Indonesian Christian Church Synod

Last updated
Indonesian Christian Church Synod
Gereja Kristen Indonesia
Gereja Kristen Indonesia.png
AbbreviationGKI
Classification Protestant
Orientation Reformed
Theology Calvinism, Progressive, Ecumenical
Polity Presbyterial-Synodal
Associations
RegionIndonesia
Headquarters Jakarta, Indonesia
OriginAugust 26, 1988;35 years ago (August 26, 1988)
Merger of
Congregations231 as of 2020
Members263.688 active members (2020)
Official website http://www.sinodegki.org/


The Indonesian Christian Church Synod (Sinode GKI, originally: Gereja Kristen Indonesia) is an Indonesian church of Presbyterian denomination. It adheres to Calvinist theology. [1]

Contents

History

GKI was established in continuity with the Indonesian Christian Church in West Java, Central Java and East Java. These three denominations were originally independent, each arising from separate missionary initiatives conducted by local and foreign missionaries. The first of these denominations to be established, later coming to be known as the Indonesian Christian Church East Java, was incorporated on 22 February 1934. Six years later, and coming to be known as the Indonesian Christian Church West Java, the second denomination was incorporated on 24 March 1940. Finally, on 8 August 1945, the Indonesian Christian Churches Central Java was incorporated. Since 27 March 1962, the three denominations have been united as the Indonesian Christian Church, with the overall governing responsibility maintained by the General Synod (Sinode Am), which aims to co-ordinate united efforts towards common goals. [2]

Both GKI West Java and GKI East Java were originally affiliated with the Dutch Hervormd mission, whereas GKI Central Java was affiliated with the Dutch Gereformeerd mission. Additionally, GKI West Java originally included a number of congregations operating as a distinct presbytery, which was affiliated with local and foreign Chinese Evangelical missions. Despite the differences in liturgy and church government between the various congregations and denominations, all the congregation from the three previous GKIs, without exception, consented to the merger at the time GKI united.

Organization

GKI's organization consists of the congregation, presbytery, regional synod and Synod. Each organisation respectively was led by the congregation council (session), the presbytery council, the regional synod council and the synod council. As the Synod consists of regional synods, regional synod consists of presbyteries, presbytery consists of congregations, so synod council consists of all regional synod councils, regional synod council consists of all presbytery councils and presbytery councils consists of all congregational councils. In short, synod councils consists of all GKI councils which are composed of elders and ministers.

Church government in the congregation was run by an executive congregation council, the presbytery assemblies was run by an executive presbytery council, the regional synod was run by executive regional synod council and the synod was run by executive synod council. This kind of organisation was acknowledged as the presbyterial-Synodal system. What was unique of GKI Presbyterial-Synodal is that, each form of GKI church organisation has its own council as servant-leaders, not a mere executive board.

Assembly

The most authoritative forum to make decision in each form of the church organisation is the assembly. The assembly is respective assembly of council in its own scope. GKI hierarchy is made such that the larger assemblies, i.e. consisting of more little assemblies has more authority. For example, the assembly of the congregational council has to submit to the assembly of presbytery council, the assembly of presbytery council has to submit to the assembly of regional synod council and the assembly of regional synod council has to submit to the assembly of synod council.

Regional Synods

There are three regional synod in GKI: Regional Synod in East Java, Regional Synod in West Java and Regional Synod in Central Java.

Statistics

As of 2020, the church has 263,688 members in 231 congregations, 19 presbyteris and 3 regional synods. [3]

Presbyteries

East Java

West Java

Central Java

Church Functions

Church functions in GKI are ministers and elders. GKI deliberately chooses fewer church functions. Since Elder (Greek: presbuteros) is a function which GKI believed as being permanent function since the Old Testament to the New Testament. Whereas minister (Greek: episkopos) is an inherited function from the New Testament church. However, there are a few GKI congregations keeping the deacon function in their fidelity to old Calvinism.

