Gereja Kristen Protestan Simalungun
Encyclopedia
Gereja Kristen Protestan Simalungun (GKPS - Simalungun Protestant Christian Church) is a Lutheran and Reformed Protestant church formally founded to spread Christianity
among the Simalungun people
, a tribe living in Simalungun, North Sumatra
, Indonesia
. It has a baptized membership of 211,383.
missionaries to spread Christianity to the Simalungun area after he received a telegram from the local Rheinische Missionsgesellschaft (RMG - Netherlands-based sending institution) leader. On September 2, 1903 they arrived at Pematang Raya to begin their mission among the Simalungunese. September 2 has been celebrated each year by GKPS all over the world as an olob-olob (Simalungunese for joyous) day to thank God that the Bible
has entered Simalungun.
The sending mission was effectively started in 1904 with August Theis at Pematang Raya and Guillaume at Purba Saribu (western part of Simalungun). Not until 1909 did the first Simalungunese Christian baptism occurred at Pematang Raya. Later in the same year, there were 38 other Simalungunese baptized at Parapat
.
Up to 1910, 17 churches were founded inside Simalungun area, the embryo of the present GKPS. They are:
The first missions were held using the Toba language. Simalungunese resistance to the Westerners and their lack of comprehension of the Toba language decreased RMG effectiveness and therefore held back the growth of Christianity among the Simalungunese.
On September 1, 1928, the celebration of the 25th anniversary of Christianity at Simalungun was held at Pematang Raya. On this occasion, some Guru (teachers) and Sintua (deacons) agreed to found a committee which was planned to translate church-related text books into the Simalungun language. This produced Haleluya (singing book) and Manna (daily reading book).
On November 15 of the same year, a group called "Kongsi Laita" (laita means "let's go") was founded at Sondiraya by some members of Pematang Raya church to ask the Simalungunese to spread Christianity by themselves to others.
inside HKBP (Huria Kristen Batak Protestan). 12 years later on October 5, 1952, Simalungun District synod members held a meeting to prepare a separation between themselves and HKBP. The new church was called HKBPS (HKBP-Simalungun).
HKBPS reorganized themselves on November 30, 1952, by dividing themselves into three districts. An administrative office was also built in Sudirman Street, Pematang Siantar, as a headquarters.
(ELCA)
and the Lutheran Church of Australia
(LCA). On the international level, GKPS is registered in several international church organization such as:
GKPS' other overseas partners include:
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
among the Simalungun people
Simalungun people
The Simalungun people are an ethnic group in North Sumatra, considered one of the Batak peoples. Simalungun people live mostly in Simalungun Regency and the surrounding areas, including the city of Pematang Siantar, an autonomous city, but previously part of Simalungun Regency.The Simalungun live...
, a tribe living in Simalungun, North Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. It has a baptized membership of 211,383.
History
August Theis led a group of DutchNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
missionaries to spread Christianity to the Simalungun area after he received a telegram from the local Rheinische Missionsgesellschaft (RMG - Netherlands-based sending institution) leader. On September 2, 1903 they arrived at Pematang Raya to begin their mission among the Simalungunese. September 2 has been celebrated each year by GKPS all over the world as an olob-olob (Simalungunese for joyous) day to thank God that the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
has entered Simalungun.
The sending mission was effectively started in 1904 with August Theis at Pematang Raya and Guillaume at Purba Saribu (western part of Simalungun). Not until 1909 did the first Simalungunese Christian baptism occurred at Pematang Raya. Later in the same year, there were 38 other Simalungunese baptized at Parapat
Parapat
Parapat is a small town in North Sumatra province on the edge of Lake Toba, on the Uluan Peninsula where it forms the narrowest eastern link to Samosir Island. It is the primary transit point by ferry for visitors going to Samosir Island, and connected via Trans-Sumatran Highway to Pematang...
.
