User:Michel Ticoalu/GMIM Riedel Wawalintouan

Riedel's Church Tondano or known as GMIM Riedel Wawalintouan is a church located in Wawalintouan, Tondano, Minahasa Regency, North Sulawesi, Indonesia near National Heroes Monument of Dr. G.S.S.J. Ratulangie. This church is under the auspices of the Christian Evangelical Church in Minahasa, which has a Calvinist wing with a Presbyterian Polity. The Riedel Congregation is in the Tondano II diocese and is also the centre of the region/class.

Riedel's Congregation establish in 27 August 1989 as an expansion of GMIM Peniel Watulambot. In the beginning of the expansion, Wawalintouan congregation named Peniel III due on the previous week the congregation in Watulambot has been inaugurated as Peniel II. The dedication name of Riedel in Wawalintouan from Peniel III was enacted on 25 January 1992 as a reminder of Johann Friedrich Riedel evangelism in Tondano and became the first GMIM congregation honour Riedel as the name of the Congregation.

Protestantism in Tondano
Johann Friedrich Riedel and Johann Gottlieb Schwarz arrived in Minahasa as Nederlandsch Zendeling Genootschap (Netherlands Missionary Society) missionary, however, even though they was educated in the Netherlands they has Geman Nationality . On 12 June 1831 after they visited Ambon, Riedel and Schwarz continued their journey to stay in Manado for a couple of months and study the local language under Ds. G. Jan Hellendoorn supervision. Later, by GMIM, 12 June 1831 was commemorated as the Day of Evangelisation and Christian Education in Minahasa. While J.F. Schwarz was assigned to Langowan, J.F. Riedel was assigned to Tondano.

Johann Friedrich Riedel arrived in Tondano on 14 October 1831 and began his service in the middle of a society that do not really know about Christianity. In the same year, the locals started to build a church known as Groote Kerk or Giant Church (currently known as Sentrum Church) across Tondano River and Meer Uitgebreid Lager Onderwijs (MULO) (i.e. SMP 1 Tondano). Riedel's service in evangelisation to the local people through education and dialogue was done. Riedel's effort gained a significant number of people to start to learn Christianity and accept baptism. J.F. Riedel passed away on 12 October 1860 and was buried at Public Cemetary in Ranowangko, East Tondano.

Wawalintouan in 1980s
Wawalintouan once was a Village that later becam the center of Tondano City, which is the capital of the Minahasa Regency. To the south, Wawalintouan is bordered by Tonkuramber and Rinegetan, to the north by Rerewokan, to the west by Masarang and to the east by Kendis, Liningaan and Katinggolan.

In the 1980s, the population of Wawalitouan Village was around 2,700 people with 540 heads of families spread over 5 neighborhoods. The percentage of the population who were Protestant Christians was around 80% in the 1980s and 68% were members of the Christian Evangelical Church in Minahasa (GMIM). However, Wawalintouan as the centre of Tondano City and a business centre, only has one house of worship, namely the Great Mosque of Nurul Yaqin, which is located next to Tondano traditional market.

Wawalintouan as part GMIM Peniel
Before becoming an independent congregation, the congregation in Wawalintouan was under the ministry of GMIM Peniel Watulambot Congregation. However, residents of Wawalintouan who live in the Pasar Bawah area prefer to worship at the Sentrum Church because it is close. The Sentrum Church, known as the Great Church, at that time, was the centre for the ministry of the GMIM (Klasis) churches in Tondano. The ministry of the Peniel Church in Wawalintouan are divided into 9 Columns (Sectors), namely Columns 31 to Column 39 whose ministry duties are handed over to Elders and Deacons in their respective Columns while the services of Men's ministry (PKB), Women's ministry (WKI), youth/teenagers ministry, and children's ministry are served by the Peniel Congregation's Special Service Commission (Kompelsus) so services must be scheduled in the four Sub-Districts which are the Peniel GMIM service areas, namely Wawalintouan, Rerewokan, Watulambot and Wewelen while at that time there was only one minister serving in the church.

Discourse to be an independent Congregation
The Men's ministry (PKB) of the Peniel congregation in Wawalintouan is one of the most enthusiastic commissions when discussing the expansion of the church with the following considerations:


 * The Peniel Congregation located in Watulambot Sub-District serving four Sub-Districts (Wawalintouan, Rerewokan, Watulambot and Wewelen) is a large congregation both in the number of members and service area. In Wawalintouan, one column consisted of more than 30 heads of households, so the ministry in each family was ineffective because there was only one pastor. In some circumstances, such as the worship service is only led by Elders or Deacons.
 * The capacity of the Peniel church is unable to accommodate congregations so many congregations worship outside the building, especially those who live in Wawalintouan sit outside because it is not directly adjacent to Watulambot.
 * Waralintouan sub-district which is the centre of Tondano City does not have a church and only has a mosque while the majority of the population is Protestant Christians.
 * If the construction of a church building in Wawalintouan is postponed, the church will likely not be built in the city centre and will instead be built in the Susunan Labo plantation area in Lewet.
 * There is a passion to build their own church.

