While I was in Indonesia I had the opportunity to meet with Pastor Tumpak Sianturi and Mr. Yogie Prihantoro. These men desire to establish a faithfully Lutheran Ministry in Jakarta. They are part of a small, but very active group of people who have been actively seeking out resources to grow in their Lutheran understanding of the Gospel.
We spent almost 10 hours meeting together and brainstorming about how the LCMS might support their efforts to get this ministry off the ground. The biggest need right now is for a pastoral leader to take ownership of the ministry. Mr. Yogie is a candidate for ordination, but he is unsatisfied with the churches available to him in Jakarta. He expressed his desire to work with the LCMS. So we came up with a plan to get things started. Beginning when my family can get back to Indonesia, I will be meeting with Mr. Yogie on a weekly bases to get to know him better as a theologian and offer him guidance and instruction.
The ultimate goal is to see a new worshiping community in Jakarta. Pastor Tumpak and Mr. Yogie feel that there are already enough people to make this happen, but they lack the resources to establish a regular meeting space. One challenge is that those who are interested in the ministry live all over Jakarta and it can take hours to travel from one place to the next in the giant city. Finding the right location will be challenging. Then, of course, there is the matter of funding for the building and the pastor.
I would also like to see the GKLI involved in this ministry as well. They are an established and faithful church who can provide the necessary oversight to this project. The new Bishop, Jon Albert Saragih, expressed interest and excitement at the prospect of being involved in this ministry. Pastor Tumpak, while not a member of the GKLI, is a graduate of their seminary.
Once Mr. Yogie and I start our weekly conversations, the next step will be start a weekly bible study that focuses on a distinctively Lutheran interpretation. Both Pastor Tumpak and Mr. Yogie teach at Philadelphia Seminary in Jakarta, so the campus is the most natural place to start with the Bible Studies. What a joy to meet with these faithful men and may God bless our work together to increase His Kingdom.