Protestantism in Indonesia

File:Blenduk Church.jpg in Semarang, built in European architecture]]

File:Wamena Church Betlehem.jpg, Highland Papua]]

File:Protestant Indonesia Percentage Sensus2010.svg]]

Protestantism ({{langx|id|Protestanisme}}) is one of the six approved religions in Indonesia, the others being Islam, Roman Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Its followers comprise the majority of Christians in Indonesia, who are the second largest religious group in the country after Muslims.

According to CIA statistics, in 2000 5.7% of the population of Indonesia were Protestant.[https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/indonesia/ CIA Factbook] A nationwide census of 2018 noted that 7.6% (20,250,000) of the population considered themselves Protestant, the largest such community in Southeast Asia.{{cite web|url=https://data.kemenag.go.id/agamadashboard/statistik/umat|title=Statistik Umat Menurut Agama di Indonesia|publisher=Kementerian Agama Republik Indonesia|date=15 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200903221250/https://data.kemenag.go.id/agamadashboard/statistik/umat|archive-date=3 September 2020|access-date=15 November 2020|language=id|quote=Muslim 231.069.932 (86.7), Christian 20.246.267 (7.6), Catholic 8.325.339 (3.12), Hindu 4.646.357 (1.74), Buddhist 2.062.150 (0.77), Confucianism 117091 (0.03), Other 299617 (0.13), Not Stated 139582 (0.06), Not Asked 757118 (0.32), Total 266.534.836}}

Protestantism in Indonesia is largely a result of Calvinist (Reformed) and Lutheran missionary efforts during the country's colonial period.{{sfn|Ricklefs|1991|pp=28, 62}}{{sfn|Vickers|2005|p=22}}{{cite book | last = Goh | first = Robbie B.H. | title = Christianity in Southeast Asia | publisher = Institute of Southeast Asian Studies | page = 80 | isbn = 981-230-297-2 | year = 2005 }} The Dutch East India Company regulated the missionary work so it could serve its own interests and restricted it to the eastern part of the Indonesian archipelago.Encyclopedia of Protestantism: 4-volume Set by Hans J. Hillerbrand, chapter on Indonesia, p. 824 Although these two branches are the most common, a multitude of other denominations can be found elsewhere in Indonesia.{{cite web | title = Indonesia - (Asia) | work = Reformed Online | publisher = Reformed Online | url = http://www.reformiert-online.net/weltweit/64_eng.php | access-date = 7 October 2006 }} The Batak Protestant Christian Church, founded in 1861 by German Lutheran missionary Ludwig Ingwer Nommensen, is the largest one.Encyclopedia of Protestantism: 4-volume Set by Hans J. Hillerbrand, chapter on Indonesia, p. 337

History

Protestantism arrived in Indonesia during the Dutch East Indies colonization. By the mid-1700s a significant Lutheran presence was found in Jakarta, with a Lutheran church built by the Lutheran Governor General Gustaaf Willem van Imhoff in 1749.{{Citation |editor1-last=Aritonang |editor1-first=Jan Sihar |editor2-last=Steenbrink |editor2-first=Karel |title=A history of Christianity in Indonesia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cUoGJSs9yOUC |access-date=30 November 2010 |year=2008 |publisher=Koninklijke Brill NV |location=Leiden, The Netherlands |isbn=978-90-04-17026-1 |pages=122–123 }} In 1817, the Dutch founded the Protestantsche Kerk in Nederlandsch-Indie ("Indische Kerk") as a union of Reformed, Lutheran, Baptists, Arminian and Mennonite denominations.{{Citation |editor1-last=Aritonang |editor1-first=Jan Sihar |editor2-last=Steenbrink |editor2-first=Karel |title=A history of Christianity in Indonesia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cUoGJSs9yOUC |access-date=30 November 2010 |year=2008 |publisher=Koninklijke Brill NV |location=Leiden, The Netherlands |isbn=978-90-04-17026-1 |page=384 }} In 1835, the Dutch king decreed that one church council would fuse and oversee the Protestant denominations in the Dutch colony.{{Citation |editor1-last=Aritonang |editor1-first=Jan Sihar |editor2-last=Steenbrink |editor2-first=Karel |title=A history of Christianity in Indonesia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cUoGJSs9yOUC |access-date=30 November 2010 |year=2008 |publisher=Koninklijke Brill NV |location=Leiden, The Netherlands |isbn=978-90-04-17026-1 |page=647 |quote=Protestants - European or Indonesian - living in the major cities mostly belonged to the Protestant Church in the Dutch East Indies, the Indische Kerk. The status of this church was in some respects quite different from that of the Catholic community, because it was placed more directly under government authority. By a decree of 11 December 1835 the Dutch king, Willem I, commanded the fusion of the Lutheran and Reformed denominations (only effected in 1854), and the establishment of one church council for the whole colony (realised in 1844). }}

