Developments in Indonesia

Despite its long and ancient history
todays Indonesia is
 a young nation having gained independence in
1948 from
centuries of colonialisation. Recent economic
development
has brought profound changes to Indonesian
society
The inflation rate currently hovers at around
10% and the
1997 Asian economic crisis has left many
sectors of the
country crippled. Each year 2 million people
enter the workforce
yet only 3% will find employment. Even if they
do find
work the income is usually not enough to live on
A civil servant earns a mere US$20 per month
a factory worker will earn US$40 per month
a rice farmer will earn .17 cents per day.

Recent laws in Indonesia, such as having to carry
an identity card, and the legacy of the trans-migration
scheme, have done little to unify this vast and diverse
nation. Indeed, many believe that these new laws
have created ethnic tension in previously quiet regions.

Rapid urbanisation has meant that now an estimated
40% of the entire population live in massive cities
particularly on the island of Java with Jakarta
Surabaya and Jogyakarta.

Indonesia is the Largest Muslim Nation

Today Indonesia is at a point of crisis. Recent leadership
changes, scandals, student riots, ethnic murders and
more, have created an unstable political scene
Indonesia is a difficult place to govern in the best
of times with such huge cultural and ethnic diversity.
Every major region of Indonesia has suffered. In March
2001 more than 500 Madurese were brutally massacred
by Dayaks with more than 40,000 Madurese fleeing the area
Since 1975 independent Muslim movements in the province
 of Aceh have caused the deaths of at least 6,000 people
In the past two years clashes between Muslims and Christians
in the Maluku Islands have left 500 dead and half a million
people homeless.

As the largest Muslim nation in the world, Indonesia is
one of the greatest challen
es to missions today. There are literally thousands of villages
and towns throughout Indonesia that are 100% Muslims
with no Christian witness. Yet, throughout Indonesia
particularly in the cities, there are large churches
and the Body of Christ is growing rapidly.