MEDAN, Indonesia – Do you love teaching?  Join this Virtual Team to reach out to the students at St. Paul Theological School in Medan, North Sumatra.  Students and virtual team members will gather November 11 & 12, 2021 (2-3 hours each day) to learn and discuss building Christian character and fighting against evil.  Founded in 2005, St. Paul Theological School was created to offer the best teacher training possible.  Open to students of all religious backgrounds it became a way to present the Orthodox faith in Indonesia. 

Accredited by the Government of Indonesia as a Higher Education School, St. Paul Theological School offers four-year programs.  Since its establishment, over 1000 students have graduated and are currently working as teachers, civil servants, and university professors.  Both Father Chrysostomos and Presbytera Elizabeth Manalu are among the instructors.  Presently there are 3 other Orthodox professors. 

This Mission Team has been invited by His Eminence Metropolitan Constantine of Singapore and South Asia to enrich the experience of the students at the Theological School.  The contribution of this School is immense to the overall community.  By educating young people who are being trained to mold hundreds of their own students they are cultivating Christian values for the future generations.  The school instills an appreciation for the beauty and richness of the Orthodox faith because the students experience Orthodox worship services as part of their curriculum.  Additionally, four young men who have graduated from the school have entered the priesthood:  Fr. Theodosius, Fr. Luke, Fr. Chariton and Fr. Savas.  The functioning of the seminary is a continuous miracle.  

Indonesia is a country with over 230 million people, where only six religions are officially recognized: Islam (87%), Hinduism (2%), Buddhism (1%), Confucianism (1%), Catholicism and Protestantism (10% for both Christian Churches).  The region surrounding Medan has a higher concentration of Christian Churches than some other areas.  Islam’s strength, influence in numbers, and power allow it to exert itself on the religious, political and social scenes, taking preferential treatment and limiting the activities of other faiths.  Indonesia has a growing and diverse economy, but that was reduced by the economic crises in the last decade.  Endemic corruption exists and the need for economic reform still remains. 

OCMC continues to support the strategic mission potential of the Metropolis of Singapore and South Asia and the Orthodox Church in Indonesia.  Assist the Orthodox Church in Indonesia with its ongoing mission by being part of this ministry in Medan.   

Dates:  November 11 & 12, 2021 (2-3 hours each day)  

Cost:  $60 

Fund raising – Team Members are encouraged to fund raise to make this event successful and to support the unending work of missions.  

Share in a journey of faith… Orthodox Mission Team members are challenged to view the world with God's eyes and seek how He wants to use them to fulfill His plans.  This cross-cultural experience, combined with outreach, offers participants a life-changing learning experience.  This experience is about people, culture and missions.  It is also about prayer, for you and others; it is about God, those you serve, and about yourself, as you serve Him.