Demographics

In 2018, Protestants made up 7.43% of the population.{{cite web|url=https://data.kemenag.go.id/agamadashboard/statistik/umat|title=Statistik Umat Menurut Agama di Indonesia|publisher=Kementerian Agama Republik Indonesia|date=15 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200903221250/https://data.kemenag.go.id/agamadashboard/statistik/umat|archive-date=3 September 2020|access-date=15 November 2020|language=id|quote=Muslim 231.069.932 (86.7), Christian 20.246.267 (7.6), Catholic 8.325.339 (3.12), Hindu 4.646.357 (1.74), Buddhist 2.062.150 (0.77), Confucianism 71.999 (0.03), Others/Traditional faiths 112.792 (0.04), Total 266.534.836}}

On the island of Sulawesi, 17% of the citizens are Protestant, particularly in Tana Toraja and North Sulawesi. Up to 65% of the Torajan population is Protestant. In some parts of the country, entire villages belong to a distinct denomination, such as Adventist, Lutheran, Presbyterian or Salvation Army. Two provinces have Protestant majorities: North Sulawesi (64%) and Papua (60%). Christian Evangelical Church in Minahasa is the largest Protestant church in North Sulawesi. Gereja Injili di Tanah Jawa is a Mennonite-related denomination. Huria Kristen Batak Protestant is a Lutheran denomination founded by Ludwig Ingwer Nommensen. It is the largest Protestant denomination in Indonesia and has over 4 million congregants.{{cite web | url = http://www.lutheranworld.org/lwf/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/LWF-Statistics-2010.pdf | title = 2010 World Lutheran Membership Details | first = Colette | last = Muanda | date = January 2011 | work = LWF Statistics 2010 | publisher = [Lutheran World Federation] | location = Geneva, Switzerland | page = 7 | access-date = 15 July 2011 | url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110926215127/http://www.lutheranworld.org/lwf/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/LWF-Statistics-2010.pdf | archive-date = 26 September 2011 }} The relatively large number of "denominations" per capita in Indonesia may be due to the significant number of different ethnic groups in Indonesia. Many Indonesian Protestants tend to congregate based more on ethnicity than liturgical differences.{{Citation |editor1-last=Aritonang |editor1-first=Jan Sihar |editor2-last=Steenbrink |editor2-first=Karel |title=A history of Christianity in Indonesia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cUoGJSs9yOUC |access-date=30 November 2010 |year=2008 |publisher=Koninklijke Brill NV |location=Leiden, The Netherlands |isbn=978-90-04-17026-1 |page=617 |quote=It is remarkable that in the merger of the BKP with the BNKP the choice for unification was made on cultural rather than denominational grounds. While the Batunese congregations show distinctly Lutheran traits, especially in liturgical matters, the sense of communion is determined by ethno-cultural relations. Similar language and customary law, and especially family links between Nias and the Batu Islands, by far outweigh eccliastical tradition. }}

Reformed denominations

Image:Messiah Cathedral in Night.jpg megachurch, captured from Kemayoran Street, Jakarta]]

The Reformed faith was brought by Dutch missionaries beginning in the 17th century. Many of these churches are members of the World Communion of Reformed Churches:{{cite web |url=http://www.wcrc.ch/node/164 |title=Member churches | Bringing together 80 million Reformed Christians worldwide |access-date=2013-08-18 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120808192417/http://www.wcrc.ch/node/164 |archive-date=2012-08-08 }}

= Members of the International Conference of Reformed Churches =

Gereja-Gereja Reformasi Calvinis
Gereja-Gereja Reformasi di IndonesiaInternational Conference of Reformed Churches{{Cite web |url=http://icrconline.com/members.html |title=The International Conference of Reformed Churches |access-date=2013-03-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140827004312/http://icrconline.com/members.html |archive-date=2014-08-27 |url-status=dead }}

= Members of World Reformed Fellowship =

Reformed Evangelical Church in Indonesia{{cite web |url=http://wrfnet.org/web/guest/aboutwrf/membershiplist |title=The World Reformed Fellowship - Membership List |access-date=2013-02-17 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120730014055/http://wrfnet.org/web/guest/aboutwrf/membershiplist |archive-date=2012-07-30 }}

Lutheran denominations

File:Balige church.JPG

in Balige, North Sumatra, built circa 1917.]]

