moment
Protestant churches in Indonesia were born mainly from European and North American missions, which generally brought the character of Christianity that developed in their country of origin. Their theology is rigid and standardized in denominational traditions that distinguish Protestant churches in teachings, liturgy, and organization. Developments in Christianity in the late parts of the 20th century brought ideas of theological change, which emphasized the encounter of the Gospel with the diverse socio-cultural context of Indonesia.
Oase Intim encourages its partner churches to review their inherited teachings in encounters with cultural traditions and social changes in the society in which the church is present. One related issue is attention to the reality of the ecological crisis, which requires not only a theological understanding of the relationship between humans and nature but also the church ministry’s call to restore the integrity of creation.
Oase’s ministries generally involve the contextual theological development approach in various forms: seminars or consultations on contextual themes, assisting in the preparation of church documents (including Sunday school or catechism teaching materials, revision of church regulations), etc.
Oase’s tagline is developing contextual theology and empowering local ministries; simultaneously developing contextual theology and empowering church ministers. Together with their local ministers, theological ideas continue to be explored from the issues of their local community. Churches in this 21st century continue to concentrate on social-ecological issues, such as poverty, injustice, gender, human dignity, and ecological crises. The dichotomy of body and soul that was prominent in salvation teachings of the past is increasingly being abandoned by emphasizing holistic salvation and prioritizing social-humanitarian and ecological issues.
One of the churches that Oase has been assisting for a long time is GKPI (Gereja Kristen Pemancar Injil, Gospel Mission Christian Church) in North Kalimantan. This church was originally congregations from the American Christian and Mission Alliance but left the denomination. It concentrated only on spreading the gospel, ignoring social ministries such as education and socio-economic development. Oase assists GKPI in teaching materials, the preparation of theological documents such as ecclesiology, and the revision of church regulations.
Oase serves churches, theological education, and Christians in general by publishing theological monographs related to contextual issues, such as disaster theology, land theology, political theology, post-colonial ecclesiology, and most recently, a book on eco-theology.
[1] In the height of the Cold War that tested the allegiances of civil and military within countries across the world, a section of the Indonesian military led an unsuccessful coup d’état on September 30, 1965. This coup led to a massive nationwide purge of those who were suspected to be part of or sympathetic to the coup. Mostly members of the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI), and all who were suspected as its sympathizers were either imprisoned or killed.
Mission Partners in Indonesia
- Oase Intim
- Christian Church of Sumba Theological Seminary (STT Lewa)
- Christian Church of West Sulawesi (GKSB)
- Christian Church of Sumba (GKS)
- Interfidei
- Theological Seminary of Eastern Indonesia (STT Intim)
- Jakarta Theological Seminary (STT Jakarta)
- Indonesia Protestant Church of Luwu (GPIL, Central Sulawesi)
- Evangelical Church of West Timor (GMIT)
- Duta Wacana Christian University, Yogyakarta
- Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI)
- Artha Wacana Christian University (UKAW, Kupang)
- Satya Wacana Christian University, Salatiga