Reformed Evangelical Movement

In the middle of the 20th century, the Christian world had just experienced some relief from the struggles brought by the Second World War. Eastern Europe had fallen into the hand of communism. Western Europe was plagued by secularism. The delegating of missionaries started to turn from Europe to North America. Meanwhile, the churches in North America had to face the developing liberalism that was very threatening to the traditional Christian living.

In the meantime, the latest theologies, for example Demythologization tried to oppose Barthian Neo-Orthodoxy to denounce the faith of the Gospel. During those times, the churches in Asia were asleep in their phase of ignoring theology, even though the spiritual movement that had been gifted by God had produced many fruits, especially in South East Asia and China. The revival services conducted by John Sung and Andrew Gih have produced many fruits in the form of full-time workers who serve the Lord and evangelization teams that budded everywhere, so that the nationalism spirit in many Asian countries was revived. However, the Ecumenism movements who disregarded the orthodoxy and expanded tolerance towards all kinds of new schools of beliefs, in addition to the Charismatic movement who replaced the traditional Pentecostal movement to restructure the ideas of denominational churches, have produced multitudes of laypeople who do not understand theology but dared to evangelize and built churches without confession of faith, without a liturgy, and even without the appreciation for great music inherited from our history. 

In the 70s to 80s, when the Evangelicals noticed the danger of confusion happening in Christianity, a movement of college students in South East Asia was revived, including the Inter-University Christian Fellowship (Perkantas) movement and the Campus Crusade. However, the strongholds of theology, that is the educational institutions for servants of God, did not possess enough power to uphold the orthodox faith anymore. This was why there were movements to establish theological schools outside the conventional institutions. History proved that these schools were of low quality in how they defend the right theology and the responsible and correct understanding of the Scripture. For that reason, many servants of God who graduated from schools like these faced difficulties in accepting the challenge of the era, let alone challenging the era itself, especially when faced with the intellectuals.

On the other side, the revival of other religions outside Christianity is a challenge for the Christian faith as well. The increasing amount of scholars of other religions and their conscience to consolidate is also a fact we cannot ignore. Not only that, the increasing educatedness and influence of modern philosophy in Asian countries have increased the likelihood that Christianity, with unqualified leadership, will become a religion that is considered backwards and despised by the younger generations. Seeing a situation like this, who is prepared to accept this challenge and fulfill the needs of this era at the end of the 20th century?

The quantity attained from the movements happening among the common people is not enough to answer the challenge of this era. Because of the dissatisfaction towards the confusion in the Christian teachings nowadays and the inability of the liberals as well as Christian movements focusing on emotionality to represent the true Christianity, we considered the need for a Reformed Evangelical Movement.

This movement finds itself under the waves of transition from an agricultural society to an industrialized society, as well as to a informational society. For this reason, this movement cannot be easily followed by those who are not accustomed to the incredibleness of these waves of transition, especially knowing that this against-the-grain movement is rooted from the same spirit pioneered in the 16th century. This movement strives to bring Christianity into the 21st century. That is why, it is not a wonder that this movement is deemed too backwards or too against the grain.

The reformation that took place in the 16th century was a unique and unmatched movement, because the reformation is motivated by the return to the Scripture and the confession that everything is solely because of grace, and only through faith, not through the works of human hands, the elects are called to be witnesses of God in this world. The church is called not only to evangelize and teach the truth, the church is also called to carry out the cultural mandate with the guidance of God to enlighten this world with the principles of the word of God in all cultural aspects.

In every aspect of human life, the history had witnessed the contribution of Calvinism, starting from private lives to social and educational lives, even pioneering democracy in the whole world. When the influence of Liberalism expanded and gnawed the faith of Christians in the 19th century, Reformed theologians valiantly stood in the frontline of the battle against teachings that are unfaithful to the Scripture, so that in Europe, as well as North America, the books with the highest quality that fought against liberal teachings are the works of Reformed theologians. This kind of spirit the Reformed theology possesses has preserved Christianity from all kind of lapses and infidelity done by the Church as the Bride of Christ who should stay faithful to the Lord.

Figures like Abraham Kuyper, Herman Bavinck, Hendrik Kraemer in the Netherlands; and Charles Hodge, Archibald Hodge, B.B. Warfield, Gresham Machen, Cornelius Van Til, John Murray, and others in the USA have shown their non-compromise, a trait inherited by John Calvin. The discovery of common grace and the uniqueness of the understanding of general revelation have always been defining characteristics of the Reformed theology in handling cultural problems, as well as enlightening and guiding the latest scientific discoveries and changes in the flow of ideas until the New Age Movement and Postmodernism. No one can ignore what the Reformed theology has done in the history. The Reformed theology is one of the most resilient and the most superior in leading Christians through the fight of faith and giving guidance for the future of mankind.

Is it not true that many leaders of churches who received education in Reformed theological schools in the USA, the Netherlands, and many other places have returned to serve in Indonesia? Is it not true that they are the people who should lead churches back to the spirit of Reformation, raise the awareness of Christians to nurture the faith that had been passed down to us, and fight in the world full of ideologies opposing the Scripture?

