Batam Island, INDONESIA
On 6 and 7 September 2005, I was requested to speak at a training programme in Batam. Batam, as you may have known, is an island known for its electrical/electronic industrial activity, shopping, and rampant prostitution. It is also commonly known as "pleasure island". Batam is also once of the best places to visit should one desire to witness an open exhibition of some abbhorant characteristics (if not for anything else, just to get one's self shocked to the core, really) of some citizens of one or two neighbouring countries when they are away from their usual regulated environment.
Prior to 1992, there was almost no existence of any local church in Batam, except for an islandwide ecumenical fellowship (Persekutuan Doa Oikumene Agape) for industrial workers, which numbered over 800 people. But after 1992, local churches were established all over the island. Whilst the number of people in this prayer fellowship has dwindled significantly because of the establishment of local churches, this fellowship is largely responsible for having resourced those local churches with young Christian men and women who were able to assume leadership roles in their respective faith communities. I was asked to speak to the leaders of this fellowship over two nights on the foundations of ministry.
