Lumentut, Agustina

(b. 1939)

   church leader in Indonesia

   Agustina Lumentut was born into a Christian family at Rampi, sulawesi, indonesia. she grew up during World War II and the start of the Indonesian state. Her father was a prominent pastor in the Christian Church of Central Sulawesi, with its roots in the Reformed Church of the Netherlands. At the age of 17, she began her studies for the ministry, a unique venture for a woman at the time. Her educational goals took her to Australia and India, and eventually to Trinity Theological College in Singapore.

   She served in the Christian Church in Central Sulawesi for many years and built a reputation for her championship of the poor and underprivileged, her skills as a mediator, and for balancing the demands of preaching and pastoral leadership with the drive for social change. In the 1990s, Lumentut was elected as moderator of her denomination, the first female so recognized in all of Indonesia. She served for eight years, during which time she was also selected to serve on the central committee of the World Council of Churches.

   Following her years as moderator, she retired and has subsequently functioned as an ambassador at large for the church. In 1998, she represented the Christian Conference of Asia at the Synod of Asian Bishops (Roman Catholic) and addressed the synod during the visit of Pope John Paul II. She took the opportunity to call for the church to reorder its life to be ready to receive the gifts and graces of women.

   Further reading:

   ■ Margaret Kirk, Let Justice Flow (Delhi: I.S.P.C.K., 1997)

   ■ Scott W. Sunquist, ed., A Dictionary of Asian Christianity (Grand Rapids, Mich.: William B. Eerdmans, 2001).