This church has its roots in the Dutch Reformed (Gereformeerde) Church, which existed in the city of Medan between 1915 and 1957. Through the missionary work of this church, a number of Javanese and Toba and Karo Batak joined the church. When the Dutch had to leave (1957), the Indonesian members remained. In 1969 the congr constituted themselves into an independent Synod, which in the same year enacted a church order of a strictly Presb character (no permanent Synod). In 1970 the membership was 5,000, with 4 ordained ministers, 16 evangelists, and 120 elders, in 12 congr and 56 places of worship. The church sent some of its young people to Yogyakarta to receive theological education at the Theological Academy of the Gereja Kristen Jawa. In the 1960s most church members were ethnic Javanese, but in the meantime Bataks, originating from the Toba Batak and the Karo Batak churches, constitute the majority. In time the church changed its name from Gereja-Gereja Gereformeerd Synode Sumatera Utara to its present name. The GKI Sumut is very active in the social sphere. In 1976 the church became a member of the PGI. It considers September 1, 1969, as its date of birth.
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