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IL News 021/2012
Jakarta – Luwuk Banggai (Central Sulawesi), 28th March 2012
For the second time, an internet-based video conference (using Skype) was carried out between Luwuk-Banggai, Central Sulawesi and Jakarta on Wednesday, 28th of March 2012 from 14.30-16.00 Central Indonesian Time.
The video conference, with the topic “Pastor, Citizen Congregation, and Politics”, was a collaboration of Luwuk Banggai Christian Church Synod (GKLB) with the Institut Leimena utilizing the computer labs of the GKLB Christian High School (SMA Kristen GKLB) at Luwuk.
Approximately 20 discussion participants came from Luwuk which includes the representative head I of the GKLB Synod (Pastor Junius Dada, S.Th), several officers from the Synod, the Principal of GKLB Christian High School (Mr. Rudi Budaya), representatives from the Youth Commission and Children and Teenage Commission of the GKLB as well as other Church activists. This event is moderated by Pastor Boby W. Ngude, S.Th. from the Synod GKLB in Luwuk and Budi Setiamarga in Jakarta. From the Institut Leimena, the main contributor to this discussion is Mr. Jakob Tobing, the President of the institute.
The main topic of this Video Conference is the role of Christians as the salt and light amongst the citizens of Indonesia. Politics is not a field to be evaded, since as a responsible citizen, Christians should exist as positive influence in all aspects of life for the glory of God.
Therefore, it is the responsibility of the church to participate in the education of the congregation so as to enable them to be the salt and light amongst citizens including politics without forcing the church to participate in practical politics. Politics can thus be the platform/channel to love one another since politics should consider and represent collective interest without racial, ethnic, religious or any other discrimination.