Christian Ministry Helps Equip Indigenous Leaders to Evangelize Muslim Indonesia
by Jenni Parker and Allie Martin
December 18, 2003
(AgapePress) - Students at a Christian seminary in Indonesia are not letting persecution stop them from spreading the gospel.The Inter-National Needs Network (IN) operates a seminary in Jakarta with 1,200 students. IN spokesman Harvey Stuart says all students at the seminary take part in extensive evangelism efforts throughout the Muslim country at Christmastime. But like other Christians in Indonesia, the students face many difficulties.
"There is a lot of persecution," Stuart says, "and the fundamental Muslim group has been trying to eliminate other religions."
Many of the areas where the students minister have experienced violence, including the killing of people and the burning of churches. According to Stuart, at times the fundamentalist Muslims seem to be winning the battle to make Indonesia a totally Muslim country. But Stuart says the students are faithful and persistent in their evangelism efforts despite anti-Christian persecution.
"They have tried not to let the problems stop their ministry," he says. "Of course, even the seminary itself has been invaded a few times, and there have been a lot of threats against the seminary. But they've basically been trying to work in spite of the fear of persecution."
The IN Network's mission is to help Christians serve God in their own countries. Since there are many places around the world where Western missionaries are unable to preach the gospel or where having Western missionaries involved in front-line evangelism is not the best option, the ministry strives to support the development of outstanding national leadership -- especially in terms of front-line evangelism and the building of ministries that "indigenize" the gospel.
Author and apologist Dr. Ravi Zacharias is among a number of Christian leaders worldwide who have observed the work of the IN Network and praised its vision. He calls IN's ministry "biblical in its foundation" and "timely in its structure." And Zacharias adds that the ministry's strategy, "the harnessing of national leaders as a means to penetrate their own culture with the gospel at all levels of society," is one of the greatest opportunities in modern missions.
Soon 190 students from IN's seminary in Jakarta will be sent out throughout the Islamic-dominated nation of Indonesia on a six-month evangelism mission.
