Gary Fallesen / Thursday, April 5, 2012 / Categories: Indonesia, Mission: Indonesia 2012, HIStory, History Mission: Indonesia 2012 Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim nation, claiming that about 213 million of its 248 million people¹ (86 percent) follow Islam. While the Southeastern Asian country’s constitution supposedly guarantees religion freedom, persecution against Christians is well documented. Since 1996, 798 Christian churches have been burned, attacked or closed, according to Voice of the Martyrs. In 2006, Indonesia’s Ministry of Religion issued a national decree requiring religious groups with 90 members or more to get the permission of 60 neighbors before building or expanding “a religious venue.” Levels of persecution differ throughout this country — an archipelago of 6,000 inhabited islands — and Islam does not control all of the 784 people groups that call Indonesia home. One group, which Climbing For Christ will attempt to reach, is alleged to be mostly Muslim. But, researchers say, “By and large, the (withheld) people still revere sacred places like the gravesites of popular religious leaders and Mount (withheld) where the god (withheld) is considered ruler. Many (of these people) also venerate the spirits of their ancestors and the spirits who live in the forests, mountains and rivers.” The gods must be angry with the people of Indonesia as one calamity after another befalls them, including earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. Despite the constant threat of natural disaster and of persecution — or, perhaps, because of these threats — Indonesian Christians stand strong in the faith. Climbing For Christ desires to encourage and inspire C4C Indonesia members as well as attempting to do our part in the body of Christ's ongoing efforts to reach the 213 people groups in Indonesia who remain unevangelized.² ¹ Population per July 2012 estimate by CIA World Factbook ² People group numbers provided by the Joshua Project Crisis in Malawi (Wednesday, March 28) Mission: Indonesia 2012 Print 5601 Gary FallesenGary Fallesen Other posts by Gary Fallesen Contact author