# Batak Christian Protestant Church

The Batak Christian Protestant Church (Indonesian: Huria Kristen Batak Protestan), abbreviated as HKBP, is an Evangelical Lutheran church among the Batak ethnic group, generally the Toba Batak people of Indonesia. This church uses an Ecumenical worship style influenced by the Dutch Reformed Church due to the influence of Dutch colonialism in Indonesia, as well as the legacy obtained from the Rhenish Missionary Society when the church was founded. With a membership of 4,133,000, the church synod is the largest among the Protestant churches in Indonesia it is one of the largest Protestant churches in Indonesia and Southeast Asia, making it the third largest religious organization in Indonesia after Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah. Its present leader is Ephorus (bishop) Victor Tinambunan.
HKBP also has several churches abroad, such as in Singapore, Malaysia, and in California, New York, and Colorado in the United States.
HKBP is headquartered in Pearaja (North Tapanuli Regency, North Sumatra) which is about 1 km from the city center of Tarutung, the capital of the regency. Pearaja is a village located along the road to Central Tapanuli Regency and Sibolga city. The HKBP office complex, the administrative center of the HKBP organization, is located in an area of ± 20 hectares. In this complex there is also an Ephorus (bishop) as the head of the HKBP office. Although using the name Batak, HKBP is also open to other ethnic groups.

## History

The first Protestant missionaries who tried to reach the Batak highlands of inner Northern Sumatra were English and American Baptist preachers in the 1820s and 1830s, but without any success. After Franz Wilhelm Junghuhn and Herman Neubronner van der Tuuk did intensive research on Batak language and culture in the 1840s, a new attempt was made in 1861 by several missionaries sent out by the German Rhenish Missionary Society (RMG). The first Bataks were baptized during this year. In 1864, Ludwig Ingwer Nommensen of the RMG reached the Batak region and founded a village called "Huta Dame" (village of peace) in the district of North Tapanuli Regency in Tarutung, North Sumatra.
The RMG was associated with the uniting churches also called a merged denomination that includes a Lutheran element. However, Nommensen and local leaders developed an approach that applied local custom to Christian belief.
In 1868, a local seminary for the education of teachers was opened in Sipirok, and in 1877 a seminary for the education of preachers was built in Pansurnapitu. 1881, Nommensen was officially nominated "ephorus" of the Batak congregations by the RMG. In 1885, the first Batak ministers were ordained in Pearaja Tarutung, where the HKBP headquarters is still located.
In 1889, the RMG sent out Hester Needham who started the work with girls and women and later established the first Batak deaconess. In the last quarter of the 19th century, further missionaries of the RMG were sent out to the other Batak tribes (Angkola, Dairi, Simalungun, Karo, and Pakpak).
In 1917, the "Hatopan Christen Batak" (HCB) which later became one of the nuclei for the independent Batak church, was founded in Tapanuli as a social movement.
In 1922, the first General Synod ("Sinode Godang") for all Batak congregations was held. In 1931 the HKBP became the first independent self-governing Christian body in what was then the Dutch East Indies.
In 1940, all Germans working for the RMG, including pastors and ministers, were detained by the Dutch government. The Rev. Sirait was chosen by the synod as the first indigenous ephorus of HKBP.
In 1952, while maintaining its indigenous character, the HKBP became a member of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). In 1954, HKBP founded Nommensen University. In 1977, Sekolah Tinggi Theologia (STT or "Theological Seminary") HKBP split from Nommensen University.
Over the years, a number of church bodies have split from HKBP for various cultural and doctrinal reasons. However, HKBP remains the largest Indonesian LWF member by a factor of ten and also remains in communion with daughter church bodies through the LWF. Tarutung and the Batak lands region remain the stronghold for the HKBP in the predominantly Muslim nation of Indonesia, although worshippers are found throughout Indonesia and worldwide.
Well known HKBP congregants include Amir Sjarifuddin (the only Christian prime minister of Indonesia), Todung Sutan Gunung (TSG) Mulia (the second Indonesian education minister), and General Tahi Bonar (TB) Simatupang.
In January 2010 two churches were burnt down by extremist mobs in Sibuhuan.

## Ecumenical relations

HKBP is a member of and active participant in the World Council of Churches, Christian Conference of Asia, Lutheran World Federation, Asia Lutheran Communion, and Communion of Churches in Indonesia.

## Agenda

The book of liturgical procedure used by the HKBP is referred to as the "Agenda" or formerly as the "Agende". This term comes from the European Protestant use of agenda.

