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Protestant Christian Batak Church
Huria Kristen Batak Protestan (HKBP)
HISTORY
The Huria Kristen Batak Protestan
(HKBP, pronounced hah-kah-bay-pay) grew out of the efforts of the German Rhenish
Missionary Society, which began work in Batak country in 1861. In 1930 the HKBP
became the first major independent and self-governing church body in what was
then the Dutch East Indies. The majority of the members are rural people,
engaged in small farming and living in villages, but many of the members reside
in cities.
Led by a resolute and clear-sighted missionary, Ludwig Ingwar Nommensen, "the
Apostle to the Bataks" the missionaries pressed inland toward Lake Toba. They
translated the Bible into Batak, and led whole villages and tribes to become
Christian, instead of making individual conversions.
PRESENT SITUATION
Women have an important role in the life of the HKBP. Choirs, study and
prayer groups, and service groups engage women of all ages. An increasing number
are gaining leadership roles, not only as ordained pastors but also as Bible
women. There also is an emphasis on youth ministry, social services, health
care, and development. The singing of many choirs in Batak worship are a vibrant
expression of spiritual life and an invitation to the common praise of God.
The major ELCA participation in health care in Indonesia has been through the
Community Health Development program of the Bethesda Hospital, an institution
and program of the Simalungun Christian Protestant Church. It has an integrated
rural health and development program which works with family planning, school
health, nutrition, and maternal and child health.
The HKBP Theological College serves most of the Lutheran and other Protestant
churches in North Sumatra. Most students come from rural villages and have not
been well prepared for university work. The college concentrates on reading
skills, learning English, and bringing their general education to an acceptable
level as well as theological training. A Theological Education by Extension
program based in Pematang Siantar provides theological education for
congregational leaders.
The HKBP Nommensen University, opened in 1954, is the largest Lutheran
university in the world. It has campuses in Pematang Siantar and Medan in North
Sumatra. It has schools of education, agriculture, economics, technology,
business administration, and language and the arts.
The ELCA also relates to other Lutheran churches in Indonesia:
Christian Protestant Church in Indonesia (GKPI)
-- 255,601 members -- joined LWF in 1975
Indonesian Christian Lutheran Church (GKLI) -- 16,895 members -- joined LWF
in 1994
Simalungun Protestant Christian Church (GKPS) --
190,417 members -- joined LWF in 1967
And the Karo Batak Protestant Church (GBKP) -- 225,000 members
The ELCA is companion to two Christian universities on the island of Java
with graduate programs in religion which make significant contributions to
interfaith understanding: Satya Wacana Christian University (its graduate
program on Religion and Society) and Duta Wacana Christian University (its
Center for Religious Studies).
ADVOCACY
Interreligious dialogue, violence
QUICK FACTS
Web Page
www.hkbp.or.id
Church Leader Ephorus
Rev. Dr. Bonar Napitupulu
Location Sumatra, Indonesia
Headquarters Tarutung, Sumatra
Languages Bahasa Indonesia
Members 3,000.000
Church Structure 26 Districts
Memberships
Lutheran World Federation (LWF), since 1952
World Council of Churches (WCC)
Christian Conference of Asia (CCA)
United Evangelical Mission - Communion of Churches
in Three Continents (UEM)
Communion of Churches in Indonesia
(CCI)
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