GKJTU – GEREJA KRISTEN JAWA TENGAH UTARA
The Christian church in North Central Java – Indonesia
Java is one of the more than 13,000 islands which make up the Indonesian Archipelago, and missionaries from the Neukirchener Mission have been working here since 1884. This makes Java the Neukirchener Mission’s oldest missionary territory. In 1937, the GKJTU was established as part of the work. The GKJTU has approx. 11,500 members. Together with Christians from other Javan churches, they form a small minority in the country’s non-Christian majority. Officially, more than 95% of the Javanese population are Muslim, whereby most adhere to a curious mixture of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islamic mysticism and ancient Javan beliefs. In places, this mixture can even contain Christian content.
A number of the more than 50 churches which are affiliated with the GKJTU were established before the second world war by Javan evangelists, working under the leadership of German and Dutch missionaries. The GKJTU continues to engage in missionary work via welfare programmes, schools, nurseries and the personal witness of the Christians. Christians are no longer permitted to evangelise publicly following the conversion of a large number of Muslims in the 1970s and 1980s. During these decades, the GKJTU tripled in size. Now the focus is on discipling the many converts.
One particular challenge which Javan Christians face is knowing how to conduct themselves wisely towards the small number of fanatics who are prepared to use violence. They also need wisdom with regard to sharing their faith and coexisting peacefully with the majority of moderate Muslims.
The Neukirchener Mission supports the missionary work of the GKJTU via sponsorships and funding for schools, pastors and lay preachers as well as for church training programmes.
The first element of the vision of our partner church GKJTU in Central Java is: “We want our church to have a stronger focus on missionary work, where evangelisation is the essence of our brand.” To this end, the GKJTU needs more staff support, also from foreign partners. Having served since 1882, the Neukirchener Mission is the oldest partner.
The Sion foundation, founded by the church itself, operates Christian primary and secondary schools with more than 200 pupils, a vocational training school offering various courses (batik, dressmaking, computer, accounting, car mechanics and retail) and an entrepreneurship laboratory where students can put their newly learned skills into practice, become independent and develop new skills.
Another area of work is Community Church Development CCM/CM in renewable energy projects, water preparation, organic farming, plastic waste recycling, health care consultations, disaster relief and empowering women by helping them establish small businesses to combat poverty.
The next step will be to select trustworthy and upright graduates from the vocational school and the entrepreneur laboratory courses and provide them with microloans so that they can return to their home regions and set up business there. With a reliable income, they can then also serve as evangelists and plant churches.
INTERDENOMINATIONAL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY ABDIEL, JAVA, INDONESIA
The ABDIEL theological seminary (Pentecostal-Presbyterian) is interdenominational, and is closely associated with the GKJTU. Students can major in theology, RE or (church) music. The goal is to train students for Asia. Graduates currently work in many parts of Indonesia, East Timor, Myanmar, Malaysia and Cambodia. Music is a particularly good way of bringing spiritual content to life. The curriculum includes music theory and practice. There are currently 120 students on 4-5 year courses culminating in a degree slightly higher than a Bachelor degree in (full) theology, RE or church music, followed by 2-yr courses for MA degree in missiology or church music. Some lectures are given jointly for students from different degree courses.
Visit the ABDIEL website
Partnership delegate
Partnership delegate Dr Christian and Pebri Gossweiler with Pia Desideria and Pieter.
The Gossweiler family was stationed in Salatiga from 1995-2015, working for our partner church and the GKJTU. They were involved in seminars, preaching, music and PR. Christian was ordained by our GKJTU partner church. Pebri and Christian were also involved in the revision work for the Indonesian translation of the Old Testament, and taught at the Abdiel theological seminary.
The Gossweiler family
On 01.09.2015, Christian Gossweiler was appointed vicar to the diocese of Pforzheim-Eutingen. From their base in Eutingen, however, the Gossweiler family continue to support the partnership with the GKJTU by PR work, writing articles, support trips and occasional short-term assignments in Indonesia.
Press report on Dr Christian Gossweiler in the Protestant Church in Eutingen
This post is also available in: German
