TLM – GMIT Foundation facilitated Seminar and Workshop of Village Law at TTS (South Central Timor), Monday and Tuesday, 9 – 10 December 2019, at Dena Hotel Hall – So’e

As confirmed about the target of participants invited were 50 Pastors/Pastries and 25 Village Heads, until the end of the activity, the participant who attended in the seminar were 42 people, consists of 36 Pastors/Pastries representing 11 classists and 7 Village Heads from 5 Sub districts that are spread in the TTS district.

The committee of this seminar and workshop of Village Law, Ps. Emille R. Hauteas, S.Si confirmed about the attendance of participants that the activity coincides with Soe classists session so that many participants were invited but didn’t have time to come.

The seminar and workshop of Village Law begun by worship led by Ps. Emmile R. Hauteas, S.Si, then continued with speech delivered by chairman of Synod GMIT, Ps. Dr. Mery L.Y Kolimon also opened the seminar.

In her speech, Ps. Mery appreciated the presence of the Pastors/Pastries as community leaders in the village, in their busy activity at classists’ session and end of year activity still took time to take part in the seminar. He further explained that the activity was a form of follow-up from one of mandates agreed at the recent synod session.

“One of the mandates in the recent synod session for us to continue in the ministry of the congregation in the village is that the church must find ways to increase its participation in rural community development, especially in the utilization of large village funds so that it is right on target, “explained Ps. Mery.

She hoped that the Pastors/Pastries and Village Heads could take this opportunity to learn so they can be role model for village when they return to community, involved in discussion to plan development properly to avoid corruption and cause problem for the community and congregation but can achieve the common goal of more advance TTS community.

In the seminar and workshop, the Pastors/Pastries and village heads divided in several groups, given the opportunity to discuss, identified potentials and challenges of village economy development they serve, and then present to the participants and trainer.

One of the participants, Ps. Desy Kaesmetan, S.Th when presenting the results of her group’s discussion emphasized, the church must be involved in the struggle and ministry in the village because the mission of the church is a holistic mission so that active dialogue needs to be conducted between the church and the existing government.

“Our village struggle with poverty, stunting, education and many other things in our respective village, so we need to work and struggle in service. The result of last year seminar with TLM Foundation, there were some Pastors/Pastries home managed well to build relationship with the village government but some were not actively involved or were not even invited to village meetings. So with this second seminar, we hope to be able to fight and work together for the benefit of the community, “explained Ps. Desy.

She further stated, the authority of the village now is wider but lacking of community leaders involvement in planning so it needs to be considered and improved so the community can be involved from the planning process until implementation and reporting to prevent corruption

In collaboration with the GMIT Synod, the TLM Foundation and the Uniting World, presented Haji Yusuf Murtiono, chairman of the Kebumen Civil Society Forum (FORMASI) presidium as a resource person with two materials namely; the nature and position of the Village Law and the Village Law realizing a strong, developed, independent and democratic village.