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In 1928, pioneer missionary Robert A. Jaffray surveyed Indonesia, known then as the East Indies. Even as the Great Depression threatened to curtail his work, Jaffray urged The Alliance to move forward. Hundreds of churches were established, Bible schools sprang up, and C&MA missionaries shared the good news of Jesus with people groups scattered across the world’s largest archipelago nation.

Since 1929, 3,000 Alliance churches have been established throughout Indonesia’s 1,800 islands. Nearly 375,000 believers worship in the Gospel Tabernacle Church of Indonesia, or GKII, the Alliance national church. Our ministries include holistic development, outreach to children and youth, and theological education. Currently, about 3,300 students study at 35 C&MA Bible colleges.

Indonesia map

National Church

Gospel Tabernacle Church of Indonesia All-Indonesia Executive Committee: 1,898 organized churches, 601 unorganized groups, 1,250 ordained ministers, 200,660 baptized members, and 373,134 inclusive members

Team Initiatives

  • Establish contextual ministries throughout Indonesia by developing relationships and strategies designed to form groups of believers who live their faith in a contextual manner in their communities. This approach allows for a credible Christian witness among otherwise closed groups. Currently, such ministries exist in West Java, North Coast-Central Java, and East Indonesia. The mission desires to place teams in South Kalimantan where the people are highly resistant and in Papua among transmigrants.
  • Rebuild communities in the tsunami-affected areas of Aceh. In partnership with other organizations, our workers are building fishing boats, ice factories, rice hullers, houses, fish farms, and community livelihood projects, which allow us to maintain a presence in this highly resistant region. Pray that God’s Kingdom will prevail amid of great devastation and spiritual darkness.
  • Realign structure and reposition facilities to meet the challenges of the changing dynamics of mission strategy, mission and national church relationships, and personnel needs. Pray for wisdom in making decisions and that everyone will feel a sense of ownership. Pray that the mission will make adjustments in such a way that the national church will not feel abandoned.

The Alliance at Work in Indonesia

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Demographics

Population
Population—241,973,879
Infant mortality rate—35.6/1,000
Life expectancy—69.6
Capital City
Jakarta (17,891,000) pop.
Geography
With a land mass slightly less than three times the size of Texas, Indonesia (741,096 sq. mi.) is an archipelago of 17,000 islands straddling the equator. It consists mainly of tropical lowlands and has the largest number of active volcanoes in the world. Earthquakes are frequent.
Languages
Bahasa Indonesia (official)
English
Dutch
Javanese
580+ languages and dialects
Ethnicity/Race
—45%
Sundanese—14%
Madurese—7.5%
Coastal Malays—7.5%
other—26%
Economy
Per capita income—$3,500
Inflation—6.1%
Unemployment—9.2%
Literacy rate—89% (2003 est.)
Government/Political Climate
Republic. Indonesia declared independence in 1945. Current issues include: alleviating widespread poverty, preventing terrorism, and holding the military and police accountable for human rights violations.
Religion
—88%
Protestant—5%
Roman Catholic—3%
Hindu—2%
Buddhist—1%
other—1%

Support the Mission

Alliance ministry in Indonesia is primarily funded through the Great Commission Fund. Help fulfill Jesus’ Great Commission and make a gift to the GCF today.

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