Up to 1910, 17 churches were founded inside Simalungun area, the embryo of the present GKPS. They are:
- Tigaras, August 15, 1903
- Tinjoan, August 15, 1903
- Pematang Raya, September 2, 1903
- Raya Usang, September 8, 1903
- Dolok Saribu, September 14, 1903
- Bulu Raya, June 16, 1904
- Purba Saribu, June 10, 1905
- Haranggaol, March 3, 1906
- Raya Tongah, June 7, 1906
- Purba Dolok, August 15, 1906
- Pamatang Purba, August 15, 1906
- Purba Tongah, 1906
- Hinalang, 8 September 1908
- Kariahan, 1908
- Saribudolok, 6 September 1909
- Tambun Raya, 2 November 1909
The first missions were held using the Toba language. Simalungunese resistance to the Westerners and their lack of comprehension of the Toba language decreased RMG effectiveness and therefore held back the growth of Christianity among the Simalungunese.
On September 1, 1928, the celebration of the 25th anniversary of Christianity at Simalungun was held at Pematang Raya. On this occasion, some Guru (teachers) and Sintua (deacons) agreed to found a committee which was planned to translate church-related text books into the Simalungun language. This produced Haleluya (singing book) and Manna (daily reading book).
On November 15 of the same year, a group called "Kongsi Laita" (laita means "let's go") was founded at Sondiraya by some members of Pematang Raya church to ask the Simalungunese to spread Christianity by themselves to others.
Simalungun District inside HKBP Simalungun
On September 26, 1940, all of the churches inside the Simalungun area were officially grouped together as a single districtDistrict
Districts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipalities, or subdivisions of municipalities.-Austria:...
inside HKBP (Huria Kristen Batak Protestan). 12 years later on October 5, 1952, Simalungun District synod members held a meeting to prepare a separation between themselves and HKBP. The new church was called HKBPS (HKBP-Simalungun).
HKBPS reorganized themselves on November 30, 1952, by dividing themselves into three districts. An administrative office was also built in Sudirman Street, Pematang Siantar, as a headquarters.
HKBP-Simalungun transformation into GKPS
HKBPS transformed its organization and name into Gereja Kristen Protestan Simalungun (GKPS) on September 1, 1963. In order to serve the Simalungunese better, GKPS founded its educational center at Pematang Raya and a dormitory for boys and girls. GKPS also founded a centre for agricultural training on January 15, 1964, at Pematang Siantar, which is called PELPEM GKPS.Church Co-operation
GKPS was accepted into Persekutuan Gereja-gereja Indonesia (PGI, or Indonesian churches association) in 1963. GKPS has also always co-operated strongly with Lutheran churches around the world such as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in AmericaEvangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them...
(ELCA)
and the Lutheran Church of Australia
Lutheran Church of Australia
The Lutheran Church of Australia is the major Lutheran denomination in Australia, it also has a presence in New Zealand. It has 320 parishes, 540 congregations, 70,000 baptized members in Australia, 1,130 baptized members in New Zealand, 52,463 communicant members and 450 active pastors. Its...
(LCA). On the international level, GKPS is registered in several international church organization such as:
- World Council of ChurchesWorld Council of ChurchesThe World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...
(WCC) - Christian Conference of AsiaChristian Conference of AsiaThe Christian Conference of Asia is a regional ecumenical organisation representing 17 National Councils and 100 denominations in 21 countries:- Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Laos, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan,...
- Lutheran World FederationLutheran World FederationThe Lutheran World Federation is a global communion of national and regional Lutheran churches headquartered in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. The federation was founded in the Swedish city of Lund in the aftermath of the Second World War in 1947 to coordinate the activities of the...
GKPS' other overseas partners include:
- MulheimMülheimMülheim an der Ruhr, also called "City on the River", is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. It is located in the Ruhr Area between Duisburg, Essen, Oberhausen and Ratingen...
Church (GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
) - UEM (United Evangelical Mission)
- EZE (Evangelische Zentralstelle für Entwicklunghilfe)
- Brot für die Welt
- Kirchenkreis HagenHagenHagen is the 39th-largest city in Germany, located in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located on the eastern edge of the Ruhr area, 15 km south of Dortmund, where the rivers Lenne, Volme and Ennepe meet the river Ruhr...
- Kirchenkreis SolingenSolingenSolingen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the northern edge of the region called Bergisches Land, south of the Ruhr area, and with a 2009 population of 161,366 is the second largest city in the Bergisches Land...
- Kirscht di Hacenburg
- Dekanat Bad MarienbergBad MarienbergBad Marienberg is a town in the Westerwaldkreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, and also the seat of the like-named Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality.- Geography :...