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 ONEThe Dutch Reformed Church in the Netherlands

The church government 8The offices of elder and deacon 9The classis 12The ministers and ziekentroosters (comforters of the sick) 13School and church 16Membership and church discipline 18Poor relief 23Orphanages 27The church’s poor relief 28Church and state at local level 29Article 36 of the Belgic Confession of faith, 1561 33

CHAPTER TWOThe Reformed Church and the Dutch East India Company (VOC)

From ships to settlements 36Settlements with ziekentroosters and ministers 40Expansion of Dutch power and the rise of the church 41The town church in colonial town Batavia 45Church mission for adults and children (through catechesis and baptism) 47The relationship between the Church and the VOC 51The situation of the churches around 1750 53The life and work of an Indische predikant 55The reformed church in the Indies 62

CHAPTER THREEJava’s Northeast Coast

Java’s Northeast Coast 65Semarang 66Reformed church in Semarang 68

CHAPTER FOURRepresentations of Christianity in Java: Dutch ministers and the consistory

The pastoral care of Christians in Java in the late seventeenth century 71The Java’s Northeast Coast before 1684 73

Visitator der buiten posten from 1684 onwards 75The consistory of the Reformed church in Semarang 86

The ministers 86The elders and deacons 101

CHAPTER FIVEZiekentroosters (comforters of the sick) and schoolmasters

– spreading Christianity in Java

Ziekentroosters in late seventeenth century Java 115Ziekentroosters in Java’s Northeast coast towns 117Ziekentroosters and catechism lessons 129

CHAPTER SIXThe Reformed Church in Java and its members

The Company presence in Java’s Northeast Coast province 131Church visitation 135Church discipline in practice

Sunday services and the Sacraments 146Adopted Children 150

A case in the old-person’s home (provenierhuis) 155A case when money and power secured the future of children 156

CHAPTER SEVENPoor relief – charity and control

The deaconry 159Distribution of needed materials 161Deaconry income and expenditures 165Provisions for the poor 172

The buitenarmen in Semarang and huisarmen in other towns 174

The weesmeesteren in Semarang 175

CHAPTER EIGHTOrphanage

Orphan 179The supervisors 181The housemother 185Schoolmasters and the school in Semarang 188The orphans – admission to the orphanage 190The orphans – life and work 192The orphans – leaving the house 194

CHAPTER NINEProviding necessities for the church: Formal relations between

the consistory and the government in Semarang

Government financing and administration of poor relief 197Ecclesiastical and social functions of the Company’s men 198

Political Commissioner 199Churchwarden 199Maintaining the church building 200The Christian cemetery 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 248 LIST OF SOURCES 257

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 265

INDEX 267