The East Java Christian Church

The East Java Christian Church ( [http://gkjw.uni.cc Greja Kristen Jawi Wetan] or [http://gkjw.uni.cc GKJW] :Greja = Church, Jawi = Java, Wetan = East, in Javanese dialect) is a congregation of churches based on Indonesian Javanese ethnicity.

History, Formation of GKJW

GKJW was declared on the 11th December 1936 in one of the oldest Javanese Christian congregations at the time, Mojowarno.

The GKJW declaration was the formation of a General Assembly (Majelis Agung or MA) which united the 29 ecclesiastical courts (Majelis Jemaat, in Indonesian or Raad Pasamuwan Alit, in Javanesedialect) in East Java.

The General Assembly is a synodal medium offered by the Dutch missionary fellowship, which for over 100 years, oversaw the Javanese Christian congregation. There were two missionaryfellowships active in East Java at the time, the Nederlandsche Zending-genootschap (NZG) and the Java Committee.

A decree from the NZG head office was signed by the Consulate General Th. Boetzelaer van Dubbeldam on 15th October 1931. This decree offered the formation of a united church for East Java as a missionary strategy for Java.

Socio-political pressure from growing Indonesian nationalism, alongside anti-Christianism pressure in the country, led to the MA formation.

Additionally, this formation was the suggestion Dr Hendrick Kraemer, delegate of Nederlands Hervormd Kerk (NHK), which works for the NZG. His idea was to form a Christian congregation based on the East Indies territory as both a cultural and political movement.

MA was then registered at the East Indies Assembly as a legal body (recht-persoon, in Dutch), which gave it authority to manage assets and act as an organization acknowledged by the government.

GKJW MA Initial Session

The MA initial session convened on the 12th December 1931, a day after declaration, at the Mojowarno congregation's church. Delegates of NZG that attended were C.W. Nortier (MA Head), C. van Engelen, S.A. van Hoogestraten and J. Wiegers. Delegates of the Javanese Christians were Noeroso, Sriadi, Rev.. Driyo Mestoko, Bible Teacher (Guru Injil or GI: Guru = Teacher, Injil = Bible, in Indonesian) Tartib Eprayim, Poertjojo Gadroen, Jaret Parang, Raden Poeger, RadenWiriodarmo and other colleagues.

The Javanese Christian delegates were senior activists of Javanese Christian congregation movements. Through organizations such as Rencono Budiyo (founded in 1898), Mardi Pracoyo (1912), Perserikatan Kaum Kristen (1918), and Panitia Pitoyo (1924), they were busy promoting GKJW independence.

Prior to the session, a teacher from Mojowarno named Soetikno presented a home-made wooden gavel. On it is written in Javanese "manjalmaning resi wadaning Kristus", which can be translated into numbers to convey year of that session, 1931. Since then GKJW has made its use in every MA session a tradition The initial session's theme was Philippians 4:4-9, with emphasis on verse 6 which reads, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" (NIV).

Session was led by Dr. C.W. Nortier as the first MA Head. The first MA Secretary was chosen through voting. The nominees and their vote tallies are as follows: Raden Poeger (10 votes), Moeljodihardjo (9 votes) and Kentjono (5 votes). Voting was also used to choose Treasurer, where a teacher, Poertjojo Gadroen, won by 12 votes.

GKJW During Japanese Occupation Era

During Japanese occupation of Indonesia (1942-1945), GKJW was under scrutiny because they were interpreted as Javanese people with Dutch affiliations.

Several Javanese Christians found it difficult to practice their beliefs, and after the torture of a number of Chinese and Christians at the Besuki Residence, support grew to find refuge within theJapanese government in Indonesia.

For this purpose, Raad Pasamuwan Kristen (RPK) was founded in 1943 in East Java. This led to a rift, because both RPK and MA of GKJW had followers.

Nevertheless, this did not last long because many Javanese Christian figures were arrested at the end of World War II. These were, among others: Rev. Driyo Mestoko, Rev. Tasdik, DR. B.M. Schuurman, and Yeruboham Mattheus. This, in effect, made both RPK and MA enter a vacuum until Japan surrendered on the 14th August 1945. Reconciliation was achieved through MA session at Mojowarno on 4th-6th August 1946.

This reconciliation was symbolized in a communion service on the 5th August 1946, which is now recognized as GKJW Awakening Day (Hari Pembangunan GKJW: Hari = Day, Pembangunan = Awakening, in Indonesian).

GKJW at Present

At present, GKJW has around 23,000 members, divided into 136 congregations across East Java. These congregations are coordinated under ecclesiastical courts (Majelis Daerah), under the GKJW MA.GKJW organizational structure is a co-ordination system.

GKJW Doctrine

GKJW believes in God and in the Holy Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

GKJW also believes the Bible as the word of God, consisting of the Old and New Testament, and that the Bible is a witness of His work.

GKJW accepts the Credo as a form of faith.

External links

* [http://gkjw.uni.cc GKJW unofficial website]
* [http://www.warc.ch/list/082.html Listing at World Alliance of Reformed Churches]