Church row<\/p>\n
With great interest I read the article Conflict-ridden Batak
\nChurch suspends former bishop in The Jakarta Post of March 13,
\n1994. I am rather surprised, however, at the allegation of HKBP
\nGeneral Secretary S.M. Siahaan that \"the new executive board has
\nthe support of 98 percent of the church's followers.\"<\/p>\n
Maybe it is different in Asia, but in Europe only dictators
\nboast of percentages like 98 percent. That is why I am
\ndistrustful of Mr. Siahaan's allegation. But what is more
\nimportant: Everybody who does not just listen to Mr. Siahaan's
\nstatements, but visits HKBP congregations, talks to the church
\nmembers and notices what is going on with his own eyes, is aware
\nthat the reality is quite different from what Mr. Siahaan claims.
\nA great percentage of HKBP members decline to support the new
\nchurch leaders.<\/p>\n
Has Mr. Siahaan lost his sense of reality? Or does he fail to
\ntell the truth on purpose? Both things will not recommend him as
\na religious leader. But it seems worse to me that a tremendous
\nnumber of HKBP members assume Mr. Siahaan's tell lies. \"You
\ncannot believe him,\" they say.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, Mr. Siahaan accuses Dr. S.A.E. Nababan of
\nsecuring financial assistance from Germany. That sounds rather
\nabsurd as it is known that the new church leaders themselves
\nrequested financial support from abroad. Their problem is that
\nthey are denied any support.<\/p>\n
For all I know there is not a single Christian church all over
\nthe world that acknowledges the new HKBP leaders because of the
\nmanner in which they came into power and their violent actions
\nthat are not considered to be the Christian way of acting. The
\nnew church leaders have led their church into isolation hitherto
\nunknown within worldwide Christianity.<\/p>\n
\"There is only one leadership of the HKBP,\" Mr. Siahaan says.
\nI do hope he is right, but the fact is that a great part of his
\nown church members do not want him to be one of their leaders.
\n\"He does not lead HKBP, but destroys it,\" they say. I cannot
\nbelieve that this is what the Indonesian people want to happen.<\/p>\n
It is not the enemies, but the friends of Indonesia that
\nfollow the situation of HKBP with deep concern. Everyone who
\nloves the country, admires its stability, respects Pancasila as a
\nbasis of a human society and regards the Indonesian constitution
\nas a very good one, asks himself: Why are the church leaders
\nallowed to act the way they do? Christians all over the world
\nthat love the Batak people want HKBP to once again become a
\nrespected member of the Christian community.<\/p>\n
REV. RAINER OLLESCH<\/p>\n
Krefeld-Huls<\/p>\n
Germany<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/church-row-1447899208", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }