Mega Church to be Built in Indonesia

An arena-sized church with a capacity for 12,000 congregants is being built and is scheduled to open this spring in Indonesia.

Traditional law forbids any group for building a facility larger than the city’s grand mosque, which seats about 3,000. The church is located in Semarang, Central Java’s capital.

Pastor Petrus Agung is leading the church that is undertaking the project. The Gospel of the Kingdom Church (Jemaat Kristen Indonesia, JKI) began in 1991.

The congregation has grown from 25 people to the current 6,000 and operates the city’s only non-smoking café, a medical ministry and a drug-treatment centre, according to CharismaNow.

The church also has an FM radio station and a drug-treatment centre. Pastor Agung says that obedience to God is the at the heart of the church's efforts.

"We have to hear what He says and just obey it," said Agung. "Do it, whatever He says," he continued.

The congregation is young. Its average age is 21 and earns less than £150 per month. They have donated many personal belongings all for the sake of building the new church. Even the pastor and his wife gave up their car, money and heirloom jewelry.

In addition, the report says the ministry is debt-free and that "Holy Stadium" is 80 percent paid for though construction is not complete. The church has become an aid distribution centre for tsunami victims of devastated parts of South Asia.





Francis Helguero
Ecumenical Press