The Gospel came to East Timor at about the same time as to other parts of the Nusatenggara Timur islands, in the second half of the 16th century (cf. Gereja Masehi Injili Timor, no. 28). As this eastern half of Timor belonged to the Portuguese sphere of influence, even after the Dutch established themselves in Indonesia, the Catholic Church remained the only Christian body in the area until far into the 20th century. Protestantism won a few adherents, but it was suppressed by the colonial government and could expand only after 1975, when East Timor was abandoned by Portugal and annexed by Indonesia. Among the government officials and military moving in were a number of Prot who established congr. Numbers of Timorese, who had not or had only nominally become RCath during the centuries before, also joined the Prot community. In 1979 a Coordinating Agency of Prot Christian Congregations in East Timor was established, under the auspices of the PGI (NCC). This agency made preparations for the formation of a regional church, according to the pattern prevailing in Indonesia since the days of the mission, and on July 9, 1988, the first Synod convened. The membership grew from 6,668 in 1979 to 34,625 in 1996. The close relationship with the NCC made it easier for the GKTT to insert itself into the international oecumene; in 1989 it joined the WARC and in 1993 the WCC. The GKTT has a foundation which is active in education (four maternity schools), health care (one clinic), and social work. Since November 1996, the church has published a monthly magazine under the name Tatoli(“Message” in one of the Timorese languages). It considers July 9, 1988, as its date of birth.
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