PANGUMBARAN ING BANG WETAN THE DUTCH REFORMED CHURCH IN LATE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY JAVA
This book is dedicated to my parents: Kho Giok Sian (Yeanne Soleiman) and Ong Han Lee (Dharmika Soleiman, 1938-2005) who brought me to baptismal font my teachers: Reverend Lee Sian Hui (Clement Suleeman, 1919-1988) who always watched over on us, his students Reverend The Oen Hien (Eka Darmaputera, 1942-2005) who proved to me that it is possible to love both science and God’s people
Gedenkt uwer voorgangeren, die u het Woord Gods gesproken hebben; en volgt hun geloof na, aanschouwende de uitkomst hunner wandeling (Hebr 13:7, NBG)
PANGUMBARAN ING BANG WETAN THE DUTCH REFORMED CHURCH IN LATE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY JAVA AN EASTERN ADVENTURE
Yusak Soleiman
Boekencentrum Academic, Zoetermeer
www.uitgeverijboekencentrum.nl Boekencentrum Academic is part of Uitgeverij Boekencentrum
This publication is no. 54 in the Mission series (Missiological Research in the Netherlands). Editorial board: Prof.dr. M.T. Frederiks Prof.dr. M.M. Jansen Prof.dr. A.M. Kool
Cover design: Oblong (Jet Frenken) ISBN 978 90 239 2078 6 NUR 706, 761 © 2012 Uitgeverij Boekencentrum, Zoetermeer (The Netherlands) All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise – without written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles or reviews.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF ContentS
v
IntroDUCTION
1
Chapter ONE The Dutch Reformed Church in the Netherlands The church government The offices of elder and deacon The classis The ministers and ziekentroosters (comforters of the sick) School and church Membership and church discipline Poor relief Orphanages The church’s poor relief Church and state at local level Article 36 of the Belgic Confession of faith, 1561
8 9 12 13 16 18 23 27 28 29 33
Chapter TWO The Reformed Church and the Dutch East India Company (VOC) From ships to settlements Settlements with ziekentroosters and ministers Expansion of Dutch power and the rise of the church The town church in colonial town Batavia Church mission for adults and children (through catechesis and baptism) The relationship between the Church and the VOC The situation of the churches around 1750 The life and work of an Indische predikant The reformed church in the Indies
36 40 41 45 47 51 53 55 62
CHAPTER THREE Java’s Northeast Coast Java’s Northeast Coast Semarang Reformed church in Semarang
65 66 68
Chapter FOUR Representations of Christianity in Java: Dutch ministers and the consistory The pastoral care of Christians in Java in the late seventeenth century The Java’s Northeast Coast before 1684
71 73
Visitator der buiten posten from 1684 onwards The consistory of the Reformed church in Semarang The ministers The elders and deacons
75 86 86 101
Chapter FIVE Ziekentroosters (comforters of the sick) and schoolmasters – spreading Christianity in Java Ziekentroosters in late seventeenth century Java Ziekentroosters in Java’s Northeast coast towns Ziekentroosters and catechism lessons
115 117 129
CHAPTER SIX The Reformed Church in Java and its members The Company presence in Java’s Northeast Coast province Church visitation Church discipline in practice Sunday services and the Sacraments Adopted Children A case in the old-person’s home (provenierhuis) A case when money and power secured the future of children
131 135 146 150 155 156
Chapter SEVEN Poor relief – charity and control The deaconry Distribution of needed materials Deaconry income and expenditures Provisions for the poor The buitenarmen in Semarang and huisarmen in other towns The weesmeesteren in Semarang
159 161 165 172 174 175
Chapter EIGHT Orphanage Orphan The supervisors The housemother Schoolmasters and the school in Semarang The orphans – admission to the orphanage The orphans – life and work The orphans – leaving the house
179 181 185 188 190 192 194
Chapter NINE Providing necessities for the church: Formal relations between the consistory and the government in Semarang Government financing and administration of poor relief Ecclesiastical and social functions of the Company’s men Political Commissioner Churchwarden Maintaining the church building The Christian cemetery
197 198 199 199 200 201
ConcluSION
203
SUMMARY
209
APPENDICES A. Formulier voor de krankbesoekers
213
B. Ordonnantie en Reglement voor het diaconij weeshuijs te Samarang 1779
216
C. Compilation of yearly reports on Church (kerkstaat) in Java’s Northeast Coast
231
D. Yearly church visitation reports
233
E. Empat ratus tahun Protestantisme di Indonesia LIST OF SOURCES
248
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS INDEX
257
265 267