I
the Church of God in
ndonesia
Why would God want a one-winged
Church? These mandates are the left
hand and the right hand, and working PENTECOSTAL LEADER
together in unison they sing a beautiful
Soehandoko Wirhaspati is a former national overseer of
song of praise and worship to the King of
Gereja Bethel Indonesia, and it was during his administration
kings and Lord of lords.
that the spacious national offices building was purchased and
Biblical and theological education has
remodeled. He was educated at Bethel Seminary and the
always been vital to Indonesian church
Church of God Theological Seminary.
growth and to the development of spiri-
Pastor Soehandoko currently pastors a congregation that
tual leaders who follow the winds of the
averages 600 each Sunday morning in two services. Of Chinese
Spirit into new areas for the Gospel.
descent [his parents came to Indonesia from China], he is working toward development
Meanwhile, care ministries for the poor,
of a Mandarin-language service because of the growing Buddhist population in his area.
the widow, the orphan, and the hungry
He was a founding officer in 1992 of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Indonesia, which
have also been a cornerstone.
represents 75 different groups, and continues to serve as an adviser to this organization.
For many years the Bethel Church of
God has created innovative outreaches of
transformation such as providing secular in this island paradise. Not only preaching Germany, Canada, and the United States.
education for the masses, new streams of about Jesus, the Indonesian church is act- Early in my missionary service, while
income through home industry, job-skill ing like Jesus, thus changing their nation praying in the Spirit, the Lord showed me
training, and low-cost housing for the poor. and our world. a vision of the cross of Christ lifted high
One unique program is our cow-raising Due to the high concentration of above a map of the Indonesian archipel-
project among poor victims of natural dis- Indonesian non-believers, mission special- ago. Then the Holy Spirit spoke to me
asters. This initiative provides a new stream ists include this Asian nation in the through the words of Jesus in John 12:32,
of income for those who have lost every- “10-40 Window” list of least-evangelized “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, I
thing in a tsunami or earthquake. I have countries, although only one small tip of will draw all men unto me.” I know that
prayed for thousands of Indonesians dur- this vast archipelago is geographically in this passage Jesus was speaking of His
ing my ministry, too many to remember, located within this region. Without aban- death on the cross. But it was as if the
but I’ll never forget the day I was called on doning the evangelization of her own Holy Spirit was saying to me, “If you lift
to lead the village farmers in praying for people, the Bethel Church of God has Jesus up over Indonesia, then I will use
their cows to deliver fat, healthy calves! become a powerful missionary force, you to draw all Indonesia unto Me.”
Leaders and members in the Bethel following the wind of the Holy Spirit to On the front lines of the Muslim
Church of God leave no stone unturned open branch congregations in Singapore, world, the Bethel Church of God is lifting
that might be fruitful to winning the lost Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Aus- up Jesus in the midst of the Holy Spirit
in Indonesia. They are the salt and light tralia, and as far away as Dubai, Holland, wind blowing across the islands of
Indonesia. We humbly celebrate our
many successes with thanksgiving to God,
but as we remember the 128 Indonesian
people groups yet to hear the good news,
we know our work remains unfinished.
Onward we go, clinging to the promise
of Jesus: “And this gospel of the kingdom
will be preached in the whole world as a
testimony to all nations, and then the end
will come” (Matthew 24:14, NIV).
Andrew Tommy Smith Jr.
serves as representative of the
Church of God to Gereja Bethel
Indonesia.
10 EVANGEL • JUNE 2009
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