Sularso Sopater re-elected PGI chief<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Chairman of the Communion of Churches in
\nIndonesia (PGI) Rev. Sularso Sopater was re-elected for another
\nfive year term in a grand assembly that ended in Jayapura, Irian
\nJaya, Sunday night.<\/p>\n
The electoral board led by Rev. I.W. Mastra, also re-elected
\nPattiasina as Secretary General, Rev. Weinata Sairin as vice
\nsecretary general and Endang Wilandari Supardan as vice
\ntreasurer, while Ichsan K. Gunawan was chosen as the new
\ntreasurer.<\/p>\n
The new Advisory Board consists of Radius Prawiro as chairman,
\nRev. Eka Dharmaputera as vice chairman, Y. Patadungan as
\nsecretary and Barnabas Suebu and J.E. Sahetapy as members.<\/p>\n
The electoral board also elected new members of the working
\ncommittee, which currently consists of representatives from 65
\nout of PGI's 67 member churches.<\/p>\n
According to the Suara Pembaruan daily, two churches were
\nconsidered ineligible because one church was absent and the other
\nwas still ridden with internal problems.<\/p>\n
The assembly, which opened on Oct. 21 also approved the
\nmembership of the Indonesian Protestant Church (GPI) within PGI,
\nmaking it the second officially-recognized church in Irian Jaya
\naside from the already existing Evangelistic Christian Church
\n(GKI).<\/p>\n
Not responsive<\/p>\n
Addressing the assembly, Arif Gosita -- a member of PGI's
\nworking group on legal affairs -- said that many churches in
\nIndonesia were still not responsive to the sufferings of victims
\nof physical and criminal abuses.<\/p>\n
He pointed out that currently churches were putting more
\nemphasis on serving criminals and convicts in prisons but they
\noften forgot the victims of the crimes, Antara reported.<\/p>\n
Victims of rape, for example, should be given more attention
\nbecause their experience often became traumatic.<\/p>\n
"There is little, if any, attention from churches to these
\nvictims, because churches tend to see the problem from one side,
\nwhich from the point of trying to rehabilitate the morals of the
\ncriminals through religious actions," he said.<\/p>\n
Victims, he added, had all the right to receive services such
\nas these from the church.<\/p>\n
Gosita said that churches needed to open an agency in charge
\nof assisting victims of criminal and physical abuse. The idea for
\nsuch an agency -- and even a 24-hour hot-line service -- has
\nalready been previously proposed during the assembly.<\/p>\n
"Its about time PGI and its member churches opened such
\nservices," he said. (pwn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sularso-sopater-re-elected-pgi-chief-1447893297",
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