Christianity came to Nusa Tenggara Timur through the Portuguese and Dutch. The peoples of NTT held various spirit beliefs influenced by their own environment and the surrounding islands with whom they traded.
Flores, influenced by the Portuguese, is now a strong Catholic island. Many who did become Roman Catholics maintained, as in other parts of Southeast Asia, their animistic practices in conjunction with their new faith. Many traditional ceremonies have been combined or blended with the newer Catholic rituals. For example in the Lamaholot area of Eastern Flores, the mother and baby were washed to symbolise the newborn’s entry into society. These days this washing continues and has been renamed baptism.
In early colonial days the Rotenese, influenced by the Dutch, were quick to adopt Protestant Christianity. It was not unusual to find Rotenese preachers in almost every church in the province. Messakh, a king in Rote, was a serious convert of Christianity. As the king of Ti he used his influence to spread the ‘good news’. If villagers did not come to the church services they were rounded up and brought to church!
In the turbulent political times of the 1950s and 60’s Protestant Christianity made strong inroads into all of Western Timor, other parts of NTT and Indonesia as a whole. Many older people have stories to tell of this period and it is always good to hear personal experiences. Convincing supernatural signs turned many to Christianity at that time.
Supernatural power was convincingly evident in Soe, Timor, during the late sixties and early seventies. Mel Tari tells of many miracles taking place as over 70 small teams of people went from place to place proclaiming their God. Water into wine, multiplied food, walking on water, angelic visitation, storms calmed, miracles of healing and even raising the dead are recorded from that time.
Similarly in Rote supernatural manifestations convinced many people. Mrs Thien Hawks, who now lives in Darwin, tells of her experience. One evening during a church service the fire alarm was sounded and many villagers came running to the church building. To the amazement of all the roof of the church was on fire but it was not consumed. This sign brought many including Mrs Hawks to strong faith in the Christian God.
In West Timor the effects of the revival of Christianity can still be seen. There are many very large churches throughout the island. In Soe where it initially began, there are many churches, with a thousand people in a meeting not uncommon.
Questions / activities
1. Have you ever been involved in what you would call a miracle? Write or talk about it. 2. What type of Christianity did the Dutch bring? What about the Portuguese? 3. Why did Protestant Christianity spread so rapidly in NTT in the ‘50s, ‘60s and early ‘70s? 4. Obtain a map of your area and identify all the places of worship for each religion. 5. Visit a local church and mosque and compare their service. 6. Obtain a Bible from your school library. Read one of the following miracle accounts and act it out as a group:
Luke 5: 17-26, Luke 7:11-1 7, Mark 5:1-20, Mark 6:30-44, Mark 6:45-51. 7. Indonesian Christian mission organisations are systematically trying to reach their people with Christianity. On the net look up the AD2000, Bethany, Caleb or Joshua Projects sites. List 5 Indonesian ethnic groups that have no Christians. Give some cultural information on one of these groups [you will have to follow their links]. Then find a hotel in their province for when you go to visit these people! 8. Identify the percentage of Australians describing themselves as followers of Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Christianity and Confucianism. 9. What are the major tenets of each of the religions mentioned in 5? 10. How did Christianity first come to NTT? How did it first come to your country and district? 11. Research animism in Indonesia. 12. Outline the history of the building of a particular mosque, temple or church in your area.
