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Church Planting in Indonesia (Apostles & Pendetas)

Scattered Saints Planting Churches

In Acts, we read that saints scattered due to persecution. Believers were scattered throughout Judaea and Samaria (Acts 8:1, 4.) Later, we read about churches in these regions, These believers preached the word as they were scattered. Since believers did not need to hire a special professional from the outside to have a church meeting, and because believers could meet and edify one another, they could start churches as they scattered. The church at Antioch started from scattered brethren (Acts 11:19-27.) It is believed that no apostle started the church at Rome, but that scattered brethren started the church there.

A family that moves to an area that has no church can start one by meeting together in Jesus name, and evangelizing others. We can even, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, send families to unreached areas to meet together. Churches can be planted without pendetas. The families sent, if possible, should be spiritually mature and able to care for new believers. The meetings can be held according to the principles for meetings laid down in I Corinthians 14, rather than formal traditional meetings in which only one person teaches.

Evangelist Church Planting

Philip the evangelist went down to Samaria and preached the Gospel. He baptized those who received his message, but he left the follow-up to the leadership of the nearby Jersualem church (the apostles) and continued on preaching.

Follow-up for New Church Plants

On the First Missionary Journey, Paul and Barnabas preached the Gospel and left new believers to the god to take care of. Only later did they come back through, visit the believers, and appoint elders (Acts 14:23.)

There were not many Christians in those regions other than those who had come to Christ through the ministry of Paul and Barnabas' apostolic team. Later, we see that Paul sent fellow workers like Timothy and Titus back to churches that had been planted. (I Corinthians 16:4. II Corinthians 7:11-13; 8:16-24. Philipians 2:19-20. I Thesalonians 3:2. II Timothy 4:12.) When man new believers became a part of the church at Antioch, the apostles sent Barnabas to Antioch. Barnabas found Paul and together they taught the disciples. Prophets also came from Jerusalem and strengthened this young church.

We see Apollos also traveled and strengthened new brethren in the Lord. (Acts 18:27-28. I Corinthians 3:6; 16:12.) When Apollos came to Ephesus, he was learned in the scriptures, and he knew about the way of the Lord, but only until the baptism of John. We read the following about Apollos:

Acts 18:24-27

24 And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.

25 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.

26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.

27 And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace:

Even though Apollos had only recently learned the fullness of the Gospel, the brethren recognized his ministry. Paul also quickly began to preach Christ after his conversion. (Acts 9:20.) Both of these men had studied the scriptures. When they were transformed by the power of God, God used the scriptural knowledge they had in His service very quickly.

It is likely that the churches Paul planted had the benefit of having members who already had a strong background in the Old Testament. When Paul entered into a new city, he would preach in the synagogue. Some of the converts to Christ would have been Jewish men who had read and commented on the Scriptures in the synagogue, or God-fearers and Jewish women who had heard the Scriptures read and heard teaching about them. When Paul came and preached the Gospel to these people, they already had knowledge about God.

Unreached people in Indonesia usually have not heard so much accurate teaching about the old Testament before becoming Christians. They need to read the Bible, hear the Bible read, hearing teaching and explanation about the Bible, and learn to eventually teach themselves.

There are many believers in Indonesia who have Bible college degrees. Bible college graduates can travel to new church plants and teach new believers. As churches in the villages grow, and believers participate in the type of meeting described in I Corinthians 14, teachers from established churches can go teach at new church plants.

The Potential for Church Planting

What percentage of the Christians in Indonesia are pendeta? With such a small percentage of Christians planting churches, it will take a long time to evangelize this nation. What is so ironic is that we do not need pendeta to start churches. What we need are gifted men and women. Not every man called and gifted to preach is a pendeta. Paul was never ordained as a pendeta. He was an apostle who traveled from church to church. Paul never ordained pendetas in churches. He ordained a group of elders who were regular men from among the flock.

Philip won Samaritans to Christ, resulting in new churches. He was not a pendeta. He was chosen as a deacon to deal with food distribution, and was called an evangelist after his gift was evidence. But he was not a pendeta.

The body is full of gifted members. Many members do not grow in their gifts because they do not exercise them. In meetings, instead of teaching, many men with the potential to become teachers just sit and listen. So often, our churches do not produce teachers and leaders as the New Testament did. (II Timothy 2:2.) We send young men to Bible college and make them our leaders. Education is a wonderful thing, and we should encourage the young in their ministries. But not every person called to preach or teach will have a Bible college degree or denominational ordination. We must allow the members to function in their gifts if we are to maximize our potential for church growth.

Regular believers can plant churches. Church planters can travel after planting new churches and teaching the new believers. They can allow the church to grow, and in due time (which may not be very quickly) appoint elders to watch over the flock. I do not believe the apostles rushed to appoint elders. A church can exist without elders. It is better to have no appointed elders than to have appointed elders that are not ready for their job.

Church planters should be careful not to fall into the trap of thinking they must stay at their first church plant, do all the talking, and never plant another church. A church planter must be led by the Holy Spirit to know when to move on.