Indonesia

Partner with Local Missionaries in Indonesia

Located in the 10/40 Window

Earning the honor of Southeast Asia’s largest economy, Indonesia is also the world’s largest country comprised only of islands. A vast archipelago between the Indian and Pacific oceans, Indonesia is made up of 13,466 islands—922 of which are permanently inhabited. The majority of the islands are coastal lowlands, though the largest islands—Java, Sumatra, Borneo, New Guinea, and Sulawesi—have some interior mountains. Indonesia is the most heavily forested region on earth after the Amazon.

Indonesia’s incredible diversity comes from its 300 distinct native ethnic groups. Though Indonesian is the country’s official language, most citizens speak other languages. More than 700 languages are used in Indonesia.

With the fourth largest population on earth, the country is the most populous Muslim-majority nation in the world. More than 87 percent of the population is Muslim, with the majority being Sunni Muslim. An aggressive mosque-building program, fueled by petrol dollars, is part of the Islamic vision of an Indonesia free from Christians. Believers face high levels of persecution from radical Muslims, who are pushing Sharia-inspired laws in more and more communities.

Christianity has sustained continued growth throughout the past 50 years, especially among animist people, but nearly 100 million people remain unreached.

Indigenous missionaries face high levels of persecution and need assistance to help cover their living expenses as they persevere to share the gospel with unreached people groups. Bibles are needed for the 13 million believers in the 80-percent Muslim country, along with biblical training for Indonesian pastors. Among Indonesia’s Christian population is a strong need for biblical leadership and teaching. Many indigenous churches have no discipleship program. Biblical illiteracy is an enormous problem, which has allowed syncretism into the Church.

Motorbikes are needed for local translators, who create gospel recordings in native languages, and indigenous missionaries who follow up with villagers after they listen to the recordings. The availability of Scripture and gospel teaching in the heart languages of Indonesia’s tribal population will greatly benefit the growth and maturity of the Church.

Other needs include funding to help local missionaries and pastors start small businesses, which enable them to be self-sustaining and provide them with many opportunities to engage with people in their communities. More than 1,000 people have been reached with the gospel through these small businesses. Assistance is also needed for an indigenous ministry to continue its compassionate food distribution program, which feeds several hundred malnourished children in poor areas.

Sources: Joshua Project, CIA World Factbook, Operation World

269 million

Population

3.18%

Evangelical Population:

789

People Groups:

235

Unreached People Groups:

How to Pray for Indonesia

Pray for the more than 200 people groups in Indonesia that are still unreached with the gospel; ask the Lord for open doors and divine connections, that witnesses for Christ would soon be established in each of these groups.
Pray for wisdom and resources for indigenous missionaries as they share the gospel in strategic and creative ways.
Pray that the Lord would break the stronghold of Islam in Indonesia and open people’s eyes to the truth of Jesus Christ.

More stories from Indonesia

Support Workers Proclaiming Christ in Indonesia

Native Christian workers spent much time in prayer before visiting a Hindu “holy man” with the gospel. When he and his wife put their faith in Christ, they were first kicked out of their home, and then the village and Hindu leaders held a ceremony ritually excluding him from their ancestral temple. Before he and his wife were baptized, he turned in all the trinkets and fetishes he had used in sorcery and eagerly entered into discipleship. Workers seek donations of $60 or $120 for such gospel proclamation and follow-up. Pray the Holy Spirit would lead workers to overcome dark spiritual forces.

Help Spread the Gospel in Indonesia

Workers from a native ministry shared the gospel with 17,201 people over the course of six months and planted 46 house churches as 743 people put their faith in Christ. Among them was a mother of three children in her mid-30s who was contemplating suicide after her husband tried to kill her because she asked him to end an affair with another woman. Before she could hang herself, she heard a voice telling her to go to a building that she later learned belonged to the ministry’s church; a worker counseled her, and she gave her life to Christ. Donations are sought for such gospel work. Pray that new churches will grow strong in unity and glorify the Lord.

Help Workers Share the Gospel in Indonesia

A poor woman came to faith in Christ after meeting with one of the female church planters of a native ministry, who taught her to pray for healing of her husband’s long-term mental illness. She prayed for a month, her husband was healed, and soon he accepted Christ as Lord and Savior. Through such one-on-one talks and social media, native Christian workers shared the gospel with 15,318 people and planted 34 house churches over six months. Donations of $60 or $120 are sought to proclaim Christ and follow up with new believers. Workers request prayer that Christians will grow in their desire to learn Scripture and in boldness to share their faith.

Help Power Gospel Proclamation in Indonesia

After leading a woman and her husband to Christ, church planters helped them in the fields so they could get work done – freeing up time for Bible study. The native Christian workers’ discipleship of their family included helping them overcome their troubled past, along with aiding in health and informal education. Church planters make daily efforts to meet people open to spiritual conversations, sharing the gospel with 15,000 Muslims over a period of six months. Workers need donations to proclaim God’s grace in Christ and cultivate new faith. Pray the Word would speed ahead and be honored.

Help Workers Plant Churches in Indonesia

A secret Christian who has long been an influential Hindu priest has asked a native Christian worker to disciple him; he wants to learn more about how to follow Christ as he considers whether to make a public declaration of his faith. In villages where there were once only Hindus, people learned that some residents had stopped stealing and other wrongdoing because they put their faith in Christ. Donations are sought for native missionaries to reach their own people with the gospel. Pray that transformed lives will draw more people to Christ.

Help Plant Churches in Indonesia

A native ministry has 137 church planters sharing the gospel throughout the country, and over the course of six months they planted 34 house churches. Including people who heard about Christ through social media, workers shared the message of salvation with 15,800 people. Among those coming to Christ was a drug addict who had habitually robbed to support his habit; a church planter led him to Christ, and the former addict led two people to saving faith. He and the local missionary started a small home fellowship. Donations are sought for such gospel work. Pray new Christians will come to know the fullness of Christ’s deity.