“G.O.I” is an acronym for the Indonesian words:”Gereja Orthodox Indonesia” which means “The Indonesian Orthodox Church”. The Orthodox Church of the Russian tradition, the Russian Church Abroad opened the first Orthodox Church in Java in the 1930’s. In 1934, Priest Vasily Bystrov (later Archimandrite Innokentii) was appointed rector of a parish in Batavia in Java. This parish was to be part of the Harbin Diocese, in accordance with a request made by a resolution of His Eminence Archbishop Meletii of Harbin and Manchuria on November 16.
Upon arriving in Java, Fr. Vasily had to reorganize the Orthodox parish and establish a church in Bandung. This was accomplished with the permission of the Dutch Government, who granted a subsidy of 1,372 Guilders in 1936. On August 12, 1938, with the intercession of the parishioners of Annunciation Church in Java (by decree of the General Parish Assembly of May 29, 1938), Fr. Vasily was granted the extraordinary award of a kamilavka for his exceptionally fervent service to the Church (Ukase of the Diocesan Council of August 12, 1938, No. 1852). In October 1947, the Synod of Bishops of ROCOR awarded Father Vasily with a pectoral cross from the Holy Synod, elevated him to the rank of proto-priest.
In May 1950, Fr. Vasily wrote to his parish’s Archbishop, Tikhon of San Francisco: “After the transfer of power to the natives on January 1 of this year, life in Java has changed drastically for the worse in many respects, that is, normal, quiet life has ended and many Russian parishioners of Indonesia are leaving the country. Russians try to settle wherever they can, and worry about their future in Java, advising me to get an exit visa before it is too late… Most of the parishioners are clearly leaving Bandung this year.” Later in the same letter, Fr. Vasily writes: “One way or the other, one must leave Java, apparently, this is God’s will. The hour is approaching of my departure from Java, where I served for 16 years without leaving once; I mourn this for now, but one must humble oneself and thank God. I will inform Your Eminence in advance of the exact date of my departure from Java to San Francisco.” In the early 1950’s, Fr. Vasily left for the USA, where he was tonsured to monasticism and led the brethren of New-Root Hermitage in New York State.
The existence of a Russian Orthodox Church in Batavia (old Jakarta) during the last years of the Dutch colonial government in the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) and the first years of Indonesian government became known to Daniel after he had contact with Archbishop HILARION of Australia. The recent ordination of the new priests by Archbishop HILARION connected the two separate histories, the one in the Batavian era and the other in modern Indonesia.
The mission of GOI, when viewed in the light of the recent connection to the Church of Russia, is indeed a “rebirth” of Orthodoxy, while being completely independent from any The Beginning of the foreign mission endeavor. It is also a new “phase of modern mission” movement within Orthodoxy as the new mission is being led by a local son of Indonesia rather than by the missionary efforts of a foreign mission body. It is the Church for the Indonesians started by an Indonesian.