Liturgy

GKI Liturgy is adapting and referring to the ecumenical Lima Liturgy and BEM (Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry) Document of the WCC. The Word of God was ministered by adapting The Revised Common Lectionary. GKI affirms two sacraments, i.e., baptism and eucharist.

Decision Making

Decision making in each meeting and assembly is undertaken by means of the conciliation method which is parallel to the consensus method.

Ecumenical commitment

GKI is committed to ecumenism by becoming an active member of the World Council of Churches, World Communion of Reformed Churches, and co-founder of Christian Conference of Asia and Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI).

The uniting of GKI has placed GKI as the only church unity in the Indonesian ecumenical family, and one of the eight churches in the Asian and one of the eighteen churches in the global ecumenical family which forms the united and uniting churches. GKI partnering with the Protestant Church in the Netherlands, the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America and the Uniting Church in Australia.

Theology

GKI values its theological heritage which originates from Pietism, Calvinism and Methodism, but prominently classified as mainline Protestant. GKI is doing theology in the context of a church living in the midst of Muslim community. GKI deliberately discontinued its ethnic bond, i.e., (Indonesian Chinese) to be a multi-ethnic national church in 1958. The church affirms the Apostles Creed, Nicene Creed, Athanasian Creed, the Heidelberg Catechism and GKI Confession 2014. [1]

Related Research Articles

Presbyterianpolity is a method of church governance typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session or consistory, though other terms, such as church board, may apply. Groups of local churches are governed by a higher assembly of elders known as the presbytery or classis; presbyteries can be grouped into a synod, and presbyteries and synods nationwide often join together in a general assembly. Responsibility for conduct of church services is reserved to an ordained minister or pastor known as a teaching elder, or a minister of the word and sacrament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uniting Church in Australia</span> Australian Christian denomination

The Uniting Church in Australia (UCA) was founded on 22 June 1977, when most congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia, about two-thirds of the Presbyterian Church of Australia and almost all the churches of the Congregational Union of Australia united under the Basis of Union. According to the church, it had 243,000 members in 2018. In the 2016 census, about 870,200 Australians identified with the church; in the 2011 census, the figure was 1,065,796. The UCA is Australia's third-largest Christian denomination, behind the Catholic and the Anglican Churches. There are around 2,000 UCA congregations, and 2001 National Church Life Survey (NCLS) research indicated that average weekly attendance was about 10 per cent of census figures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Non-subscribing Presbyterian Church of Ireland</span> Irish Christian denomination

The Non-subscribing Presbyterian Church of Ireland is a non-creedal Christian denomination, which maintains a great emphasis on individual conscience in matters of Christian faith.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United and uniting churches</span> Union of Protestant churches of different creeds

A united church, also called a uniting church, is a denomination formed from the merger or other form of church union of two or more different Protestant Christian denominations, a number of which come from separate and distinct denominational orientations or traditions. Multi-denominationalism, or a multi-denominational church or organization, is a congregation or organization that is affiliated with two or more Christian denominations, whether they be part of the same tradition or from separate and distinct traditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of South India</span> United Protestant church in South India

The Church of South India (CSI) is a united Protestant Church in India. It is the result of union of a number of Protestant denominations in South India that occurred after the independence of India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian Conference of Asia</span> Regional ecumenical organisation

The Christian Conference of Asia is a regional ecumenical organisation representing 15 National Councils and over 100 denominations (churches) in New Zealand, Australia, Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, East Timor, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Thailand.

Muria Christian Church in Indonesia is one of three Indonesian church synods which are members of Mennonite World Conference (MWC). The church reports more than 16,000 members living in Java, Bali, Sumatra and Kalimantan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa</span>

The Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa was formed by the union of the black and coloured Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk mission churches.