After waiting for around 20 years, I felt we could not wait anymore – Even though I have been teaching the Reformed doctrine since 1964 in the theological school where I served and molded a Reformed ideology in the students’ minds. The calling to establish this Reformed Evangelical movement became clearer and more urgent after I caught Hepatitis B in 1984.

Life is but temporary. Even though I have served for about 27 years, with the understanding I gained during my suffering under that kind of liver infection, I thought maybe I can survive in this world for only about 15 to 20 more years. Therefore, I cannot wait for anybody else and I started earnestly praying, surrendering myself once more to establish the Reformed Evangelical Movement in Indonesia. I prayed to the Lord so that within 15 years, approaching the 21st century, there will be a group from the younger generation who understand and realizes the importance of the Reformed Evangelical Movement and willfully surrender themselves to serve and to sacrifice themselves in this era.

My response to this calling was blessed by God, so that in 1984, the first step was started, which is by bravely hosting the Christian Faith Building Seminar (SPIK) to pioneer the Reformed doctrine. Unexpectedly, the number of participants kept increasing and with great enthusiasm they accepted the Reformed doctrine taught to them.

The SPIK movement that was started in 1984 became a lively movement until today, both in Indonesia and abroad. They who had been awakened made the decision to study the Reformed doctrine further. Therefore, the second step of this calling was to establish the Reformed Evangelical Theological School (STRI) for laypeople in 1986.

What is the Reformed Evangelical Movement?

A movement differs from an organization. A movement is a flaming fire and spiritual enthusiasm that kindles a group of people so that they become a powerful influence for other individuals to see, confess, continue and carry out the important task of changing the history. An excellent movement in the history always has a consistent theory, an agile strategy, a complete understanding, faithful followers, and an everlasting influence both in secular and spiritual fields. These elements can be seen clearly. Because of that, the Reformed Evangelical movement has to ask the Lord for help and blessing in important areas. We believed that the motivation for this movement is purely based on God’s calling and the needs of this era, as well as continuing living in faith as Christians in the history. So we see clearly that God blesses abundantly by leading and anointing, especially by reviving individuals who are kindled by the fire of the Holy Spirit. Soli Deo Gloria (All Glory be only to God).

What is the Content of the Reformed Evangelical Movement?

This movement covers two aspects. First, returning to the theological understanding based on the revelations from God in the Scriptures, which was pioneered by the Reformators, especially from the Calvinism school and its successors. With this strict theology, which came from the meanings stored in the Scriptures, the faith of Christians will be equipped and strengthened to face challenges of all eras. Second, kindling the spirit of evangelization and mobilizing Christians to directly proclaim the Gospel, which is the good news for all of humanity, introducing the power of salvation through the death and resurrection of Christ for the forgiveness of sin and peace between mankind and God so as to create a new life that glorifies God, witnessing for Christ, and proclaiming the Gospel. Accordingly, this movement pushes the church to root itself in the Word of God and to bear fruits in this world.

How did this Movement Begin?

Every steps this movement took have been guided by God through the obedience of His servants. Therefore, we planned (in the Reformed theology aspect): Firstly, to form as many populaces as possible who are aware of and experience the Reformed Evangelical teaching. This is realized in the form of Christian Faith Building Seminar (SPIK). Secondly, we planned to filter and gather a group of laypeople who strive to study the Reformed theology systematically and consistenly. This is realized in the form of the Reformed Evangelical Theological School (STRI). Thirdly, it is to build a library that provides quality books to fill the need of people who want to learn more about the truth and believe that this movement is universal and influential in history. Fourth, to build a theological school and Institute to prepare full-time servants of God for the next generation. Fifth, with the correct theological understanding, to build churches and evangelical posts to be a vessel for servants of God to teach the Reformed theology courageously and shepherd God’s elects. Sixth, to translate and publish Reformed theological books.

Meanwhile, the plans in the Evangelization aspect covers: Firstly, to conduct mass evangelization and to directly face the needs of the society, as well as to teach people to repent and accept the invitation to be a Christian. Secondly, to conduct a discipleship in evangelizing to train individuals who are called to expand the Kingdom of God through personal evangelization, therefore mobilizing Christians to be vessels to channel God’s grace for the society. Thirdly, to train full-time evangelists in theological schools to prepare servants of God who are talented and specially burdened in evangelization. Fourth, to prepare Gospel posts to accomodate the fruits of evangelization towards pastoral and churchly life.

The Reformed Evangelical Movement is different from the Reformed Evangelical church and denomination. The Reformed Evangelical Movement is intended to be an impetus for every denomination and can belong to all churches outside the Reformed Evangelical Church, so that churches are revived and directed to the true theology and the true evangelical spirit. However, the Reformed Evangelical Movement does not rule out the possiblility for servants of God with Reformed Evangelical theology to establish a Reformed Evangelical Church as a platform in the Kingdom of God which accompanies other churches in accomplishing their tasks and callings as the body of Christ.

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