Worshiping in the mall? Why not?

Sunday services are mostly solemn and held inside a church. But alternative venues are becoming popular among worshipers, and their services are thought to be unique. Some services are held in shopping malls and other people-friendly places. The Jakarta Post observes the phenomenon. Related story on Page 2.

JAKARTA (JP): Shopping malls can be more than a place to shop. For many people, malls are favorite spots to meet people, to relax and to seek entertainment. Air-conditioned malls provide comfort, especially during a hot day, and there are many food outlets. Some also have sports facilities or movie theaters. And for some Christians, shopping malls are a place to pray.

On Sundays, thousands of Christians throng certain malls in the city where services are held. At malls, services do not necessarily take place in a special conference or meeting hall -- it can be in a restaurant, a theater, or a store.

Religious services are also performed in other public places like sports centers, cafes, office buildings and at star-rated hotels.

The Tiberias Ministry of Indonesian Bethel Church, for example, has 27 venues in Jakarta, Bekasi and Tangerang, and one in Bandung. Only one of the 28 venues is a church.

Other Protestant churches, like Bethany and the Evangelical Reformed Church, also make the best use of office buildings and hotels to spread the message of God.

"The place is comfortable, the service is not boring and the songs are dynamic," said Linda, a young executive who has been going to Bethany's services at the Jakarta Hilton Convention Center for two years. "At my previous church, it was so boring, sometimes I almost fell asleep."

Unlike mainstream traditional Protestant churches, alternative churches hold services which are more alive and entertaining. In a mainstream church, hymns are usually accompanied by the organ in a slow or moderate tune, while the new denominations have their congregations singing in full spirit. They also clap their hands and sway to the dynamic music of a band with its various musical instruments.

The existence of alternative churches, however, is not a real threat to traditional churches as there are still many Christians who prefer a serious and solemn atmosphere.

Protestant churches in Indonesia have their roots in the Lutheran Church, which was established by Martin Luther in the 16th century in protest of the issuance of certificates of sin abatement by the Roman Catholic Church. The Lutheran Church later gave birth to the Reformed Church, in which three denominational groups have their roots: the Presbyterian, the Anglican and Anabaptist. Soon, other churches were established. For example, the Methodist Church and the Baptist Church were set up by members of the Anglican Church.

The Catholic Church is more united because all of them are under the Pope, who has final say on any decision.

Protestants are more liberal. Everybody is encouraged to read the Bible and they are free to interpret the verses. (It was not until the 1960s that Catholic congregations were allowed to read the Bible.) There are different interpretations of the Bible, which results in the establishment of new churches.

In Indonesia, the first wave of Christianity -- Protestant and Catholic -- arrived with the colonialist government. Protestant evangelists succeeded in the establishment of the Indonesian Christian Churches (GKI), and Christian churches based on the ethnicity, like the Javanese Christian Church (GKJ), Batak Protestant Church (HKBP) and Protestant Church in West Indonesia (GPIB).

The second wave of Christian evangelism hit after independence when American missionaries, mostly from the Pentecostal Church, arrived in the country. It was these missionaries who introduced alternative churches and the charismatic movement.

"The charismatic movement rapidly developed in big cities in Indonesia in the 1980s with young people as the main target -- a condition that upset traditional churches," said Yusak Soleiman, a lecturer at Jakarta's School of Theology.

The charismatic movement emphasizes the importance of charisma or talents, like the ability to speak in tongues, the language of the holy spirit.

By the 1990s, the movement stepped back a bit, and it now preaches the "theology of success", according to Yusak. This philosophy underlines that Christians are blessed people whose needs are fulfilled by God. Therefore they should be happy and enjoy life.

"In America, there is now the development of other 'churches' with element of paganism. Some have entered Indonesia, like the Church of Satan," Yusak said. The sect is banned in Indonesia.

Data from the Ministry of Religious Affairs shows that in 1995 Muslims made up 87.21 percent of country's population, Protestants 6.04 percent, Catholics 3.58 percent, Hindus 1.83 percent and Buddhists 1.03 percent. Today's population is over 200 million.

With the establishment of many new churches in Indonesia, Christians have more choice. If they do not like one church, they can go to another. Their affiliation has little to do with loyalty or lack of but has more to do with "taste."

Alienated

"They could feel alienated because they are not rooted in tradition. On the other hand, a church cannot serve its congregation because people can easily move from one church to another," Yusak said.

In order to maintain their congregations, traditional churches should improve their services to the members, such as by visiting members of their congregations at home more often. "But you can't force people to come to your church," he said.

Organizing religious services in public places, which is done by alternative churches, has become an effective way to attract people.

A minister of the Tiberias Ministry said: "If you ask your friends to come to the church, they might be reluctant -- they can even be 'allergic' to the word church, but things can be different if it (service) is in a shopping mall, a movie theater, a hotel or a cafe." The minister, who asked not to have his name printed, is scheduled to give a sermon in a cafe in a shop-house in West Jakarta on Sunday.

But another reason behind the organization of services in public places is the fact that it is not easy to build a church. The government stipulates that the establishment of a church should be approved by local authorities and religious leaders.

Since Soeharto was in power, religious harmony among the people has been marred by the destruction of places of worship. Data at the Communication Forum of Indonesian Christians says that during the government of first president Sukarno (August 1945 to March 1967), two churches were damaged. But during the Soeharto administration (lasting 32 years until May 21, 1998) saw the closing or destruction of 455 churches. During the Habibie administration (May 1998 to October 20, 1999), 153 churches were closed or damaged. Under President Abdurrahman Wahid's administration, 14 churches have been damaged so far. The latest case took place in Bekasi on Dec. 5 when one church and one home in which church services were conducted were attacked by an angry mob who objected to their presence. (sim)