New laws were passed in Indonesia in 2005 stating that no school or seminary would be allowed to operate unless it received accreditation by the National Accreditation Body before August 2012. Failing to do so would make the school illegal, subject to heavy penalties, and forced to close.

Since this new regulation was put in place, Vision Indonesia 1:1:1 and Partners International have been working together to upgrade facilities, expand libraries, and upgrade the education level of the faculty at their network of seminaries, the Evangelical Theological Seminary of Indonesia (ETSI), throughout the country.

Partners International has partnered with Vision Indonesia 1:1:1 since its inception in the 1970s, and today ETSI is the broadest seminary network in the country.

One of the reasons for its tremendous success is that each student is required to plant a church before graduation. This challenging assignment helps to fulfill Vision Indonesia 1:1:1’s central mission which is to plant one church in every one village of Indonesia in one generation. It also gives students hands-on church-planting experience and results in incredible ministry impact each year. During the last academic year, 7,559 people accepted Christ and 143 new preaching points were established as a result of student and faculty outreach.

Meeting the Challenge

The new requirements put some of this important work at risk, as the financial investment needed to meet the standards has been a challenge for theological schools across the country. Vision Indonesia 1:1:1’s founder and President, Dr. Chris Marantika, reported this week, “This is a critical time for all seminaries and Bible schools in Indonesia. Their mere existence is at stake. We need to pray that each will get their accreditation status approved for the sake of the Body of Christ in the land.”

While some challenges remain, 160 students received their Master of Theology degrees this year, 34 of them faculty. This goes a significant way toward meeting the government’s requirements regarding the education level of instructors. About 20 doctoral graduates are ready to take their government examinations at the end of 2012, and 12 of the 16 main branch campuses of ETSI have received accreditation to date.

“Partners International has had a big part in supporting us to reach this point in our ministry,” said Dr. Marantika. “Partners has helped with prayers and financial assistance for 32 years, enabling us to produce over 4,000 graduates with various diplomas and degrees. The door is opening for us to have an impact in the lives of Indonesia’s educated society, as our alumni are hired as teachers of Christianity in public schools and other key roles. In spite of many difficulties, we are moving rapidly to impact this largest Islamic nation for Christ.”

More funds are needed to help Dr. Marantika and his team meet the accreditation goals.

Give today to help ETSI train leaders in Indonesia

Thank you for making 2011 a year of incredible ministry impact around the world. Your generosity, especially during the key month of December, will equip God's servants to share His love and grace in greater ways in the year ahead. We are excited to share with you just a few ministry results in 2011:

•    59,600 people came to faith in Christ
•    20,100 leaders were trained for ministry
•    1,600 new churches were planted
•    315,800 people were helped through relief and development

Celebrate with us! These results are only possible because of you! If you have signed up to receive our newsletter, you can look forward to receiving our full 2011 Impact Report in the next few weeks. You won't want to miss it! You can view a preview version of the 2011 Impact Report online now!

In addition to the amazing results listed above, your partnership is a tremendous encouragement to our brothers and sisters in Christ who are harassed and persecuted for the sake of the Gospel. Here, our partner Brother Jonah shares how deeply your prayers and support are cherished by his team serving Tibetans in China:

"We who are at TMC greet all of you in Christ. God is using your offerings to bless the gospel ministry in China. Your gifts have been used to equip grassroots ministers who are responding to the Great Commission, pioneering ministry among unreached people groups, discipling them, and lifting up the name of Jesus among the nations.

"All the spiritual battles that were won in the field cannot happen apart from your prayers before the Lord. The good fruit of our ministry is because of your prayer support backing us up. When we were tired, it was your prayers that helped us rise up and return to the battle field with great faith and courage. Thank you again for your love, giving, and prayer support. May God bless your love and faith and let it continue to grow. Let's continue to be a testimony to the world!"

We invite you to check out the 2011 Impact Report for more stories of how your gifts changed lives in 2011!

P.S. Thank you to all of you who participated in our December Challenge. We met (and exceeded!) our goal!