Listen to the story of GEREJA HKBP. What does it mean to be part of something bigger?
GEREJA HKBP is more than just a building. It is a community. It is a history. It is a testament to faith.
GEREJA HKBP in Batam is part of Distrik XX Kepulauan Riau. This district is a large administrative region. It serves churches in Kepulauan Riau. It also includes Singapore and Malaysia.
In 2023, Distrik XX Kepulauan Riau had many members. There were 17017 families. That is 63425 people. Mahanaim was the largest with 9630 members. Tanjung Batu was smallest with only 607 members.
Distrik XX Kepulauan Riau includes many churches. There are 56 Gereja. There are 12 non-church worship places. These are called Parmingguon. Also, there are 5 service posts. All these are in 21 ressorts.
One of these ressorts is Ressort Batam. HKBP Batam is in Lubuk Baja Kota. Another church is HKBP Tiberias Nongsa. It is in Sambau, Nongsa. HKBP Jetun Kabil is in Kabil, Nongsa. HKBP Batu Ampar is in Tanjung Sengkuang.
HKBP is a large Protestant church. It has Lutheran traditions. Most members are Batak Toba people. It is the biggest Protestant church in Indonesia. It is also big in Southeast Asia. Only Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah are larger religious groups in Indonesia.
The Rheinische Missionsgesellschaft or RMG started it. This was on Monday, October 7, 1861. Today, HKBP has about 4133000 members across Indonesia.
HKBP also has churches abroad. These are in Singapore and Malaysia. Some are in the United States. They are in California, New York, and Colorado. Although named Batak, HKBP welcomes all people.
HKBP’s main office is in Pearaja. This is near Tarutung. It is in Tapanuli Utara, Sumatera Utara. The office is about one kilometer from Tarutung. The office complex covers about 20 hectares. The Ephorus or bishop also has an office there.
HKBP is part of many groups. It is in the Persekutuan Gereja-gereja di Indonesia PGI. It is also in the Dewan Gereja-gereja Asia CCA. It is with UEM Germany. Also, it is a member of the Dewan Gereja-Gereja Sedunia WCC. Being Lutheran, it is in the Federasi Lutheran Sedunia LWF. The LWF is based in Jenewa, Swiss.
TELISIKNEWS.COM reported that HKBP Resort Batam Center launched Tahun Transformasi. This was to welcome 2025. The launch was during Bonataon Syukuran Awal Tahun. This event took place at GEREJA HKBP Resort Batam Center. The church is on Jalan Raja Isa Legenda Belakang Nomor 1 Kavling 1. It is in Kelurahan Baloi Permai, Kecamatan Batam Kota.
Pendeta Marudut Simanjuntak said the church must transform. This makes its service better. The theme for 2025 is Gereja yang Ramah, Nyaman, dan Peduli. This means a church that is friendly, comfortable, and caring. The church will focus on 10 strategic programs to achieve this transformation.
GEREJA HKBP is a place of community. It is a place of faith. It is a place of transformation. May this house of worship continue to be a beacon. May it guide and inspire all who seek solace and meaning.