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PEOPLE PROFILE
A fireproof man


The president of Mennonite World Conference, Mesach Krisetya, is a tall Indonesian of Chinese ancestry who picked his own name. Chinese-Indonesians are a racial minority, and Christians make up 12% of the population while Muslims make up 87.

Raised in a family that practised Confucianism and ancestor worship, Krisetya grew up as World War II rumbled through the Pacific and as his country tried to throw off Dutch rule. Because schools changed hands from Dutch to Japanese to Indonesian, he didn’t graduate until age 21. He persisted because his parents wanted him to be a doctor. Although he didn’t object to this, he couldn’t shake some disturbing questions: Who am I? What will my future be?

In the middle of the uncertainty, a friend invited him to a Bible camp. He had no idea what that involved. “There were Bible studies and revival meetings at this camp run by Mennonites. I don’t remember what they covered, but I remember one verse: Matthew 6:33: ‘But strive first for the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.’ That became my answer. It focused my thinking so much that I went forward at the altar call.”

His friend immediately asked him to consider seminary, but he didn’t know what that was. His friend explained that he thought he should become a pastor. Krisetya asked his father, who would have to pay for seminary instead of medical school. To Krisetya’s surprise, his father agreed, adding: “Don’t retreat. Whatever you start, keep going.”

Two weeks later, Krisetya read the prerequisites for admission into a Baptist seminary. “I had to be baptized and have related to a church for two years. I saw I was disqualified. But I decided to take up my verse, Matthew 6:33. I applied.” Within a month, Krisetya received a letter from the seminary. He was the first student to be accepted at the seminary before being baptized.

To fulfill his course requirements, Krisetya served in Mennonite churches in Semarang, Demak and Blora on weekends. When he graduated, Jepara, his home church, called him to be their full-time pastor. This raised some controversy because he would be the first pastor in the church with theological training. Two factors nudged him to accept: The former pastor, who had provided good leadership for 35 years, and his parents, whom he wanted to become Christians. Because he had to be married before he could be ordained—it was thought that a single pastor visiting a single parishioner would raise moral questions—Krisetya married Miriam, whom he had met while in the Semarang church, in 1965. When they became engaged, she attended seminary for a year to see what that life was like.

In 1967, the Indonesian government refused to accept dual citizenships, and residents had to choose their homeland. His family of Chinese origins had been there for four or five generations, but his citizenship was ambiguous. All Chinese had to select Indonesian names, and it was an opportunity to choose Christian Indonesian names. Krisetya explains: “I became Mesach Krisetya. Mesach was one of Daniel’s friends in the Old Testament. He was a fireproof man. ‘Kris’ means Christ. ‘Setya’ means ‘loyal’. So my name means ‘The fireproof man loyal to Christ’.”

Krisetya notes, “I was born anew with the Mennonites, so I stuck with the Mennonites.” In time, he switched from being a pastor to being a professional counsellor. He eventually earned an M.Div. from Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminaries in Elkhart, Ind., and a D.Min. from the School of Theology in Claremont, Calif. He is now vice-president of the International Council on Pastoral Care and Counseling. He lectures around the world and heads the department of pastoral care at Satya Wacana Christian University. In 1972, he attended his first Mennonite World Conference in Curitiba, Brazil. Twenty years later, he joined the MWC Executive Committee.

Krisetya enjoys his job, and has had the satisfaction of seeing his parents become Christians.

Phyllis Pellman Good, Mennonite World Conference

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Last modified September 28, 1999.

© 1999 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
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