Indonesian churches recognized by the Lutheran World Federation as Lutheran or affiliated with Lutheran are:

Banua Niha Keriso Protestan (BNKP) – The Protestant Church in Nias Island
Gereja Angowuloa Masehi Indonesia Nias (AMIN) – Christian Communion of Indonesia in Nias
Gereja Kristen Luther Indonesia (GKLI) – Indonesian Christian Lutheran Church
Gereja Kristen Protestan Angkola (GKPA) – Christian Protestant Angkola Church
Gereja Kristen Protestan di Mentawai (GKPM) – Protestant Christian Church in Mentawai
Gereja Kristen Protestan Indonesia (GKPI) – Christian Protestant Church in Indonesia
Gereja Kristen Protestan Pakpak Dairi (GKPPD) – Pakpak Dairi Protestant Christian Church
Gereja Kristen Protestan Simalungun (GKPS) – Simalungun Protestant Christian Church
Gereja Punguan Kristen Batak (GPKB) – Batak Christian Community Church
Gereja Protestan Persekutuan (GPP) – The United Protestant Church
Huria Kristen Batak Protestan (HKBP) – Protestant Christian Batak Church
Huria Kristen Indonesia (HKI) – The Indonesian Christian Church
Orahua Niha Keriso Protestan (ONKP) - Communion of Protestant Christian Church

HKI, GMB, GKPS, GKPI, GKLI, GKPA, GPP, and GKPPD all split from HKBP.{{Citation |editor1-last=Aritonang |editor1-first=Jan Sihar |editor2-last=Steenbrink |editor2-first=Karel |title=A history of Christianity in Indonesia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cUoGJSs9yOUC |access-date=30 November 2010 |year=2008 |publisher=Koninklijke Brill NV |location=Leiden, The Netherlands |isbn=978-90-04-17026-1 |page=558 }} GKLI maintains a strong relationship with the Norwegian Lutheran Church. GKPM was founded by HKBP missionaries.{{Citation |editor1-last=Aritonang |editor1-first=Jan Sihar |editor2-last=Steenbrink |editor2-first=Karel |title=A history of Christianity in Indonesia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cUoGJSs9yOUC |access-date=30 November 2010 |year=2008 |publisher=Koninklijke Brill NV |location=Leiden, The Netherlands |isbn=978-90-04-17026-1 |page=619 }} Although the BNKP and HKBP have historically cooperated, no official relationship exists between those entities. AMIN split from BNKP and retains more of a Lutheran identity.{{Citation |editor1-last=Aritonang |editor1-first=Jan Sihar |editor2-last=Steenbrink |editor2-first=Karel |title=A history of Christianity in Indonesia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cUoGJSs9yOUC |access-date=30 November 2010 |year=2008 |publisher=Koninklijke Brill NV |location=Leiden, The Netherlands |isbn=978-90-04-17026-1 |page=611 }}

Gereja Lutheran Indonesia (GLI) is affiliated with the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference. GLI is closely associated with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod in the United States. GLI has offices in Jakarta and operates a seminary, Sekolah Tinggi Teologi Lutheran (STTL), in Yogyakarta. GLI has large congregations on Java and in West Timor, as well as posts in Papua and Kalimantan.{{cite web |url=http://www.celc.info/site/cpage.asp?sec_id=180010197&cpage_id=180034429 |title=Gereja Lutheran Indonesia |author= |publisher=Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference |access-date=24 Oct 2014}}{{cite web |url=http://www.wels.net/missions/indonesia |title=Indonesia |author= |publisher= Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Syno |access-date=24 Oct 2014}}

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20070928020957/http://www.persecution.org/suffering/countryinfodetail.php?countrycode=6 Persecution.org website (archived)]

Indonesia

Category:History of the Dutch East India Company

de:Christentum in Indonesien#Protestantismus