Toraja Church is a Protestant Christian denomination in

Tana Toraja Tana Toraja ( 'Toraja Land' in Toraja language) is a landlocked regency ('' kabupaten'') of South Sulawesi Province of Indonesia, and home to the Toraja ethnic group. It covers an area of and had a population of 221,081 at the 2010 census and 28 ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

, of which the majority of the

Torajan people The Torajans are an ethnic group indigenous people, indigenous to a mountainous region of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Their population is approximately 1,100,000, of whom 450,000 live in the List of regencies and cities of Indonesia, regency of ...

are members. This church is a member of the

Communion of Churches in Indonesia The Communion of Churches in Indonesia ( id, Persekutuan Gereja-gereja di Indonesia) is a national ecumenical body in Indonesia. It was founded in 1950. It is a member of the World Council of Churches The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a w ...

since 1950. On 1912-1913 the Gerevormerde Missionary Bond-Holland of the

Dutch Reformed Church The Dutch Reformed Church (, abbreviated NHK) was the largest Christian denomination in the Netherlands from the onset of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century until 1930. It was the original denomination of the Dutch Royal Family and ...

begun working in this part of the country. On 7 November 1913, Reverend A.A. van de Loosdrecht became the first missionary who came to

Rantepao Rantepao is a town and capital of North Toraja Regency, which is known for the cultural center of Toraja ethnic group. National and regional tourism offices have developed the city as the starting point for visiting Tana Toraja, since the area ...

. This time became the starting point when the Gospel was grown in the Torajanese's heart. But, Reverend van de Loosdrecht was killed in that place. In 1938 there were 14,000 Christians from 300,000 inhabitants there. Formally, Toraja Church was established on 25 March 1947 in Rantepao.F.D.Wellem. Kamus Sejarah Gereja. Jakarta: BPK Gunung Mulia 2009. In 1995 the church had 300,000 adherents. In 2012 the church had 400,000 members and 959 congregations. This church is the largest in

South Sulawesi South Sulawesi ( id, Sulawesi Selatan) is a province in the southern peninsula of Sulawesi. The Selayar Islands archipelago to the south of Sulawesi is also part of the province. The capital is Makassar. The province is bordered by Central Sula ...

, with approximately 80% of the Christian population belong to it. It is a member of the

World Communion of Reformed Churches The World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) is the largest association of Calvinist churches in the world. It has 230 member denominations in 108 countries, together claiming an estimated 80 million people, thus being the fourth-largest Chris ...

References

{{Authority control Torajan people Protestantism in Indonesia 1947 establishments in the Dutch East Indies Calvinist denominations established in the 20th century Members of the World Communion of Reformed Churches Reformed denominations in Indonesia Religious organizations based in Indonesia Christian organizations established in 1947 Tana Toraja Regency North Toraja Regency