Javanese Mennonite Church Indonesian injili di Tanah Jawa is one of three Mennonite-related church synods in Indonesia

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protestantism in Indonesia</span> Overview of the role of Protestantism in Indonesia

Protestantism is one of the six approved religions in Indonesia, the others being Islam, Roman Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. It constitutes the bulk of Christianity in Indonesia, which is the second largest religion in the country after Islam.

The Javanese Christian Church or the Synod of the Christian Churches of Java, founded on 17 February 1931, is a mutual bond of Javanese Christian Churches which amounts to 307 churches in 32 presbyteries, spreading in 6 provinces in the island of Java: Yogyakarta, Central Java, East Java, West Java, Jakarta, and Banten. Its theological orientation is Reformed and has Presbyterian church government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protestant Church in Western Indonesia</span>

The Protestant Church in Western Indonesia is a Reformed Church, and its theology is based on the teaching of John Calvin. It was established on 31 October 1948. It was called the "De Protestantse Kerk in Westelijk Indonesie", founded in 1605 in Ambon, Moluccas. In its formative years it consisted of seven classes: Jabar, Java, Jatim, Sumatra, Bangka, Borneo, Sulawesi. It is a member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches the World Council of Churches and the Christian Conference in Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protestant Christian Church in Bali</span>

The Protestant Christian Church in Bali is a Reformed denomination established on 11 November 1931 in Bali, Indonesia. It was a fruit of the efforts of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, but the Dutch Reformed Church and the Church in East Java participated in the work. Significant development took place after 1950. The denomination adopted its current name on 21 April 1949. The church is located in Bali, Java, West Nusa Tenggara. There are also churches located in Hamburg, Germany and two churches are in Bern and Amsterdam.

The Pasundan Christian Church was officially established in Indonesia on 14 November 1934. It has 51 congregations and 33,000 members. It is a member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC).

The Indonesian Christian Church of North Sumatera is a Reformed denomination in Indonesia. It was founded by the Dutch Reformed Church in 1915. The Dutch left in 1957. In 1969 the Synod was formed. It is a Presbyterian church. In 1970 it had 5,000 members 4 pastors and 16 evangelists, 12 congregations and 56 places of worship. Formerly it was known as the Gereja-Gereja Gereformeerd Synode Sumatera Utara. Today the denomination has 90 congregations and 12,000 members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Communion of Churches in Indonesia</span> Christian church in Indonesia

The Communion of Churches in Indonesia (CCI), Indonesian: Persekutuan Gereja-Gereja di Indonesia (PGI), is a fellowship organisation of Protestant churches in Indonesia. This fellowship was founded on 25 May 1950, in Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, under the name Council of Churches in Indonesia as a manifestation of the desire of Protestants in Indonesia to reunite the Protestant Church as the fragmented Body of Christ. Therefore, PGI stated that the aim of its formation was to create one Protestant Church in Indonesia. It is a member of the World Council of Churches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bethany Indonesian Church</span> Protestant church in Indonesia

Bethany Indonesian Church an Evangelical charismatic Christian denomination and a megachurch. The headquarters is in Surabaya, Indonesia. It is led by Aswin Tanuseputra.

Gereja Kristen Protestan Angkola is a church Christian Protestant synod in Indonesia with its head office in Padangsidimpuan, North Sumatra province. This church organization was officially established on October 26, 1975 when it obtained autonomy from Huria Kristen Batak Protestant (HKBP), under the name HKBP-A. In 1988 it merged with the "Angkola Protestant Church (GPA)", and began to take the name "Angkola Protestant Christian Church". GKPA serves specifically the Angkola Batak community in their local language.

References

  1. 1 2 id:Gereja Kristen Indonesia#Pengakuan Iman
  2. Ramstedt, Martin (2004). Hinduism in Modern Indonesia. Routledge. p. 119. ISBN   978-0-7007-1533-6.
  3. "Gereja Kristen Indonesia | Profil Gereja di Indonesia". sinodegki.org. Retrieved 2023-03-07.