Committe
Based on various considerations, the congregation in Wawalintouan (columns 31-39) at the time of the election of a new special minister (Pelsus) for the 1986-1989 period, in November 1985 the plan for expansion had become clearer. The clarity on the expansion of the congregation continued at the Column 31-39 Meeting of Special Servants at Pnt. J.D. Kalonta (Kel. Kalonta-Walalangi) with the results:


 * Specifically for the Peniel Congregation column 31-39 domiciled in the Wawalintouan Sub-district, they held a service once a month on the first Sunday and the first time the service was on February 2, 1986, Morning Worship at the Wawalintouan Village hall led by Rev. Piet M. Tampi, S.Th
 * The Service and Development Fund was no longer deposited with the Treasurer of the Peniel Congregation but was kept in preparation for the construction of the Church Building itself, and was appointed by Mrs. Erni Lumingkewas-Lewu as the depositary.

In the following month, on the first Sunday, March 2, 1986, after the service led by Rev. MrTH Supit, a short meeting was held to discuss the formation of the Development Committee Formation Team whose task was to procure funds, land and the construction of the Church. The Formation Team was formed and consisted of 5 people:


 * 1) Deacon J. D. Kalonta
 * 2) PE Drs. Ronny Sumanti
 * 3) Ang J. marenteked
 * 4) Jules Parengkuan
 * 5) Ventje Mamengko

On Thursday, 6 March 1986, the Formation Team held a meeting to form a Church Construction Committee as a preparation for the establishment of a GMIM Congregation in Wawalintouan. This management was supplemented by committee members from the Congregation in Columns 31 - 39. After the composition of the Committee was complete, a special meeting was held on May 24, 1986, which discussed plans for laying the first stone, inaugurating the committee and efforts to raise funds. Although discussions on plans for the church's construction have been intense, there is no certainty about the location of the church's construction.

There once was a piece of land located in the western Wawalintouan t which was adjacent to Jalan Roda (now Pattimura St.) to be purchased with the money available at that time but the certainty was not clear. After a month, a proposed location for the construction of the GMIM church in Wawalintouan appeared at a place that was then called "COT" which was located next to the Tondano terminal. Even though the place called "COT" has a lot of boulders, the location is very strategic and is located at the top with a 2/3 view of Tondano City.

The "COT" area has historical value during the Japanese Occupation and the Permesta upheaval. When the proposal was raised and approved at the Development Committee meeting, it was agreed that further discussions would be held with Mr. Ir. Montong, who at that time served as Secretary of Level II Minahasa. The discussion was held on Friday, 18 July 1986 in which Mr. Jules Parengkuan, Mr. Ventje Mamengko, Mr. A. Lumingkewas, Mr. Liong Gimon and Mr. Dandle who were the Danramil at that time met Mr. Ir. Montong. This meeting is the first breakthrough in order to ensure the status of land that has been planned (COT) which is said to belong to the government.

The next breakthrough was when there was a thanksgiving event held at the Peniel Church, attended by the Regent of Minahasa at that time, Mr. Alex Lelengboto, he immediately agreed when the Chair of the Church Construction Committee, Mr. Pnt. P.O. Kandouw asked for his approval regarding the location of the Church's construction, he immediately said yes and even immediately ordered the Head of the Tondano sub-district to directly measure the land for the location where the Church would be built. When land certainty was in place, on 8 October 1986 at a committee meeting held at Kel. Kandouw-Lompoliuw, the Church Construction Committee determined the location for the church's construction and carried out land measurements on 14 October 1987.

Cornerstone
Sunday, 14 December 1986 was the beginning of the construction of the GMIM Church in Wawalintouan, which was marked by the laying of the first stone. The Cornerstone placement service was led by Deacon J. D. Kalonta, and attended by Mr. Nico Kawengian representing the government, who at that time served as Secretary of the Waralintouan Village. Before the construction of the permanent church was carried out, the congregation no longer carried out the congregation at GMIM Pniel Congregation but had started to carry out services at the Kelurahan Hall and then at Kanisa which was made of bamboo at the location of the church construction.

