Batak Christian Protestant Church

Batak Christian Protestant Church
Huria Kristen Batak Protestan
Abbreviation	HKBP
Classification	Protestant
Orientation	Lutheran
Theology	HKBP Confession[1]
Polity	Episcopal
Ephorus	Rev. Robinson Butarbutar
Associations	See below
Region	Indonesia, United States, Singapore and Malaysia
Language	Indonesian, Toba Batak
Headquarters	Hutatoruan V [id], Tarutung, North Sumatra, Indonesia
Origin	7 October 1861
Separated from	Rhenish Missionary Society (RMG)
Members	4,133,000
Official website	hkbp.or.id

The Huria Kristen Batak Protestan (HKBP, or Batak Christian Protestant Church in English") is an Evangelical Lutheran church among the Batak people, generally the Toba Batak in Indonesia. This church uses an Ecumenical worship style influenced by the Dutch Reformed Church due to the influence of Dutch colonialism in Indonesia, as well as the legacy obtained from the Rhenish Missionary Society when the church was founded.^[2] With a membership of 4,133,000,^[3] it is one of the largest Protestant churches in Indonesia and Southeast Asia. Its present leader is Ephorus (bishop) Robinson Butarbutar.^[4]

History

The first Protestant missionaries who tried to reach the Batak highlands of inner Northern Sumatra were English and American Baptist preachers in the 1820s and 1830s, but without any success. After Franz Wilhelm Junghuhn and Herman Neubronner van der Tuuk did intensive research on Batak language and culture in the 1840s, a new attempt was made in 1861 by several missionaries sent out by the German Rhenish Missionary Society (RMG). The first Bataks were baptized during this year. In 1864, Ludwig Ingwer Nommensen of the RMG reached the Batak region and founded a village called "Huta Dame" (village of peace) in the district of North Tapanuli Regency in Tarutung, North Sumatra.

The RMG was associated with the uniting churches also called a merged denomination that includes a Lutheran element. However, Nommensen and local leaders developed an approach that applied local custom to Christian belief.

In 1868, a local seminary for the education of teachers was opened in Sipirok, and in 1877 a seminary for the education of preachers was built in Pansurnapitu. 1881, Nommensen was officially nominated "ephorus" of the Batak congregations by the RMG. In 1885, the first Batak ministers were ordained in Pearaja Tarutung, where the HKBP headquarters is still located.

In 1889, the RMG sent out Hester Needham who started the work with girls and women and later established the first Batak deaconess. In the last quarter of the 19th century, further missionaries of the RMG were sent out to the other Batak tribes (Angkola, Dairi, Simalungun, Karo, and Pakpak).

In 1917, the "Hatopan Christen Batak" (HCB) which later became one of the nuclei for the independent Batak church, was founded in Tapanuli as a social movement.

In 1922, the first General Synod ("Sinode Godang") for all Batak congregations was held. In 1931 the HKBP became the first independent self-governing Christian body in what was then the Dutch East Indies.

In 1940, all Germans working for the RMG, including pastors and ministers, were detained by the Dutch government. The Rev. Sirait was chosen by the synod as the first indigenous ephorus of HKBP.

In 1952, while maintaining its indigenous character, the HKBP became a member of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF).^[5] In 1954, HKBP founded Nommensen University. In 1977, Sekolah Tinggi Theologia (STT or "Theological Seminary") HKBP split from Nommensen University.

Over the years, a number of church bodies have split from HKBP for various cultural and doctrinal reasons. However, HKBP remains the largest Indonesian LWF member by a factor of ten and also remains in communion with daughter church bodies through the LWF. Tarutung and the Batak lands region remain the stronghold for the HKBP in the predominantly Muslim nation of Indonesia, although worshippers are found throughout Indonesia and worldwide.^[6]

Well known HKBP congregants include Amir Sjarifuddin (the only Christian prime minister of Indonesia), Todung Sutan Gunung (TSG) Mulia (the second Indonesian education minister), and General Tahi Bonar (TB) Simatupang.

In January 2010 two churches were burnt down by extremist mobs in Sibuhuan.^[7]

Ecumenical relations

HKBP is a member of and active participant in the World Council of Churches, Christian Conference of Asia, Lutheran World Federation, Asia Lutheran Communion,^[8] and Communion of Churches in Indonesia.

