• 4^th most populous nation in the world
• Most populous Muslim nation in the world
  
• Archipelago spans 3000 miles east to west, same as continental USA
  
• Relatively peaceful despite periods of strife over communism, democracy & Christian-Muslim conflict

Churches

   Seventy-four Grace churches are now established in Indonesia from Nias Island in the west to Jayapura, Papua in the east. These churches are joined together through a registered, national organization: Gereja Alkitab Anugerah (Grace Bible Church). The larger and more established churches are located in the cities of Manado in Sulawesi (Celebes), Jakarta and Surabaya in Java, and Balikpapan in Kalimantan (Borneo). Since 1979 when GAA became officially recognized, 17 provinces of Indonesia have opened and plans are always underway to expand into new areas.\

Leadership

The Director of GAA churches in Indonesia is Pastor Marthen Kambey, GAA pastor and Bible teacher, elected in May, 2008. Dr. Frans Tamarol, the first director, now resides in USA. Pastor Ruddy Akay, GAA Director 2000-2008 was a manager of an international corporation for many years but resigned to serve full-time and now pastors a Jakarta congregation.

Anderson Seminary Manado (STTAM)

   The first Bible training schools are now joined together as STTAM and focused in Lembean, near Manado, A large donation of land is being developed with additional classroom and dormitories under construction. Pastor Audy Ngantung has been named Director of STTAM and he works with a full roster of teachers. The seminary presents a curriculum of three years with an added period for internship training for dedicated men and women who plan to further the evangelism and church planting outreach.

Prayer Needs

• Peace in Indonesia and courage to continue advancing the ministry
• Students, present and future, in training at Lembean seminary
• Follow up for new areas and provinces
• Wise leadership for Director Marthen Kambey and those working with him
  Bible teaching literature being translated into Bahasa Indonesia
• Open opportunity for a teacher from abroad to help in developing the seminary
• Southeast Asia Grace Conference planned for 2012 on the island of Bali

TCM History

   Missionaries Vernon & Darlene Anderson left the Philippines in 1973 to begin a new ministry for TCM in Indonesia. They were quickly contacted by Freddy Siwi, medical student at Sam Ratulangi University in Manado. Siwi led a group of college students who had recently been saved via the gospel ship, M.V. Logos, and they were hungry for sound, Bible-based teaching. These students constantly shared their faith with others who then joined the fellowship under the teaching of the Andersons. Because of the boldness of this band of committed youth, they were persecuted by both religious and civil leaders. In 1975 the group organized as YIA (Grace Gospel Foundation).
   In July 1979 the Andersons were forced to leave the country, but they left behind a core of competent leaders able to continue the work and guide the group to further expansion and development. As these college students finished their schooling, they found employment throughout Indonesia and their enthusiasm for evangelism and the truth of God's Word followed them. In this same year TCM sent Mario Indino, a Filipino pastor, back to Manado where he married Ella, one of the active YIA members, and they worked with Pastor Kambey and others to start a Bible institute to prepare pastors to fill the openings for leaders in the upcoming congregations. Indinos were forced to leave in 1983.
   Thus strong, maturing Indonesian believers were once again left to carry on the ministry. Thanks to able leadership by Dr. Frans Tamarol and others, as well as newly-trained grads of the Bible Institute, the work flourished, utilizing literature and regular Bible study materials published in the official language, Bahasa Indonesia. The Bible Institute and GAA office were transferred to Jakarta in 1987 to the rented house of Dr. Tamarol.
   In 1986 Luz Gaddi, Bible Woman from the Philippines, entered Indonesia as a tentmaker missionary, teaching English Literature in universities in Surabaya and Jakarta. During open time she taught Sunday School seminars and classes for the Bible School. Luz assisted as proofreader for the Translation Committee on projects of Dispensational Theology and Bible Truth, by Chas. Baker and other recently published doctrinal books in Bahasa Indonesia.
   Joel and Darcy Molina also joined the Jakarta teaching ministry in 1991, but they were forced to leave in 1993 because of visa problems.

Recent Updates  

In 2009 GAA celebrated their 30th Anniversary with visitors from Philippines, Malaysia and Executive Director Ben Anderson from USA. During that ceremony in Jakarta, Johan Pandelaki, Head of the Translation Committee, presented the completed Dispensational Theology.
   In May 2010 Ben & Joyce Anderson along with leaders from TCM Philippines attended RAKERNAS II in Balikpapan. Eighty pastors joined this planning workshop. Joyce was asked to cut the ribbon on a beautiful new church building in Tarakan, East Kalimantan, one of the first places reached by the original teams who went out for evangelism in Manado.

2012 SouthEast Asia Grace Conference

   TCM will hold the Southeast Asia Grace Conference in May 2012 on the island of Bali, well known for its Hindu-Bali culture and international tourism.

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©2010 Things to Come Mission, Inc.