Tempat Tribal Groups dalam Gereja Lokal Papua

Abstract

Studies on the tribal groups in Papua could be treated from some point of views such as socio-cultural aspects, developmental economics, politics and affirmative policies. Based on theological approach, this article studies on local Church from the perspectives of misiology and evangelization. The main aim of this study is to sharpening discernment of the Church in order to get her truly involved into the local cultural challenges.
Bishops of Ecclesiastical Region of Papua, after the Vatican Council II, in 1969 tried to build up an institution for priestly formation of the local Church teaching theology in the context of local culture in order to do proper ministry in the distinct field of Papua. Now, local Church of Papua faces some problems such as changing of ministry from non-Indonesian ministers to non-Papuan ministers, politicizing of national awareness, migration of people and transmigrating of “national culture”, the issue of national politics and Indonesian culture and its impacts on tribal groups in Papua.