Praying For Indonesia, Author at Praying for Indonesia

Who are the Dondo?

The Dondo live in the Toli-Toli regency of Central Sulawesi. They tend to live in groups which are scattered over this entire area. Generally, they prefer to live by the riverbank in the jungle. These groups usually take the name of the rivers where they live. The Dondo people speak… Read more

Who are the Sambas Malay?

The Sambas Malay people live along the northern coastline of West Kalimantan Province. In their area, the Sambas people live alongside the Dayak and West Kalimantan Chinese people. The Sambas people are the descendents of the Sambas Kingdom. Their language is quite different from that of the neighboring Pontianak Malay… Read more

Who are the Baduy?

The Baduy or Kanekes are a traditional Sunda community. “Baduy” may have been a name given to them by Dutch researchers. It is also possible that the name Baduy comes from the Baduy River and Baduy Mountain in the northern part of their territory. The group prefers to call themselves… Read more

Who are the Besemah?

The Besemah are sometimes called the Pasemah. Pasemah was the name given by a foreigner to this people group due to a difference in pronunciation. Their name is actually Besemah. The center of the Besemah territory is the volcanic peak, Mount Dempo. Besemah communities spread from the volcano’s slopes to… Read more

Indonesian Immigrant Gets to Go Home

Oldy Manopo, an Indonesian immigrant, fled to the US on Christmas Eve, 2000, because of persecution. He has been fighting deportation and sought sanctuary at the Reformed Church of Highland Park since April 16. Last week, Manopo was able to go home to his wife and children. They are very… Read more

Who are the Geser-Gorom?

The Geser-Gorom people live on Gorom island and the East end of neighboring Seram island. Both islands are in Maluku Province. The name “Geser-Gorom” (literally, “slide over to Gorom”) reveals a deeper meaning. Each ethno-linguistic group on Seram Island has its own name. However all of the people living in… Read more

Who are the Sanggau-Sekadau?

Most Dayak people groups in the Sanggau and Sekadau districts are Christian. But the Sanggau-Sekadu are a Dayak people group who follow Islam. Some have changed religions for personal reasons while others have married a Muslim. Dayaks can become Muslims either as individuals, in a family, or together with all… Read more

Who are the Jawa Serang?

The Jawa Serang live on the island of Java in the Province of Banten. Serang is Banten’s capital, which is why they are called the Jawa Serang or Jaseng. The term “Jaseng” is widely known among the people in the neighboring province of Lampung. The Jawa Serang are also called… Read more

Who are the Lampung Abung?

The Lampung Abung are a large group with a social structure that is strong and somewhat separate from the other Lampung peoples. The Lampung Abung are made up of three groups: Abung, Seputih and Menggala. The Lampung Abung live in the regencies of North Lampung, East Lampung, Central Lampung and… Read more

Who are the Bajau?

The Bajau are a highly mobile maritime people group found throughout the coastal areas of most Indonesian islands. They can also be found in the neighboring countries of Malaysia and the Philippines. Their high mobility led outsiders to refer to them as “sea gypsies.” In Eastern Indonesia, the largest number… Read more

Embattled Indonesian Church Must Relocate Despite Supreme Court Support

Taman Yasmin Indonesian Christian Church in Bogor is being forced to relocate. The church received the required permission to build a church in 2006, but has undergone constant persecution ever since. The Indonesian Constitutional Court told the church in 2011 that they could use their building, but the mayor of… Read more

The Way I Became a Real Christian

The Way I Became a Real Christian Rini in Jember, East Java I was raised in a devout Christian home that taught our church’s doctrines. The majority of my neighborhood was not Christian. They smoked and drank. I hung out with them often, but I didn’t follow their actions.… Read more

Who are the Tidore?

The Tidore people live on the island of Tidore in the North Maluku province. Tidore is one of the islands in the Maluku archipelago. The Maluku Islands have long been known as the “Spice Islands,” consisting of more than a thousand islands scattered throughout eastern Indonesia, including most of the… Read more

Who are the Makassar?

The Makassar (also known as the Tena, or Goa) inhabit the southern part of the southwestern peninsula of Sulawesi. The heart of their area is Makassar, the capital city of the province of South Sulawesi. The Makassar also live in the highlands, the coastal areas and the Selayar and Spermo… Read more

Who are the West Coast Javanese?

The West Coast Java people group is also called the Jawa Cirebonan or the Cerbon people. Their center is in the regencies of Cirebon and Indramayu in the West Java province. They live in small cities like Patrol, Anjatan, and Haurgeulis. Some Cirebonan villages are also located in the province… Read more

Who are the Bengkulu?

The Bengkulu people live in the city of Bengkulu, the capital of the province of Bengkulu in the southwestern part of Sumatra. More Bengkulu live in the city than in the villages. The Bengkulu come from the union of multiple ethnic groups who have migrated to the area, including the… Read more

Who are the Sumbawa?

The Sumbawa live on Sumbawa island in West Nusa Tenggara province. The name “Sumbawa” originally referred only to the western part of the island and the Sumbawa sultanate. The eastern part was called Bima. Today the whole island is called Sumbawa. The Sumbawa are spread throughout 2 regencies in the… Read more

Muslim-Christian Duo to Run Jakarta

On October 7, Jakarta will have a new governor. The moderate Muslim known as “Jokowi” and his Chinese Christian running mate, “Ahok,” defeated “Foke.” While Christians are excited about this, many Muslim extremists are not and consider this win a “political disaster.” During the election campaign, Ahok was repeatedly attacked… Read more

Testimony from West Kalimantan

I was born and raised in a Muslim family. When I was eight years old, I began studying and reading the Quran. This experience made me a religious fanatic. I became very active in the mosque, and greatly urged my friends to keep their religion. I told them at every… Read more

Christian Schools in Indonesia Threatened with Closure for Not Teaching Islam

The local government in a small Central Javan town is threatening to close St. Pius Catholic School. The reason? They refuse to teach Islam. While the government requires that all schools teach religion, they do not say what religion. Therefore, most Christian schools teach Christianity, not Islam. Muslim parents are… Read more