A lot of the GBI (Gereja Bethel Indonesia) churches, the COG denominational churches in Indonesia, will set up with a mother church that has branches that operate under the senior pastor at the headquarters. Bethany used to be the biggest. I don’t know about now. They had some really large number of members, like 80,000. Some of these churches would offer support to start church plants, and others just wanted a commission and didn’t offer much of anything. Back probably around 2000 or so, there was a move to not allow local church brands on the signs like “Bethany” or whatever else. Bethany’s senior pastor in Surabaya opposed it. The pastor in Jakarta wanted it. Bethany started its own denomination. Most of the Jakarta churches stayed in GBI.
I was in Bethany for a while before this in Jakarta. They called themselves Charismatic (“Karismatik”). They had centralized, well trained musicians that they’d farm out as worship leaders to different congregations. Some of them would say, “And now everyone, speak in tongues.” Much of the congregation would say ‘bababa’ or ‘bada bada bada bada bada’ at the same time. I refrained for Biblical reasons (“If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord”).
I don’t know if the GBI churches that were Bethany in Jakarta still do that after the split. I’m scheduled to speak in another GBI that I don’t think has ties with Bethany in August, so Lord willing, I’ll get to see to see if that congregation does that.
Iol I knew you would ask that
That’s not covered in cog minutes
A lot of the GBI (Gereja Bethel Indonesia) churches, the COG denominational churches in Indonesia, will set up with a mother church that has branches that operate under the senior pastor at the headquarters. Bethany used to be the biggest. I don’t know about now. They had some really large number of members, like 80,000. Some of these churches would offer support to start church plants, and others just wanted a commission and didn’t offer much of anything. Back probably around 2000 or so, there was a move to not allow local church brands on the signs like “Bethany” or whatever else. Bethany’s senior pastor in Surabaya opposed it. The pastor in Jakarta wanted it. Bethany started its own denomination. Most of the Jakarta churches stayed in GBI.
I was in Bethany for a while before this in Jakarta. They called themselves Charismatic (“Karismatik”). They had centralized, well trained musicians that they’d farm out as worship leaders to different congregations. Some of them would say, “And now everyone, speak in tongues.” Much of the congregation would say ‘bababa’ or ‘bada bada bada bada bada’ at the same time. I refrained for Biblical reasons (“If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord”).
I don’t know if the GBI churches that were Bethany in Jakarta still do that after the split. I’m scheduled to speak in another GBI that I don’t think has ties with Bethany in August, so Lord willing, I’ll get to see to see if that congregation does that.
Tim Hall Evangelist