History
There were two missionary fellowships active in East Java, the Nederlandsch Zendeling Genootschap (NZG) and the Java Committee. A decree from the NZG head office was signed by the Consul General T. Boetzelaer van Dubbeldam on 15 October 1931. This decree offered the formation of a united church for East Java as a missionary strategy.
The General Assembly was an equivalent of a synod offered by the Dutch missionary fellowship, which for over 100 years, oversaw the Javanese Christian congregation. This formation was the suggestion of Dr Hendrick Kraemer, delegate of Nederlands Hervormde Kerk (NHK), which worked for the NZG. His idea was to form a Christian congregation based on the Dutch East Indies territory as both a cultural and political movement. The Majelis Agung (MA) was then registered at the East Indies Assembly as a legal entity, which gave it authority to manage assets and act as an organization acknowledged by the government.
GKJW was established on 11 December 1931 in one of the oldest Javanese Christian congregations at the time, Mojowarno. A General Assembly (Majelis Agung) united the 29 ecclesiastical courts (Majelis Jemaat, in Indonesian or Raad Pasamuwan Alit, in Javanese dialect) in East Java. The church was under was socio-political pressure from growing Indonesian nationalism, alongside anti-Christian pressure in the country.
Its initial session convened 12 December 1931 at the Mojowarno congregation's church. The Javanese Christian delegates were senior activists of Javanese Christian congregation movements. They promoted GKJW independence through organizations such as Rencono Budiyo (founded in 1898), Mardi Pracoyo (1912), Perserikatan Kaum Kristen (1918), and Panitia Pitoyo (1924).
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 (the year of that session, 1931). Since then GKJW has made use of this gavel at 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".
The session was led by Dr. C.W. Nortier as the first MA Head. Raden Poeger was voted secretary, and Poertjojo Gadroen was voted treasurer.
Read more about this topic: East Java Christian Church
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