Toraja Church is a Protestant Christian denomination in Tana Toraja, Indonesia, of which the majority of the Torajan people are members. This church is a member of the Communion of Churches in Indonesia since 1950. On 1912-1913 the Gereformerde Missionary Bond-Holland of the Dutch Reformed Church begun working in this part of the country. On 7 November 1913, Reverend A.A. van de Loosdrecht became the first missionary who came to Rantepao. This time became the starting point when the Gospel was grown in the Torajanese's heart. But, Reverend van de Loosdrecht was killed in that place. In 1938 there were 14,000 Christians from 300,000 inhabitants there. Formally, Toraja Church was established on 25 March 1947 in Rantepao. In 1995 the church had 300,000 adherents. In 2012 the church had 400,000 members and 959 congregations. This church is the largest in South Sulawesi, with approximately 80% of the Christian population belong to it. It is a member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches.
References
- Adams, Kathleen M. (2006). Art as politics: re-crafting identities, tourism, and power in Tana Toraja, Indonesia. University of Hawaii Press. p. 60. ISBN 978-0-8248-3072-4.
- F.D.Wellem. Kamus Sejarah Gereja. Jakarta: BPK Gunung Mulia 2009.
- Anderson, Gerald H. (1999). Biographical dictionary of Christian missions. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 52. ISBN 978-0-8028-4680-8.
- id:Gereja Toraja#Statistik
- "Gereja Toraja". 23 July 2010.
- "Member churches | Bringing together 80 million Reformed Christians worldwide". Archived from the original on 2012-08-08. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
- Christianity in Indonesia
- Torajan people
- Protestantism in Indonesia
- 1947 establishments in the Dutch East Indies
- Calvinist denominations established in the 20th century
- Members of the World Communion of Reformed Churches
- Reformed denominations in Indonesia
- Religious organizations based in Indonesia
- Christian organizations established in 1947
- Tana Toraja Regency
- North Toraja Regency