New Project Highlight: Indonesia
Today, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic and the rising Islamic radicalism in the nation, the Church in Indonesia needs the touch of the Holy Spirit once again, to bring about a unified Body, purity of lives, and courageous witness.” - The Rev. Dr. Timothy Chong, Dean of Indonesia, Diocese of Singapore
West Timor, Indonesia
An Indonesian government official lays the groundwork for the construction of St. Andrew’s school.
Niki Niki is a city on the island of West Timor. The economy is mostly agricultural and West Timor is one of the poorest islands of Indonesia. There has been no government investment in industry or other economic infrastructure. Up to 30% of the population lives below the poverty line.
The Anglican Church of Indonesia, (Yayasan Pelita Anglikan Indonesia or YPAI) in Niki-Niki is led by Pastor Yonathan Saefatu, a local man who went to Jakarta, grew in his faith, received training, and then returned to serve the people of his home region. Since 2013, the church has provided the area with free medical treatment and English language classes. And while the majority of residents identify with Christianity, the influence of Islam is growing. All of the church’s social work on the island is a starting place for church planting, with residents developing an interest in Christianity after witnessing tangible acts of compassion done in the name of Jesus.
Last November, ARDF approved a $172,000 grant for a new school to serve preschoolers to high school students. A health clinic will be based at the school and a mobile clinic will reach residents living in more remote areas, consolidating earlier medical efforts. This school and clinic will help the church to increase the impact of Christianity in a culture that is seeing more and more influence from followers of Islam.
On December 4, 2021, with the government and the church participating together, the cornerstone was laid for the construction of the school. This school, named St. Andrew’s, is located not in the town of Niki Niki, but in an area that is more accessible to rural residents. The church has realized that there are children whose homes are very far from town, limiting their access to education.
In addition to an office and administrative block, the first phase includes a kindergarten program for 75 students and a clinic that will serve 12,000 Timorese people. The Diocese of Singapore has committed funding for future phases. With this grant, ARDF is honored to jump start this project.
"Our target is that this school building will be completed by the end of 2022," – Stevanus Mudjianto, National Chairman of the Anglican Church of Indonesia (YPAI).
The goal for building a school in Niki-Niki, West Timor, is that students from poor families can have access to good quality education in a Christian environment. These are children at risk because of the rise of child trafficking in that area.
And all of this is with the aim of expanding the Kingdom of God. Please join us in praying for the successful completion of this school.
“I am longing to see a revival in Indonesia. There was a major revival movement in Indonesia in 1965. The Timor revival is the most well known in Indonesia. [And it] is the place where we planted our school and church. On Sunday night of September 26, 1965, about 200 people of all ages gathered for prayer that night. Suddenly, the Holy Spirit came just as He did on the day of Pentecost. During the first three months after that event, about seventy groups of laymen were going out and preaching the gospel from village to village. As they went out, great new testament signs and wonders followed them: walking on water, turning water into wine, the blind receiving their sight, food multiplied and the dead being raised. The revival came to an end 3 years later.”
- The Rev. Dr. Timothy Chong, Dean of Indonesia, Diocese of Singapore
Read More Blogs By ARDF
Latest Blog Updates