## Leaders
### Ephoruses

| No. | Name | From | Until | Notes |
| 1. | The Rev. Ludwig Ingwer Nommensen | 1881 | 1918 | First ephorus |
| 2. | The Rev. Valentin Kessel | 1918 | 1920 | Temporary officeholder of Ephorus, due to the First World War preventing Johannes Warneck from arriving. |
| 3. | The Rev. Johannes Warneck | 1920 | 1932 | |
| 4. | The Rev. P. Landgrebe | 1932 | 1936 | |
| 5. | The Rev. E. Verwiebe | 1936 | 1940 | Interned by the Dutch colonial government after the German invasion of the Netherlands. |
| 6. | The Rev. K. Sirait | 1940 | 1942 | The first Batak that became Ephorus. |
| 7. | The Rev. Justin Sihombing | 1942 | 1962 | |
| 8. | The Rev T. S. Sihombing | 1962 | 1974 | Elected in Special General Synod. |
| 9. | The Rev. G. H. M. Siahaan | 1974 | 1986 | |
| 10. | The Rev. S. A. E. Nababan | 1986 | 1998 | HKBP Crisis happened from 1992 to 1998 that resulted in dualism of HKBP's leadership until 1998. |
| 11. | The Rev. S. M. Siahaan (as Bishop or Ephorus) | 1992 | 1993 | |
| 12. | The Rev. P. W. T. Simanjuntak | 1993 | 1998 | Elected in Special General Synod. |
| 13. | The Rev. J. R. Hutauruk | 1998 | 1998 | Elected as temporary officeholder of Bishop. |
| 13. | The Rev. J. R. Hutauruk | 1998 | 2004 | Elected in Reconciliation General Synod. |
| 14. | The Rev. Bonar Napitupulu | 2004 | 2008 | |
| 14. | The Rev. Bonar Napitupulu | 2008 | 2012 | Elected in the 59th HKBP General Synod in Sipolohon Seminarium. |
| 15. | The Rev. W. T. P. Simarmata | 2012 | 2016 | Elected in the 61st HKBP General Synod in Sipolohon Seminarium. |
| 16. | The Rev. Darwin Lumbantobing | 2016 | 2020 | Elected in the 62nd HKBP General Synod in Sipolohon Seminarium. |
| 17. | The Rev. Robinson Butarbutar | 2020 | 2024 | Elected in the 65th HKBP General Synod in Sipolohon Seminarium. |
| 18. | The Rev. Victor Tinambunan | 2024 | 2028 | Elected in the 67th HKBP General Synod in Sipolohon Seminarium. |

### General secretaries

| No. | Name | From | Until | Notes |
| 1. | The Rev. Karimuda Sitompul | 1950 | 1957 | First Secretary General of HKBP |
| 2. | The Rev. T. S. Sihombing | 1957 | 1962 | |
| 3. | The Rev. G. H. M. Siahaan | 1962 | 1974 | |
| 4. | The Rev. F. H. Sianipar | 1974 | 1978 | |
| 5. | The Rev. P. M. Sihombing | 1978 | 1986 | |
| 6. | The Rev. O. P. T. Simorangkir | 1986 | 1992 | |
| 7. | The Rev. S. M. Siahaan | 1992 | 1998 | |
| 8. | The Rev. W. T. P. Simarmata | 1998 | 2008 | |
| 9. | The Rev. Ramlan Hutahaean | 2008 | 2012 | |
| 10. | The Rev. Mory Sihombing | 2012 | 2016 | |
| 11. | The Rev. David F. Sibuea | 2016 | 2020 | |
| 12. | The Rev. Victor Tinambunan | 2020 | 2024 | |
| 13. | The Rev. Rikson Hutahaean | 2024 | 2028 | |

### Head of Koinonia Department

| No. | Name | From | Until |
| 1. | The Rev. Bistok M. Siagian | 2004 | 2008 |
| 2. | The Rev. Jamilin Sirait | 2008 | 2012 |
| 3. | The Rev. Welman P. Tampubolon | 2012 | 2016 |
| 4. | The Rev. Martongo Sitinjak | 2016 | 2020 |
| 5. | The Rev. Deonal Sinaga | 2020 | 2028 |

### Head of Marturia Department

| No. | Name | From | Until |
| 1. | The Rev. Manumpan H. Sihite | 2004 | 2008 |
| 2. | The Rev. Binsar Nainggolan | 2008 | 2012 |
| 3. | The Rev. Marolop P. Sinaga | 2012 | 2016 |
| 4. | The Rev. Anna Ch. Vera Pangaribuan | 2016 | 2020 |
| 5. | The Rev. Kardi Simanjuntak | 2020 | 2022 |
| 6. | The Rev. Daniel T. A. Harahap | 2022 | 2024 |
| 7. | The Rev. Bernard Manik | 2024 | 2028 |

### Head of Diakonia Department

| No. | Name | From | Until |
| 1. | The Rev. Nelson F. Siregar | 2004 | 2012 |
| 2. | The Rev. Bihelman D. F. Sidabutar | 2012 | 2016 |
| 3. | The Rev. Debora Purada Sinaga | 2016 | 2024 |
| 4. | The Rev. Eldarton Simbolon | 2024 | 2028 |