Figure 1.

Gereja Sion
http://static.panoramio.com/photos/large/5870089.jpg

Introduction

GPIB (Gereja Protestan Indonesia Barat/Protestant Churches of Western Indonesia Body) Sion
Jakarta formerly known as Portugesche Buitenkerk or Portuguese Church that is located on the
streen of Pangeran Jayakarta. It is the oldest church still standing in Jakarta, most of the furniture of
the church are still in good condition and being used right now. The church undergone its first
renovation on 1920, and the second one in 1978. The church is protected by the law from its local
government (DKI Jakarta) through its Gubernur SK CB/11/12/1972.

The meaning behind the name of the church is Portuguese Church outside (wall of the city). The
church was built on 1693, officially opened on sunday October 23rd 1695. The construction of the
building was jointly financed by the Portuguese and the VOC Government. The construction took
two years to finish, the first stone was officially put om 19th October 1693 by pieter Van Hoorn.
The story was written on the monument written in the Dutch language.

During the Japanese Occupation in 1942, the name of the church changed into Portuguese Church,
and the name was not allowed by the Japanese and it was forced to shut down for two years. During
its reign, the Japanese army force (Dai Nippon) wanted to change the function of the church into a
place to store the funeral urns or it is called Columbarium for the fallen Japanese soldiers.
After Indonesia gained its independence, the church changed the name again into Portuguese
Church, during the transitional government, the Dutch government gave the ownership of the
church to Protestant Churches of Western Indonesia Body. On 1957 GPIB Sinode held a conference
where on that day the Portuguese Church changed its name for the last time into GPIB
Congregation of Zion (GPIB Jemaat Sion), and since then the church was known as Gereja Sion.
The name sion was taken from a name of a hill in Palestine, the word Sion was originally written in
Hebrew. The word sion represents the symbol of salvation of the ancient people in Israel. On 1984,
the churchyard had to be reduced due to the construction of the road nearby.

There are 2,381 people that were buried in the graveyard during 1790, but sadly only a few tombs
that survived throughout the time. The governor General Hendrick Zwaardecroon who died in 1728,
wish to be buried in this graveyard, because we wanted to be buried ordinary people.

Architecture
Gereja Sion is famously known for its European style, the building measures by 24 x 32m. on the
back of the church, an extension was added (6 x 18m extension building) on a lot of 6725 metres
square. The church can hold up to 1000 congregation. The church was built on a foundation of
10.000 logs of dolken wood. The church construction was designed by E. Ewout Verhagen from
Rotterdam. All of the wall structure of the building was made from bricks that were glued by a mix
of sand and heatproof sugar.

The church has its Dutch Characteristic with a plain facade, and a ward-like style with a domed
windows. The Portuguese church includes a hall church. The church forms a long space with three
equal parts of the same high wooden ceiling and curved like a half-barrel. The ceiling was propped
up six columns. The interior of the church contains a beautiful carved wooden (ebony) chair and
table that is still use for the church activities. From time to time the church also used as a place for
civil registration event for the church members that wanted to get ordained and married
ecclesiastically.

A baroque-style ebony pulpit/podium/stage was one of the original furniture of the church that was
a gift from H. Brujin, and it is located in the extension part of the church, this pulpit hooded a
canopy, which is supported by two rolling columns with Ionic makeup and four bronze milestones.
Another interesting part of the church is the organ flute (orgel), the pipe organ was a donation made
by the daughter of Reverend John Maurits Moor. The organ is carefully maintained and taken care
up until today, but the organ itself was used on 8th October 2000.

Figure 2. Interior of Gereja Sion

http://jakarta.panduanwisata.id/files/2015/01/gereja-sion-1.jpg
Historical Significancy
Gereja sion is classified as a Class A heritage building, not only because of it is the oldest church
that makes it significant to hold a class A, but how the building survive throughout the time since
1965 and remain functional until to these day.The presence of the Church of Zion leads us to the
long story of the mardijkers (slaves freed on the condition of embracing Protestantism and using
Dutch) in Batavia.

Before the church was built, there was a chapel or small church (1675) for the Catholic slaves (A
Heuken SJ: Old Churches in Jakarta, Cipta Loka Caraka, 2003). Around the chapel, these slaves
lived and gave birth. They were from Bengal, Malabar, Koromandel, and Sri Lanka, Portuguese
colonies in India. They were mostly Catholic and speak Portuguese. After the VOC (Vereenigde
oostindische Compagnie) seized the British colonies, the VOC brought them to Batavia to build the
city. Since 1628, the embryo of this mardijker flooded the outskirts of Batavia. In 1709, their
number in the suburbs reached 6,903, while Bugis ethnic 4,959, and Chinese immigrants 6,393
inhabitants (Remco Raben: Jakarta Batavia, Socio-Cultural Essay, Banana KITLV, Jakarta 2007).
The Church of Zion was built after the slaves became mardijkers. When it began to use, the church
in the city was damaged, burning. The VOC community, the officials and their families, moved to
worship the Church of Zion. Eventually, the church became the window of luxury of the Batavian
elite. To build Batavia, early in the 17th century, the VOC brought many immigrants, mainly from
the mardijker and China. The mardijkers were brought to Batavia as slaves after the Dutch seized a
number of Portuguese colonies. When the VOC Governor Jan Pieterszoon Coen came to power, he
mobilized Chinese from Fukien, South China. Under the leadership of Captain So Beng Kong, the
Chinese community established the castle and the city of Batavia. His successor, VOC Governor
Adrian Valckenier (1737-1741) continued his predecessor's policy.

As Chinese immigrants freely enter Batavia, their population is overflowing. Remco Raben notes
that if in 1709 the largest number of immigrants on the outskirts of Batavia was still dominated by
the mardijker, then in 1719 the number of Chinese immigrants became the highest, 7,550
inhabitants. At that time, the number of mardijker slumped to 6,634 inhabitants. In 1739, the
number of Chinese immigrants reached 10,574 people, while the mardijker 5,247 inhabitants, and
Bugis ethnic 4,521 inhabitants.

The church hold immensely significant history back from late 16 th century, where not only it is an
important history piece to the mardjiker people, but what is more important that the Church is also
becoming the witness on how Jakarta is growing from the old Batavia during the Dutch and Japan
occupancy, up until Indonesia got its independency, an important piece of history that tells the story
of Jakarta. A lot of stories, tragedies, historical event have had happened throughout the time, and
we are lucky that the building survives, a testament where construction in the old days are far
superior, and can withstand even at the time when the Krakatoa erupted, the structure stood still up
against the earthquake that was created from the eruption.