Extraterritorial status: Building healthy relationships
Tim Moyer, Philadelphia Praise Centertmoyer@franconiaconference.org
Passing through a metal detector is not a unique experience for me but this particular time, as I gathered my belongings and put my belt back on, I began to realize I had just stepped through a portal into another country within my own. On October 18th, at the invitation of Nations Worship Center, Philadelphia, Pa., I found myself on Indonesian soil in the Embassy of The Republic of Indonesia, Washington DC.Many believers from around the DC area arrived early to explore this place that proudly displayed relics and symbols of their homeland. This was exciting and new for all of us!Once we were all assembled in a large space known as the President’s room, adorned with pictures of popular former presidents, Adon, a famous Indonesian Christian pop-music singer, and Irwan Alexander, a talented musician from the Hillsong church in Australia, led us in worship. As our voices of praise reverberated off of the victorian-styled interior walls, I knew this was something fresh. God was doing something through us that had never been in this place.Every embassy has what is called extraterritorial status. This means that the persons in the embassy are subject to customs and laws of the place they represent. The laws of the country an embassy resides in do not apply to it. This notion parallels Jesus’ teachings about what the Church is. Every ambassador respects the laws of a given place, but is ultimately subject to the kingdom that sent them.Daniel Alexandar, a well known traveling pastor and spiritual mentor for many young Indonesian Christians, delivered a message about how God needs us and wants to work through us. I could observe how receptive the crowd was to his message. As the events of the evening progressed, people continued to pour into the embassy to participate in the service. Children ambled about waiting for their parents, many of them eagerly explored the various rooms, such as the Gamelan room, which seemed forbidden.The service was followed by a massive and delicious Indonesian meal in an adjacent room where the Indonesian coat of arms is the focal point.
This event was more than just a worship service. It was the result of a lot of prayer and hard work. For Indonesian Christians along the eastern seaboard it is a huge step forward in building a healthy relationship with the Indonesian government, which is mostly Muslim. Issues of ethnicity coupled with difference in faith have contributed to many complex social dynamics in Indonesia. Religious tensions have traditionally caused Christian minorities to be hesitant to engage members of their government.Pastor Beny Krisbianto of Nations Worship, shared with me that there are about 11 Indonesian churches in DC. His frustration with their lack of collaboration motivated his church to coordinate this event. He saw the event as an opportunity to unite these churches and bless members of the embassy. “Many times we just focus on our local church program, and we forget that we need to go outside and be a blessing to other churches and other communities,” he notes.This will have a long term impact for folks in DC and Indonesia. Beny exclaimed, “most of them [embassy officials] were very impressed. They were very happy, and they said we can use it for more events!” He hopes to use the space again for a Christmas celebration.Its difficult to touch without being touched. Beny and others from the leadership team seem very encouraged when reflecting on the relationships they’re investing in. I’m looking forward to seeing the ways in which persons from Nations Worship Center will be transformed by the experience.