https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12852/67 2026-07-20T13:08:07Z https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12852/3846 DGI'S road to unity Ngelow, Zakaria Jusuf The (Protestant) churches of Indonesia began to stand as independent churches half century ago. This very young Christianity not only struggled to consolidate itself after experiencing various challenges during World War II, but also became directly involved in the movement for the unity of the churches. At the end of the beginning of this movement the churches of Indonesia decided to form "The United Christian Church in Indonesia", and it was agreed to set up the DGI, Council of Churches in Indonesia, as a "place for discussion and cooperation for the churches with a view to unity ..." The formation of this body for unity was supported by various factors, including the ecumenical movement throughout the world, the history of evangelism and church growth, in Indonesia, and the Indonesian national movement. The DGI undertook this noble task more than 30 years ago, but the ideal of unity cannot yet be achieved. Indeed the DGI as been struggling with it. Until 1964 the DGI tried to bring about uniformity, the content of unity which was decided on after the DGI was formed. After they became conscious that this concept was erroneous, they struggled with a new content and vision of unity, i.e. “unity in diversity", by compiling a draft constitutions of the Ecumenical Synod of Churches in Indonesia. It did not succeed. Then, since 1971 the PGI has, as it were begun again from below. Consultation were held, work teams formed, new vision developed, and the means of getting-down to work improved. As a follow-up to all this the most recent General Assembly of DGI in Tomohon, 1980, decided on a crash programme: "so that in four years' time the DGI and churches will truly be used to compile together and carry into effect, concrete programmes in stages, at the local, regional and national levels, in order to prepare for the formation of One United Christian Church at the 10th General Assembly of DGI." Study of the efforts of DGI (and the Indonesian churches) to form one United Church in Indonesia shows that the Indonesian churches must still be patient for a long time and do a great deal, as well as committing themselves more firmly to the Lord, the Head of the Church, before the ideals of unity are realized. M. de Niet, one of the pioneers of the movement for church unity in Indonesia, pointed out at a missionary conference in 1946: "One truly Indonesian Christian Church cannot be formed by a group of people or on human authority overnight or with acclamation or a majority vote. That Church must grow by the grace of God, and will do so, although its results will possibly be different from what the Christians who thinking more or less ecumenically and the leaders of churches and missionary have truly struggled to achieve. Abstract only 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12852/3845 Tools for Old Testament studies for use in Hong Kong and neighbouring areas Leung, John C. INTRODUCTION I. This project aims to compile a bibliography on Old Testament Studies for use in Hong Kong and neighbouring areas. II. Background - Hong Kong, a Centre of Theological Education According to a statistical survey published by the Hong Kong Christian Coordination Centre of World Evangelism in August, 1986 (1), there are 19 bible colleges and theological in Hong Kong sponsored by over 10 religious denominations or groups of denominations. These institutes had a total enrolment of about 760 full-time and 400 parti-time students in 1986; there were also a large number of laymen attending the extension courses run by some of these institutions. These local seminaries offer various courses leading to Diplomas, B.Th., B.R.E., M.R.E., M.Th., or even Th. D. degrees. Hong Kong which stands on the main trade route of South East Asia, has now become one of the important centres for theological education in the area. Introduction 1988-06-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12852/3825 The role of leadership training in the development of the Chinese Brethren Assembly in Malaysia Onn, Lee Mee The Christian Brethren Assembly is the second Protestant group to come to Malaysia, the first being the Anglicans in 1819. Its missionary work started in Penang as early as 1860. As the Brethren Assemblies marked their 134th year of ministry in Malaysia, statistics of established assemblies and outreach centers show 45 Chinese-speaking, 43 English, 5 Tamil and 9 Senoi assemblies. Records indicate that the Brethren Assemblies operated 6 schools and 4 kindergartens but since Independence, the government has gradually taken control of the schools. Statistics regarding the number of Brethren believers are hard to come by but according to the World Christian Encyclopedia, there were about 2,500 Brethren members in