Gereja Paulus Jakarta

Protestant church in Indonesia
Church in Jakarta, Indonesia
6°12′2″S 106°49′53″E / 6.20056°S 106.83139°E / -6.20056; 106.83139LocationJakartaCountryIndonesiaDenominationCalvinismWebsitehttp://gpibpaulusjakarta.org/HistoryFormer name(s)Nassaukerk (1936-1942); Gereja Menteng (1942-1948)StatusChurchFounded6 June 1936Founder(s)De Protestantse Kern in Nederlandsche-IndieArchitectureFunctional statusActiveHeritage designationA (1993)Architect(s)F.J.L. GhijselsArchitectural typeDutch Rationalist, New Indies StyleGroundbreaking3 January 1936SpecificationsCapacity600Number of floors2Number of spires1AdministrationSynodProtestant Church in Western IndonesiaDioceseMupel Jakarta PusatClergyPastor(s)Rev. Drs. Jeffrey Willem Christiaan Sompotan, S.Th.

The GPIB Paulus Jakarta, officially known as the Gereja Protestan di Indonesian Bagian Barat "Paulus", Jakarta (English: St. Paul's Protestant Church in West Indonesia, Jakarta), is a Reformed church located in Menteng, Jakarta, Indonesia.

History

Menteng Church in the early 1950s.

The first laying of the foundation was done on 3 January 1936. The construction was complete within months and the following inauguration was held on Juni 6, 1936. The new church was named Nassaukerk.[1]

During the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies, the Church was renamed Gereja Menteng, ("Menteng Church"). During this period, the Japanese still allowed the Dutch priests to hold a mass until 1943, when the Dutch priests and the congregations were brought to internment camps. The mass itself was still held until it was banned sometimes later.[1]

In October 1944, the Dutch language mass was replaced with Malay language, even though in reality it was still mixed with Dutch language. This condition continued until October 1945, when Indonesia proclaimed independence. After this, The church was renamed Nassaukerk again and the mass resumed in Dutch, but the desire to hold the mass in Indonesian language was apparent. At that time, there were only three Indonesian-speaking priests.[1]

On October 31, 1948, the synod of Protestant Church in West Indonesia was formed. Nassaukerk was renamed Pauluskerk or Gereja Paulus (St. Paul's Church).[1]

Architecture

Gereja Paulus was designed by Frans Ghijsels of AIA bureau in New Indies Style, a branch of Dutch Rationalism that appeared in the Dutch Indies. It has a cross-shaped layout, symbolizing the four cardinal points. The dominant form of the church is its steeped roofs with skylights on each of the four facades.

The church building contains a spire with four original clock faces, still functioning, topped with a steeped roof.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gereja Paulus Menteng.

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Nassaukerk" (in Indonesian). Dinas Komunikasi, Informatika dan Kehumasan Pemprov DKI Jakarta. 2011. Archived from the original on June 11, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2011.