I have written before regarding the GKI (Gereja Kema Injil) and the GKIP (Gereja Kema Injil Papua) churches before. But I’ll write again as it’s been a while and there was an event that occurred yesterday regarding this church. The GKIP is a group that broke off of the GKI a couple years ago. Ice tells me that when it happened they literally fought. Near our house is a church building that has not been used for some time as they are fighting over possession of the building. At the time of the split, the two groups lined up on the grass outside the church on opposing sides and fought. Sadly, the GKIP side was much larger. The church was closed up and the GKI meets in the youth centre across the road from us and the GKIP meets in the gym of the Bible school (which they’ve taken over) on the other side of the road from us. In the interior many people also left the GKI for the GKIP. Families were ripped apart and siblings, parents, aunts and uncles no longer speak to each other. However, the actions of the GKIP have convinced many people to return to the GKI. It has become evident that the GKIP is more of a political movement than a church. This was particularly evident when they began burning down homes and churches of the GKI. Yesterday a number of men, “M’s”, went to Enaratoli (interior village), the headquarters of the GKIP movement, to speak to the people there and hopefully expose the GKIP for what it really is. However, upon landing, the airstrip was surrounded by an angry mob of people shouting and threatening that if those in the plane should exit, they would burn the plane and so on. The MAF pilot and his passengers made the decision to leave immediately. The Papuan people are an emotional group and when roused, begin to think irrationally. At times like this it is hard to see what God’s plan is. The GKIP needs to be exposed for the lies they are perpetrating, but when you aren’t given the chance it is very frustrating. Please pray that some good will come of all this and that people will see the truth.
Interestingly enough, I just heard that the leader of the movement is very ill and wants to go to Australia for treatment but is unable to as he is blacklisted from entering.... hmmm....