Agenda

The book of liturgical procedure used by the HKBP is referred to as the "Agenda" or formerly as the "Agende". This term comes from the European Protestant use of agenda.^[9]

Leaders

Ephoruses

No.	Name	From	Until	Notes
1.	The Rev. Ludwig Ingwer Nommensen	1881	1918	First ephorus
2.	The Rev. Valentin Kessel	1918	1920	Temporary officeholder of Ephorus, due to the First World War preventing Johannes Warneck from arriving.
3.	The Rev. Johannes Warneck	1920	1932
4.	The Rev. P. Landgrebe	1932	1936
5.	The Rev. E. Verwiebe	1936	1940	Interned by the Dutch colonial government after the German invasion of the Netherlands.
6.	The Rev. K. Sirait	1940	1942	The first Batak that became Ephorus.
7.	The Rev. Justin Sihombing	1942	1962
8.	The Rev T. S. Sihombing	1962	1974	Elected in Special General Synod.
9.	The Rev. G. H. M. Siahaan	1974	1986
10.	The Rev. S. A. E. Nababan	1986	1998	HKBP Crisis happened from 1992 to 1998 that resulted in dualism of HKBP's leadership until 1998.
11.	The Rev. S. M. Siahaan (as Bishop or Ephorus)	1992	1993
12.	The Rev. P. W. T. Simanjuntak	1993	1998	Elected in Special General Synod.
13.	The Rev. J. R. Hutauruk	1998	1998	Elected as temporary officeholder of Bishop.
		1998	2004	Elected in Reconciliation General Synod.
14.	The Rev. Bonar Napitupulu	2004	2008
	The Rev. Bonar Napitupulu	2008	2012	Elected in the 59th HKBP General Synod in Sipolohon Seminarium.[10]
15.	The Rev. W. T. P. Simarmata	2012	2016	Elected in the 61st HKBP General Synod in Sipolohon Seminarium.[11]
16.	The Rev. Darwin Lumbantobing	2016	2020	Elected in the 62nd HKBP General Synod in Sipolohon Seminarium.[12]
17.	The Rev. Robinson Butarbutar	2020	2024	Elected in the 65th HKBP General Synod in Sipolohon Seminarium.[13]

^[14]

General secretaries

No.	Name	From	Until	Notes
1.	The Rev. Karimuda Sitompul	1950	1957	First Secretary General of HKBP
2.	The Rev. T. S. Sihombing	1957	1962
3.	The Rev. G. H. M. Siahaan	1962	1974
4.	The Rev. F. H. Sianipar	1974	1978
5.	The Rev. P. M. Sihombing	1978	1986
6.	The Rev. O. P. T. Simorangkir	1986	1992
7.	The Rev. S. M. Siahaan	1992	1998
8.	The Rev. W. T. P. Simarmata	1998	2008
9.	The Rev. Ramlan Hutahaean	2008	2012
10.	The Rev. Mory Sihombing	2012	2016
11.	The Rev. David F. Sibuea[15]	2016	2020
12.	The Rev. Victor Tinambunan[13]	2020	2024

^[14]

Head of Koinonia Department

No.	Name	From	Until	Notes
1.	The Rev. Bistok M. Siagian	2004	2008
2.	The Rev. Jamilin Sirait	2008	2012
3.	The Rev. Welman P. Tampubolon	2012	2016
4.	The Rev. Martongo Sitinjak	2016	2020
5.	The Rev. Deonal Sinaga	2020	2024

^[14]

Head of Marturia Department

No.	Name	From	Until	Notes
1.	The Rev. Manumpan H. Sihite	2004	2008
2.	The Rev. Binsar Nainggolan	2008	2012
3.	The Rev. Marolop P. Sinaga	2012	2016
4.	The Rev. Anna Ch. Vera Pangaribuan	2016	2020

^[14]

Head of Diakonia Department

No.	Name	From	Until	Notes
1.	The Rev. Nelson F. Siregar	2004	2012
2.	The Rev. Bihelman D. F. Sidabutar	2012	2016
3.	The Rev. Debora Purada Sinaga	2016	2020

^[14]

See also

• Protestantism in Indonesia

References

External links

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Protestant Church in Indonesia

Indonesian Protestant Church in Buol Toli-Toli Indonesian Protestant Church in Donggala Indonesian Protestant Church in Gorontalo Luwu Indonesian Protestant Church Christian Church in Luwuk Banggai Protestant Church of Maluku Christian Evangelical Church in Minahasa Christian Evangelical Church in Timor Protestant Church in Western Indonesia

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