Evangelical Presbyterian Church of East Timor

The Evangelical Presbyterian Church of East Timor (Igreja Evangelica Presbyteriana iha Timor Leste in Tetun) is a Reformed Presbyterian denomination in East Timor with 14 churches and 3 chapels. It has 3,500 members and 9 pastors - 6 full-time 3 part- time pastors and 6 evangelists.^[1] The church is supported by the Presbyterian Church of Australia, and sister church relationship was also formed between these denominations.^[2][3] It held the foundational Synod in 2011.^[4][5] Contacts with the Christian Presbyterian Church in Portugal was also established and mission trip was made in East Timor on August 2012.^[6][7]

History

Evangelical Presbyterian Church (Igreja Ebenezer), district of Caicolí, Díli

In 2000 the Presbyterian Church of Australia, the Australian Presbyterian World Mission (APWM) begun to form relationship with the Protestant Church in East Timor. It was started in the 1960s and grew rapidly. Indonesians gave them a confession, structure and credence to the young church. In 1999 the East Timorese voted to integrate into Indonesia or become a free state. East Timor become a young independent country. As a result, the Protestant church grew smaller, because the members was Indonesians. APWM found cooperation with the Protestant Church in East Timor difficult and discontinued all relations. The East Timor church had difficult times. They decided that the old church should minister in the "Eastern Kingdom", and the new church would minister in the "Southern and Western Kingdoms". This new church is the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Timor Leste (East Timor) in 2008. The first moderator was Rev. Arlino Marcal, who ask the Australian Presbyterian Church for help.^[8] 17 congregation become part of the EPC.^[9][10] The new church building of Igreja Evangélica Presbiteriana Ebenezer de Dili, the headquarters of the Church in Timor Leste, was inaugurated in the district of Caicolí in the southern part of Dili on 28 March 2015.^[11]

References