LAI 2024 Partner Meeting

Thursday, 1 February 2024, the Indonesian Bible Institute (LAI) held its LAI 2024 partner meeting. This meeting was a form of synergy between LAI and its partners who have supported the translation, publishing and dissemination of the Word of God in Indonesia. The meeting also served as a platform to strengthen communication and mindfulness between partners who come from different churches, tribes, and regions.

The series of events began with a worship service led by Rev. Dr Victorius Adventius Hamel, from the Balinese Christian Protestant Church (GPKB) Dhyana Pura, Seminyak. In his sermon he shared testimonies about the growth and development of Christianity in Bali. In the midst of a strong Hindu culture, Christianity is growing and developing in an interesting way.

Pdt. Victor recounts the unique history of Christianity in Bali, where the Dutch occupation of the island prohibited evangelism to preserve its cultural authenticity. Nevertheless,The Christian Missionary Alliancepaved the way by applying for an initial licence to evangelise the Chinese in Bali. Tsang To Hang, an evangelist, played an important role by evangelising the Chinese. The result was that instead of the Chinese, 12 Balinese accepted Christ and asked to be baptised. This story proves that God's plans are sometimes unexpected and full of miracles.

However, their journey was not easy. After being baptised, they were evicted from their traditional village by the Dutch government, and moved to Blimbingsari, which is now a Christian village. Although it was originally a wilderness and expected to die on its own, with God's provision, they built a village that became one of the best villages in Bali.

At this partner meeting, Pastor Victorius emphasised the importance of commitment in God's service. In his sermon, he said that commitment is not only about material contribution, but also about integrity and constancy to the principles of faith. He took an example from the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who showed high integrity by refusing to worship King Nebuchadnezzar. The ability to hold fast to the principles of faith and to have integrity and commitment goes beyond contribution.

In addition, in this meeting, LAI partners were given the opportunity to reorganise future plans to gain greater support in the 2024 support raising. Strong commitment is expected to be the main foundation to achieve the common goal of spreading the Word of God in Indonesia. (pp)