The joy of a Church Building through the Construction Committee which has been entrusted with the support of the entire Congregation who is also fully involved in it. Each column contribute to participate in building process from selling food, coupons, running cards, and some also making personal contributions in the form of funds or building materials led to the creation of a construction canteen located at the Tondano terminal complex that managed by each column. Mr Ir. Kardono is one of the people who played an important role in the construction. He is a Christian but not Wawalintouan permanent resident, because of his job, Mr. Ir. Kardono lives on Mini St. (Column 36). One time he attended the Column 36 Service and heard that there were obstacles in the construction of the Church, he then with sincerity and personal initiative provided assistance in bringing the "Bulldozer" which is usually used for work matters to the Church construction site for leveling off the construction site at the rocky hill. On 8 November 1987 because at the end of his assignation and as a souvenir to Mr. Ir. Kardono, a soil-friendly event was held as well as giving souvenirs as a memento by the Development Committee.

A new Church
Since the location where the Church was to be built was measured on October 14, 1987, various meetings have been held, efforts have been made, and not even a few sacrifices have been made by the entire Construction Committee, Special Servants and even every member of the Congregation in Wawalintouan. This continued until mid-1989, to be precise on Tuesday, 4 July 1989 a meeting was held at the Ngantung-Rempas Family's home and one of the topics was the Inauguration of the Congregation in Wawalintouan to become a congregation that stood alone and blossomed from the Pniel Congregation.

This stage began with preparations for the ordination, including the construction of Kanisa with a tin roof, the walls were made of bamboo, while the floor was made of concrete. Likewise with the consistory, which distinguishes the walls which are made of plywood; It has also been followed by various preparations of equipment in Kanisa. Apart from that, the structure of the Church Council in Wawalintouan was prepared and elected. After going through several processes, on Friday, 18 August1989, a meeting of Church Council election was held in Wawalintouan.

Art Piece



 * Kristus Dimahkotai Duri - Christ with the Crown of Thorns
 * Yesus yang Berdoa (Lukisan) - the Praying Jesus (painting)
 * Perjamuan Malam Terakhir (tapestery) - the Last Supper (tapestery)
 * Yesus Menyambut Segala bangsa (Kaca Patri) - Jesus Welcome the Nations (stained glass)
 * Yesus dan Anak-Anak (rail-kaca Patri) - Jesus and the Children (stained glass rail)
 * Yesus berdoa di Taman Getsemani (rail-kaca patri) - Jesus in the Gethsemane (stained glass rail)
 * Relief Johann Friedrich Riedel - Johann Friedrich Riedel, relief
 * Relief Dr. Gerungan Saul Samuel Jacob Ratulangi - Dr. Gerungan Saul Samuel Jacob Ratulangi, relief
 * Relief Khotbah di Bukit - Sermon on the Mount, relief

Special Event

 * 14 December 1986, Cornerstone placement
 * 18 August 1989, election to the first Church Council
 * 27 Agustus 1989, Church Inauguration
 * 25 Januari 1991, Pniel III rededicated to Riedel
 * 1993, the Congregation move the the new building
 * 5 April 1995 - 11, April 1995, GMIM V Synod Assembly
 * 29 August 2004, Mass Baptism in commemorating GMIM Riedel XV Anniversary by Rev. Dr. A.F. Parengkuan Chair of GMIM Synod
 * 18 September 2008 - 20 September 2008, Youth Art Festival (FSPG) & CCA Sinode GMIM - Vocal Group Seri B
 * 28 January 2011, Youth Unity Day & GMIM XXI Youth Anniversary in the Tondano II area - Hiking Competition
 * Agustus 2011, Inauguration of the Hall and the 22nd Anniversary of the Congregation
 * 3 July 2015 - 4 Juli 2015, Sunday School Festival (FAS) - Vocal Group
 * 14 July 2017, Inauguration of Riedel's Kindergarten by the Regent of Minahasa Drs. Jantje Sajow, Msi
 * 1 November 2017 - 3 November 2017, General Synod VII Session of the Churches in Sulutteng (North Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi region) [[File:Sidang_Sinode_Am_VII_Gereja-gereja_di_(Sulutteng)_di_GMIM_Riedel_Wawalintouan.jpg|thumb|General Synod VII Session of the Churches in Sulutteng (North Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi region) at Riedel's hall]]
 * 18 October 2019 - 19 October 2019, A Series of Middle Choir Competition in commemorating 57th years GMIM Mens Ministry
 * 29 Mach 2021, GMIM Special Synod Council (SMSI) LXXX - Cluster 36 Region Tondano II & III
 * 25-26 November 2022, Middle Choir Competition in commemorating 85th years GMIM Woman Ministry

Facility

 * Church Building (± 800 people capacity)
 * Multifunctional Hall (± 500 people capacity)
 * Riedel's Kindergarten
 * Parking
 * Badminton court
 * Canteen
 * Garden