Protestant Church in East Timor (IPTL)

The Protestant Church in East Timor (IPTL) was founded in 1979 as a coordinating body between formerly independent churches in East Timor.  The IPTL is fully committed to and engaged in the spiritual, cultural, and social reconstruction of their young country. The IPTL is a member of the World Council of Churches, The World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and the Christian Conference of Asia. They are actively developing relationships with churches in neighboring Indonesian provinces and are participating in the reconciliation process in hopes of establishing peace and justice in East Timor.

Currently, the church is involved in leadership training and ongoing education of its pastors to enhance their effectiveness and improve their pastoral skills. In the villages, the emphasis is on the training of lay pastors and evangelists in the rural context through intensive biblical studies, theology, and ethics. Instruction is provided by the faculty of the Christian University in Kupang. Some of the lay pastors will become candidates for ordination. The church also provides scholarships for young people in order to develop human resources for the future. It has a foundation to assist local congregations and communities. Another important program is training women to enable them to fully assume their responsibilities in the family, the church, and the community. The church has organized reconciliation meetings in many of its congregations.

Former Global Ministries Mission Co-Workers, Dr. Monica and Reverend Tom Liddle worked with the Protestant Churches of East Timor and shared this video.