HKBP Crisis

The HKBP (Huria Kristen Batak Protestan) Crisis was a 6 year crisis that occurred as a result of an internal conflict in 1992 within the HKBP General Synod on 23–28 November 1992 until the Reconciliation General Synod on 18–20 December 1998.

The internal conflict resulted in dualism of the leadership of HKBP. It was split between the independent Rev. Dr. S.A.E. Nababan, who was elected as Ephorus in 1987, and Rev. Dr. P.W.T. Simanjuntak, who was elected as the pro-government Ephorus through the Special General Synod in 1993. The crisis ended after the Reconciliation General Synod in 1998 that resulted in Rev. Dr. J.R. Hutauruk being elected as a new Ephorus, thus ending the crisis.[1]

It was alleged that the government of Indonesia, under Soeharto, commanded Maraden Panggabean to intervene in the crisis because of the influence of HKBP in the Batak people.[2]

The crisis also resulted in the breakup of some of the HKBP churches throughout Indonesia.[2] The most affected ones were the churches of HKBP Bandung, HKBP Pondok Bambu, HKBP Salemba (now HKBP Diaspora), and HKBP Kebayoran.[3]