https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12852/67 2026-05-05T08:43:43Z 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 https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12852/3818 Developing of an approach to sex education for the adolescent (Through the membership guidance program of the Bethel Church of Indonesia in Java) Mesach, Stephanus Jonathan To begin a program of sex education in a church without a department of Christian Education is an almost impossible task. However, given this situation, it is advisable not to begin directly with sex education itself. Instead we should choose an approach which stimulates the acceptance of the idea of sex education or family life education. To achieve the above purpose successfully, two steps should be taken: 1. There should be field research to determine the knowledge and interest of the adolescents concerning various aspects of the sexual experience. At the same time, research must determine the attitude of pastors towards sex education along with their own equipment to bring about valid sex education of teen agers 2. There should be developed a basic philosophy of sex education which is biblically and scientifically valid. Both steps were taken in this thesis. In the first place, a questionnaire was developed to gather data about the sexual knowledge of adolescents of the Bethel Church of Indonesia, and specifically on the island of Java. Another question was developed to determine the attitude of the Bethel Church's pastors towards sex education as well as the kind of information they would bring to their task. The field research revealed the following data: 1. With reference to adolescents: More than 75% of the adolescents do not have an adequate knowledge of sexual matters because they lack instruction and literature. The only sources of information available to them are popular magazines and novels which contain unchristian ethics and philosophy. The research also indicates that the adolescents feel a need for instruction and are open and willing to accept any instruction by the experts appointed by the church. 2. With reference to pastors: Most of the Bethel Church's pastors (about 80%) acknowledged a need to instruct their young people but they felt ill-equipped for this ministry because of a lack of suitable materials. Most of the literature on sexual themes is found in the large cities only. There are no Christian book-store in smaller places. The Bethel Church does not have any literature on sexual education to help its pastors. Guidelines for a philosophy of sex education centered around two foci, the physiological - psychological development of persons as sexual beings and the theological basis of sex as God- given. It was indicated that sex is a universal biological function Body physiology influences sexual behavior. The development and maturing of the sexual glands in puberty causes the changes in characters behavior and sexual feelings and experiences. The girl experiences her first menstruation during this period and the boy his first ejaculation. Both find changes in their sex organs. The basic theological thought about sex is that God created man from the beginning as male and female. There is no harm talking about sex in the real meaning because sex is a gift from God. Persons are created as sexual beings with the purpose of being a homo procreandi for procreation and homo communicandi for union. Sex is a means to fulfil God's purpose to continue the human race and as a means to express love between the man and the woman. The sexual relationship is a good gift from God but this as all good gifts has been marred by the effects of sin on human thought will and action. The forgiveness and the grace of God in Jesus Christ are a constant human need. On the basis of the facts above, the first step that should be taken is to provide pastors with the training needed to conduct valid sex and family education. Secondly, sex and family education for the adolescent must be integrated into the Christian education program of the Bethel Church. Abstract only 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12852/3817 The assemblage of Minahasan Protestant Congregations (Kerapatan Gereja Protestan Minahasa): A historical analysis of its founding and development Suak, Boyke Arther This is a writing on a church in Minahasa, called 'KGPM' (Kerapatan Gereja Protestan Minahasa = Assemblage of Minahasan Protestant Congregations). The church was organized on April 21, 1933. The writing is to analyze historically its founding and development. Besides, it is hoped that the need of this church of a more profound and directed study on its history, will be met. The background of the founding of this church was closely related to the attempts of Minahasan Christian groups to reorganize the Protestant Church in the Netherlands' Indies (here-after : PCNI) in Minahasa to become a self-governing church. These attempts, which had been initiated since the end of the 19th century, became more crucial in the beginning of the 20th century. Since the attempts caused the tension between the church ministers in Minahasa, namely between those of the Netherlands' Missionary Society and of the PCNI, administrative boards of both sides, then, tried together to find a way out to overcome the tension. In result, in the middle of 1920-s, the Administrative Board of the PCNI organized a 'Commission of Twelve' to reorganize the church in Minahasa. However, the commission failed to settle the difference of opinions on how the self-governing church Minahasa should be organized. In effect, in there were two groups of Minahasan Christians attempting separately to reorganize the church in Minahasa. The first group, the Commission of Twelve, proposed a self-governing church in Minahasa as a church within the organization of the PCNI. In fact, such a proposal, which still placed the church in Minahasa under the control and arrangement the Dutch, was supported and agreed by the administrative board of the PCNI. The second group proposed the self-governing church as an autonomic church — led by Minahasan Christians and becoming their responsibility, thus freed from the dominion of the Dutch. The proposal of this last group was supported by most of the leading Minahasan figures. The attempts of the last group to reorganize the self-governing church based on its proposal were aimed at getting the agreement of the administrative board of the PCNI and the government. But the group did not succeed. As a consequence, it took its own way to accomplish the self- governing church according to its view, namely to found KGPM as a church untied to the PCNI and to the colonial government. The founding of the church was a protest caused by the attitude and the unwillingness of the administrative board of PCNI to trust the indigenous people with the leadership of the Protestant Church in Minahasa. As an independent church, led and arranged by indigenous people, the first attempt pursued by the board of KGPM was to create a cooperative relationship between KGPM and the PCNI. But, since the existence of KGPM was considered illegal by the PCNI and the government, the attempt of KGPM was in vain. Conversely, PCNI sought to freeze the activities of KGPM, especially because KGPM was considered motivated by political goals. The failure of KGPM to create a cooperative relationship with the PCNI, forced the church (KGPM) to pay attention to the congregations of the PCNI in Minahasa which were willing to associate and to be part of KGPM. The first one was the congregation of the village of Wakan, inaugurated by the board as a congregation of KGPM on October 29, 1933. By the inauguration of this congregation, the board of KGPM made an official announcement about its new attitude, namely: since then KGPM would not any longer get in touch with the PCNI, in whatever case. From this time on, KGPM went on to develop and until now serves its own congregations, in and outside Minahasa (Jakarta, Bolaang Mongondow and Siau-Tagulandang). As for the form of church administration, KGPM, in the beginning, submitted to 'congregationalisme'. Even so, in operation, KGPM at the moment does not follow the rules of the system. Now, KGPM is rather applying a form of church administration which is more colored by a central leadership. Something which is typical to the structure of KGPM is that there are two boards of leadership, namely: a board of organisatory each board has its own role in determining the existence of KGPM. In the case of doctrine and worship, there never was any difference between KGPM and the PCNI. Also discussed in this writing are the role and activities of KGPM as a witnessing and ministering church in the period of both before and after the independence of Indonesia. In this section, the writer tries to put down a critical evaluation on several matters which have often arisen as problems and misunderstandings in KGPM, historically and theologically. Those matters are, among others, the history and the date of the founding of KGPM, and the form of structure and the system of administration of KGPM. Illuminated, too, are several problems faced, by KGPM on its attempts to do its work and to intensify its tasks and responsibilities in various fields of church ministry. Finally, a kind of reflection will be given on understanding of the task and responsibility of KGPM in the future, oriented to the main struggles faced by this church nowadays. Abstract only 1992-03-01T00:00:00Z