Tag Archive for: Indonesia

God’s hand in Indonesia

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“I know the plans I have for you.” Jeremiah 29:11. These words of the Lord through the prophet Jeremiah are a familiar theme at many Christian graduation ceremonies. Written originally to God’s Old Testament people who were facing an uncertain future in exile from the promised land, this verse reminds believers today too that our God, the Lord Almighty, is still in control. No matter what today or tomorrow may bring, we too have a hope and a future because of Christ Jesus. The details of how we will get there, however, are known only to God.

Counting on God’s promises to be with them, the faculty and staff of Sekolah Tinggi Teologi Lutheran (STTL), the seminary of our sister church in Indonesia, worked hard this last year toward the goal of official accreditation for their school. Accreditation would mean that the certificate the school offers after four years of classroom training would be nationally recognized. Graduates could then use that certificate to apply for part-time employment as religion instructors in government schools. And since children in Indonesia have the right to have religion class according to their own faith, there is often a need for Christian teachers. This would be ideal for many pastors who will need to have “tent-making” ministries.

After much work, and by God’s grace, STTL was fully accredited earlier this year! This led to a momentous occasion this August, where the first of these government-recognized certificates could be awarded to 18 students who had recently completed the four-year course of study either this year or last. Besides family and friends, other guests and visitors included local government officials and representatives from other area institutions, as well as myself, happily representing Asia Lutheran Seminary and the WELS Asia One Team to congratulate our brothers in Christ for their hard work. The event gave much visibility to this young seminary, and the faculty and staff have much to be proud of and thankful for.

STTL’s pastoral training program includes two to three years of practical experience as vicars following the years in the classroom. So these 18 men were not yet ordained as pastors, but some of them received their first assignments as vicars in that same service. Others were reassigned to meet ministry needs in their church body. How will the Lord use these young men as his ministers in the coming years? What challenges will they face as they proclaim the gospel of Christ in a country that is officially secular but with a strong Muslim majority? Will the STTL’s plan of accreditation prove to be the boon that they think it will be? Will they be able to meet the need for pastors as the gospel spreads across the country?

The theme verse of the graduation service was Jeremiah 29:11. “I know the plans I have for you,” God says. The details of his plan are his own. But all of them are based on the work of Christ, the Savior of the nations. Please join me in praying for these young men, the churches they serve, and the work of the gospel in Indonesia.

Written by Rev. Guy Marquardt, world missionary for the Asia One Team. 

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Growth and partnership in Indonesia

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In July 2022, WELS Friendly Counselor Rev. Gregory Bey made his first visit to Indonesia since the pandemic began. Bey attended the convention of WELS’ sister synod in Indonesia, Gereja Lutheran Indonesia (GLI). GLI currently has about 1,650 members in 29 congregations served by 30 pastors and 5 vicars.

The GLI convention was held on the new seminary campus on the island of Java. Construction of this seminary, called Sekolah Tinggi Teologi Lutheran (STTL), was completed in 2021. Seminary classes are taught by Indonesian pastors with support from Bey. The seminary currently has 27 students, many of whom are graduates of a Lutheran high school that was established in July 2018.

“Walking through the new campus evoked emotions of exhilaration and excitement coupled with thankfulness to God for this beautiful blessing,” says Bey. “But it was interacting with the students, staff, and faculty that brought to mind these words of St. Paul: ‘Entrust the things you heard from me, in the presence of many witnesses, to faithful men who will also be able to teach others’ ” (2 Timothy 2:2 Evangelical Heritage Version).

Bey concludes: “God-willing, STTL will produce a steady stream of qualified national pastors for many years to come.”

GLI continues to grow in number and maturity. In 2015, a plan was set in motion to transition a significant amount of financial support from WELS to GLI. Pastor salaries for men in established congregations will, prayerfully, be fully supported by local members by 2025. In some cases, GLI pastors may need to serve as “tent ministers” who support themselves with secular jobs. WELS would continue to provide funding for seminary professors and possibly the synod chairman. Savings could then be used to support building projects for existing churches as well as exploratory work in new regions. This is a huge step toward self-sufficiency and independence as a stand-alone church body.

WELS’ Asia One Team is in the process of calling for a full-time friendly counselor to support and advise the work in Indonesia. Bey has been filling the role on a quarter-time basis since he retired from full-time work in 2019.

 

 

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Worker training in Indonesia

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Gregory L. Bey

I served in Indonesia briefly in the early 1990s and returned in 2011 as a professor at Sekolah Tinggi Teologi Lutheran (STTL), the worker training school of Gereja Lutheran Indonesia (GLI). Most of my fellow “dosens” (seminary professors) with whom I now serve were students my first time around. What a thrill it is to be able to work shoulder to shoulder with them now as colleagues in Christ who are banded together to train the next generation of GLI pastors.

To maintain and improve our status as a school that can issue an accredited Bachelor of Divinity degree, STTL works together with the appropriate governmental agencies as well as local and regional authorities. Wading through the laws and regulations is something that would be almost insurmountable for an outsider. What a blessing it is to have a seminary chairman like Pastor Bambang, who is knowledgeable in such matters.

A similar example is the STTL curriculum coordinator, Evangelist Agus. He needs to harmonize our specific set of studies with the recommended national guidelines for all seminaries in Indonesia. This is no small task. In fact, it is essential for securing our position as an accredited school so that our students can receive a degree recognized by the government. Simultaneously, we need to provide courses necessary to our goal of producing a steady stream of servants who will minister to the people of GLI and reach out with the gospel.

But apart from the administrative necessities that can be handled so much better by the national dosens are the obvious benefits of being instructed by someone whose language is the same as yours. As good as the “orang asing” (foreigners) become at the language of their host country, there are linguistic nuances that often elude us. The depth of our vocabulary is rarely as deep as the treasure trove of words that the national instructors have at their fingertips. Men like Pastors Sutarno and Supriyanto adeptly apply various synonyms and antonyms as they explain finer points of doctrine and critique student sermons. They, along with their Indonesian colleagues on the faculty, deftly direct regional called workers and lay leaders who assist them in planning and providing opportunities for our students to participate in early field experiences.

Additionally, the national dosens always have a better understanding of what it means to be an Indonesian. They can better sense and deal with the realities of life faced by young men who often are away from their families for several months or even a few years as they prepare for the ministry. Younger dosens like Evangelist Mikael and Vicar Lefinus, who serve part time at STTL, can more easily bridge the natural generation gap between young men in their late teens and 20s and older dosens in their 50s and 60s.

Often I joke with some my colleagues and say, “You used to be my students; now you are my bosses!” But it’s not a joke. It is a blessing from the Lord who has equipped them with the spiritual gifts needed to train our future coworkers in Christ here in Indonesia.

Gregory Bey currently is serving as the friendly counselor to Gereja Lutheran Indonesia.

GLI has 5 congregations and 25 preaching stations. Sixteen pastors (as of June 2017) serve 1,362 members. Currently 10 students are studying at STTL.

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Author: Gregory L. Bey
Volume 104, Number 4
Issue: April 2017

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