The Luwu Indonesian Protestant Church (locally called the Gereja Protestan Injili Luwu or GPIL) is a member of the Protestant Church in Indonesia centered around the Luwu Regency.
| Luwu Indonesian Protestant Church | |
|---|---|
| GPIL | |
Gereja Protestan Injili Luwu | |
| Location | Luwu, Sulawesi |
| Country |  Indonesia |
| Denomination | Presbyterian |
| Membership | 17,000 |
| History | |
| Founded | 6 February 1966 |
| Administration | |
| Subdivision | 159 congregations |
History
editThe first Christian missionary was placed in Luwu in 1930. Missionary work was primarily done in the mountainous regions due to prior Islamization of the coastal plain. However, a 1949 Islamist insurgency against the central government forced some Christian congregations to relocate to the coastal areas. Following the insurgency, the number of Christians in the area grew due to immigration from surrounding regions.[1] The GPIL was formed after several congregations split from the Toraja Church in 1965.[2] It marks its official date of formation as 6 February 1966.[1]
Organization
editIn the year 2000, the church had roughly 17,000 members in 159 congregations. It follows a Presbyterian organizational structure, with its congregations divided into six Classis: Nasakke, Lebang, Lambara, Kerepansu, Tabarano and Kalaena.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b "Gereja Protestan Indonesia Luwu". reformiert online. 27 February 2004. Archived from the original on 6 November 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
- ^ Aritonang, Jan; Steenbrink, Karel (2008). A History of Christianity in Indonesia. Brill. p. 474.
- ^ "Indonesia Protestant Church of Luwu (GPIL, Central Sulawesi)". Global Ministries. Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Archived from the original on 8 July 2022. Retrieved 7 July 2022.