The Geographical Location of Indonesia

In this country Orthodoxy was unknown until the conversion of Bambang Dwi Byantoro from Mohammedanism to Christianity. Bambang Dwi was born in Mojokorto, East Java, in 1956 and lived with his grandfather, who was an imam, and his mother. He was raised in accordance with the principles of Islam, but had a desire to know God. At the age of 17 he miraculously came to faith in Christ and decided to become a Christian.

Father Daniel Byantoro to the right of Ηis Eminence Dimitriados.

Christians constitute 11% or the population of Indonesia, and the majority of them are protestants. Thus Bambang Dwi Byantoro was at first a protestant, but finding various shortcomings and contradictions in that faith, he began to seek the authentic Church.

At the age of 18 he went to South Korea to study (protestant) theology, but his studies there led him to recognise the truth of Orthodoxy, and having become an Orthodox Christian, he came to The Holy Mountain in Greece, and then went on to Boston, USA, where he studied Orthodox theology, and in 1987 was ordained Hieromonk by Bishop Maximus of Pittsburgh. In 1988, Hieromonk Monk Daniel Byantoro started an Orthodox mission to Indonesia from zero, and his brother John followed him in being ordained priest two years later in 1990

The Baptistry of the Church of the Holy Trinity, Solo

The Church’s Parish Priest, Father Alexios, is standing in the place constructed for the baptising clergyman.

Father Daniel made sure at the outset to establish a legal entity (with the name “The Orthodox Church in Indonesia”) through which the Orthodox mission could legally operate in the country.

The Church of the Holy Trinity, Solo. The Episcopal Throne

In 2005 Fr. Daniel and the majority of the clergy and Orthodox faithful of Indonesia joined the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, following the Patristic Calendar, whilst Father John and a few clergy and laity remained with the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Following the unification of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia and the Moscow Patriarchate (May 2007), new problems arose for the Orthodox Christians of Indonesia, who found themselves in the midst of geopolitical strife between the Constantinople and Moscow Patriarchates.

The Church of the Holy Trinity. Solo. A unique kind of “ciborium”.

Following this, the Church of the GOC of Greece received requests from both the Indonesian Orthodox Communities (without either party being aware that the other had made the same move) that they be admitted into Genuine Orthodoxy. The texts "Confession of Faith of Genuine Orthodox Christians" and "The True Orthodox Church against the Heresy of Ecumenism - Doctrinal and Canonical Themes" were translated into Indonesian, and after their acceptance by all the Indonesian Orthodox, the Holy Synod decided to invite representatives of the Indonesian Orthodox to Greece to meet them in person and confirm their confession and their sincere intentions. After this, the Holy Synod accepted their request, and charged His Eminence Photios Metropolitan of Dimitriados with the implementation of the resolution.

The Church of the Holy Trinity Solo (from the outside)

On 15th / 28th October 2019, Ηis Eminence Dimitriados arrived from Melbourne, Australia, via Bali and Jakarta, in the city of Solo, where the Holy Trinity Church and the cathedral seat of the Orthodox Church of Indonesia are located.

The Church of the Holy Trinity Solo (interior view)

All the priests, deacons, subdeacons and readers from various regions of Indonesia gathered there, along with the faithful from the city of Solo, to give a warm reception to the Hierarch arriving from Greece.

His Eminence Dimitriados remained in the city for several days serving Divine Liturgy everyday and also laying on hands, ordaining and anointing with Holy Myrrh.

The Ordination of Hierodeacon Gabriel

Besides the reception into the Church of ten Priests and a Deacon, four new clergy were ordained, two priests and two deacons, so our Church now has 12 Priests, 3 Deacons, and about them 50 Subdeacons and Readers as well as several thousand laity.

His Eminence Photios Metropolitan of Dimitriados in the midst of the Holy Clergy of Indonesia

His Eminence Dimitriados presented the newly received and newly ordained priests with authorised Antimensia and sufficient quantities of Holy Myrrh for the needs of the Parishes. For the duration of His Eminence’s visit, the Church of the Holy Trinity was protected by members of the Indonesian army and security forces in order to prevent the sudden outbreak of unpleasant incidents caused by fanatical Moslems.

Before his departure from Solo, His Eminence Dimitriados visited the parish of Saint Matthew the Evangelist in Boyolali (see above photograph)

He then proceeded to the Parish of St. Barbara, Salatiga, where the church is under construction (see photograph above). Until the completion of the building work, services are conducted on a temporary basis in the adjacent houses (see photograph below).

After the departure of His Eminence Dimitriados from the city of Solo, he travelled with Father Daniel to Jakarta, where he visited the facilities of the Theological Seminary being built for the training of the Indonesian Clergy. He subsequently flew on to Melbourne.