Worshiping in the mall? Why not?

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)