Leaders from the West Indonesia Union Mission (WIUM) have shared how the Adventist message is spreading into areas of their territory that previously had no Adventist presence.

During a visit to Adventist Media’s Wahroonga in New South Wales, Australia, offices last week, the leaders expressed optimism about ongoing mission efforts despite the significant challenges they face in sharing the gospel.

Indonesia is home to the world’s largest Muslim population, with 86 percent of residents identifying as Muslim. According to WIUM Adventist Mission director Sonny Sipayung, Christianity is often perceived as a product of the West, making outreach difficult.

“Muslims don’t have a problem with Buddhists and Hindus, but they have a problem with Christians,” he said. “That’s because, in their mind, Christianity is a symbol of Western [society]. That is the very strong challenge we have.”

Despite this, Sipayung said the Adventist Church is making progress “through the grace of God.”

“God gives us the wisdom to reach these people,” he said. “In 2021, in West Indonesia Union Mission, we had 149 cities or regions that did not have an Adventist presence. But through the grace of God, we sent global mission pioneers to enter these unreached areas. By the end of 2024, we had reached 67 unreached areas.”

They aim to reach 70 by the end of 2025 and are praying that they can achieve this goal.

The WIUM currently has 105,020 church members, 945 churches, and 620 church companies. The Union operates four hospitals, two universities, and 204 schools, serving more than 22,000 students. According to the leaders, these institutions are pivotal in bringing many people to Jesus.

To further strengthen its mission, the WIUM has recently formed a partnership with the Trans-Pacific Union Mission (TPUM) as part of the South Pacific Division’s Mission Refocus program. Mission Refocus is an Adventist General Conference initiative to reignite the Church’s commitment to worldwide evangelism and outreach.

Prior to visiting Australia, the WIUM leaders were in Fiji--one of the TPUM countries--to support an intensive training program at Fulton Adventist University College. The program prepared 55 young adults for a year of missionary service with the majority heading to Indonesia.

The leaders said they are pleased with how the program went and look forward to welcoming these young missionaries into their territory soon. They also hope that by hosting missionaries it will encourage their own young people to embrace mission work.

“Hopefully, it will inspire our young people to be missionaries because that is the Mission Refocus, right,” Sipayung said. “We are not only to receive but one day we will send.”

The original article was published on the South Pacific Division news site, Adventist Record.