From the 16th century the coastal areas of Kalimantan (Borneo) were Islamicized, but the Dayak tribes in the interior kept to their ancestral faith. The first RMG missionary in Southern Kalimantan arrived in 1835; in 1838 the mission started work in the interior, among the Dayak Ngaju and Maanyan tribes. The resistance of the tribal religion was fierce, and in 1859 the mission was nearly destroyed by an uprising against Dutch colonial rule. Contrary to the experience of the RMG in North Sumatra, from 1866 to 1904 progress was slow (1901: 2,000 Christians), in spite of great efforts by the mission. The causes were the selfdetermination mentality of the Dayak, which made them skeptical of new things, the paternalism of the mission, and its negative attitude toward local culture. In 1920, due to the situation in Germany after World War I, the RMG had to hand over its Kalimantan mission to the Basel Mission. In 1935 the church was declared autonomous with the name of Gereja Dajak Evangelis, and the first five ministers were ordained. Among these was F. Dingang, son of a traditional chief who had made an active contribution to the spread of Christianity. Until 1942 the Synod Board was chaired by a European missionary; only after the arrival of the Japanese, when Europeans could not fill such posts, was a Dayak appointed President. In 1950 the church decided to abandon its tribal base, changing its name into Gereja Kalimantan Evangelis (GKE). This indicated clearly that the church welcomed Christians from other parts of Indonesia to join and fully participate as members of the church, and, if elected, on the church boards at any level. This development helped to encourage real fellowship and witness by Indonesian Christians, an idea which in the same year materialized in the constitution of the newly founded Indonesian Council of Churches (DGI, now PGI). It also led to support for building a united Indonesian nation, which by its very nature is a diverse and multi-cultural society. To improve the economic and social life of inland people, GKE established the Centre of Agricultural Training in Tumbang Lahang in 1955. As a contribution to the national development plan, in 1967 the GKE founded the Technical High School for woodworking in Mandomai, which became known nationwide. The church has clinics, student homes, and a number of schools on all levels, from kindergarten to university. A Christian University was established in 1987 in Palangka Raya, the capital of Central Kalimantan. This church publishes a trimonthly magazine,Berita GKE.The GKE considers April 4, 1935, as the date of its birth.
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