Malaysia in 1982. However, when Mr Thiran presented his booklet The Christian Brethren of Malaysia: Our Heritage at the English Brethren Leaders' Conference in 1990, he put the figure of all those attending the Christian Brethren Assemblies in Malaysia (both Chinese and English speaking) at approximately 12,000 representing 1.2% of the Christian population in Malaysia. Mr Thiran expressed the difficulties faced in obtaining accurate data due mainly to the Brethren Assemblies' lack of emphasis on numbers and membership per se. My research has led me to conclude that a more conservative, accurate figure would be about 3,600 members attending Sunday worship services in the English-speaking assemblies, 2,900 in the Chinese-speaking assemblies, 250 Tamil-speaking and 750 Senoi-speaking. Introduction 1994-04-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12852/3823 A theological understanding of women in the context of Minahasan culture Kaunang, Karolina Augustien K. One of the major movements in recent theological debate around the world has been that of feminist theology. This has opened up the whole question of a theological understanding of women. Although largely beginning in the United States of America, this question lies at the centre of much theological discussion all over the world. The aim of this thesis is to test its validity in a particular Indonesian culture. The particular culture is that of the Minahasa, on the North-East tip of the island of Sulawesi (Celebes) in Eastern Indonesia, This culture is significant because, although it has long been Christianised at least in a superficial way, it still presents the dynamics of its pre-Christian culture in many aspects of its life. The methodologies used include historical and field research in relation to Minahasan Society, and library research in relation to the current debate around a theological understanding of women (Introduction). After the Introductory Chapter I, in Chapter II the context of Minahasan culture for investigating a theological understanding of women is dealt with. After a general introduction to both Minahasan culture and Minahasan Christianity, there is a detailed discussion of the main sources for an understanding of women in Minahasan Society. First, there is an analysis of the various versions of the central self-identification myth of Minahasan Society, the Toar Lumimuut myth. Second, there follows an analysis of Minahasan language use. Third, there is an analysis of various aspects of Minahasan customary law. Various conclusion are reached, showing in general that there is a need for harmony between men and women and in particular that the difference in value between the sexes in Minahasan Society, both pre-Christian and Christian, is very limited indeed. In Chapter III, an analysis is carried out of modern feminist Biblical reflection and modern feminist theology. First, the recent writings of major Western feminist theologians, such as Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza, Letty M. Russell and others is discussed against the historical background of the movement for women's theology. Second, there is a similar analysis of major Asian women's Biblical and theological writings. Third, there is a particular analysis of Indonesian women's theological and Biblical reflections. A variety of conclusions are drawn, showing in general the need for a radical renewal of Biblical and theological writings from a newly-liberated feminist viewpoint. In Chapter IV, there is a theological reflection on the material in Chapter II, in relation to the themes of Chapter III. It is demonstrated that the pre-Christian and Christian understanding of women in the Minahasa by coincidence is not far from that shown in the New Testament, both in the radical approach of Jesus and in the explanations of Paul. Sexuality is not a primary differentiation point in both Minahasan Society and major New Testament themes, the latter set against the background of liberation from Old Testament scriptures. In the concluding Chapter V it is demonstrated, as a result of the theological reflection in Chapter IV, that major elements in the feminist theological debate, particularly in the West, may in fact raise, in an unhelpful way, issues which have been settled along strongly New Testament lines in Minahasan Society. Thus the Western debate, if transferred to Minahasan Society, would in fact be a theological retreat rather than a theological advance. The present "advanced" Minahasan position is demonstrated in a variety of practical examples. This position needs to be further developed, rather than undermined by a debate essential in many Western countries, but irrelevant and unhelpful in Minahasan Society. Thus, once again the whole issue of the problem of translating theology from one cultural background to another and of the importance of the contextual theology is raised. Abstract only 1989-03-01T00:00:00Z