Protestant Church in Indonesia
Indonesian protestant denomination
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Protestant Church in Indonesia (Indonesian: Gereja Protestan di Indonesia, GPI) is a Reformed church; it is a member of World Communion of Reformed Churches.[2]
| Protestant Church in Indonesia | |
|---|---|
| Gereja Protestan di Indonesia | |
| Classification | Protestant |
| Orientation | Continental Reformed |
| Scripture | Protestant Bible |
| Theology | Reformed |
| Polity | Presbyterian |
| Associations | World Communion of Reformed Churches[1] |
| Region | Indonesia |
| Origin | 1605 Ambon, Maluku |
| Congregations | 4,373 (2012-2025) |
| Members | 3,766,078 (2012-2025) |
Origin
The Protestant Church in Indonesia was formed in Ambon, Maluku, in 1605 under the name of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands Indies, in Dutch De Protestantsche Kerk in Nederlandsch-Indië. It is the first Protestant and Reformed church to be founded in Asia. In 1619, the headquarters was moved to Batavia. The denomination inherited the missions left by the Portuguese. The church supported missions all over Indonesia. Its territories cover several areas like the Maluku Islands, Minahasa, Java, Sumatra, East Nusa Tenggara.
In the 1930s, the church spread rapidly. The church composed of 12 autonomous churches.
In the 20th century, it adopted a more Presbyterian church order. It has 4,800 congregations and 3.1 million members.[3]
Member churches
As 2024, the Protestant Church in Indonesia has 12 denominations members.[4]
| Denomination | Congregations | Members | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evangelical Christian Church in Timor | 634 | 1,145,226 | 2023[5] |
| Christian Evangelical Church in Minahasa | 1,060 | 830,107 | 2023[6][7] |
| Protestant Church in Western Indonesia | 351 | 750,000 | 2021[8][9] |
| Protestant Church in the Moluccas | 761 | 575,405 | 2019[10] |
| Protestant Church in Indonesia in Papua | 630 | 250,000 | 2023[11] |
| Talaud Christian Evangelical Church | 123 | 79,809 | 2023[12][11] |
| Indonesian Protestant Church Banggai Kepulawan | 157 | 45,980 | 2023[13] |
| Indonesian Protestant Church in Donggala | 169 | 40,125 | 2012[14] |
| Indonesian Protestant Church in Buol Toli-Toli | 251 | 23,374 | 2023[15][16] |
| Christian Church in Luwuk Banggai | 76 | 15,009 | 2023[17]
|
| Indonesian Protestant Church in Gorontalo | 168 | 10,302 | 2023[18] |
| Indonesian Ecumenical Christian Church | - | 188 | 2006[11] |
| Total | 4,373 | 3,766,078 | 2012-2025 |
