Day 10
Indonesia
Praise God that the Evangelical Church in Indonesia is growing at an annual rate of 2.8%. This is faster than the overall global growth rate for the Evangelical Church. In part, this could be explained by Indonesia’s vast population. As the number of Christians increases, so does the opportunity for Indonesians to meet and interact with a Christian person. The potential for even more multiplication is enormous. Pray that Christian Indonesians will all feel courageous enough to invite their not-yet-Christian friends to the Christmas services and events this Christmas season. Pray that many will accept the wonderful gift of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior (The Bible, 2 Corinthians 9:15).
Source: Younger generation in Indonesia showing greater tolerance for the Gospel (MNN)
Having Southeast Asia’s strongest economy, Indonesia is also one of the G20’s wealthiest. It is the world’s fourth most populous nation. It also has the largest concentration of Muslims, yet Indonesia has an astonishingly high level of Christian presence. More than twelve percent of the population are Christians, over 33 million people, with church growth continuing to increase. While Christianity is not illegal, provincial laws can override it and Islamic law is sometimes used. Muslim extremists continue to spread anti-Christian messages in the public sector. President Widodo’s agenda to shift Indonesia from secularism to Islamization would seem to predict elevated levels of Christian persecution in the future. Indonesia has been the worst affected nation in Southeast Asia during the COVID-19 pandemic. They currently hold the 2022 presidency of the G20 and during the Summit in Bali, Indonesia called for urgent attention to be paid to the current global food and fuel crisis.
