Our Founder
Rev. Dr. Stephen Tong is the founder of the Reformed Evangelical movement and also the founder of the Synod of the Indonesian Reformed Evangelical Church (GRII).
Blessed with many talents that he has diligently honed, Pak Tong, as he is fondly called, has faithfully pursued his calling as a servant of God. Throughout his ministry, he has developed Reformed Evangelical theology, established the Reformed Evangelical International Theological Seminary (STTRII), formed the Jakarta Oratorio Society (JOS), built Christian literature, delved into architecture, and founded the Jakarta Symphony Hall (ASJ) and the Sophilia Gallery. Pak Tong's ministry also extends to the world of education with the establishment of Calvin Christian School (SKC) and Calvin Institute of Technology (CIT).
Born in 1940 in Xiamen as the sixth of seven brothers, he returned to Indonesia at a young age, later becoming an Indonesian citizen and currently resides in Jakarta. He is a servant of God who has been used extraordinarily by the Lord, not only in Indonesia but also internationally. His love for God is the hallmark of his life and the motivation for his every action. The full support of his wife and children for his calling, which many others might find difficult to do, is truly remarkable.
For 64 years, he has preached more than 35,000 times to over 32 million people and led more than 480,000 people to dedicate themselves to serving God, in around 600 cities and in more than 20 countries worldwide, including New York, London, Paris, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Hong Kong, Taipei, Tokyo, Singapore, and various other cities. In 2017, at the age of 77, he led services in 40 cities, both domestically and internationally, to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. In Indonesia alone, from 17 cities, more than 8,200 young people dedicated themselves to serving God. This seems almost impossible, making Stephen Tong a man who has accomplished the "mission impossible" in our time. May God continue to raise up servants of God like him in our time.
A man who is not an architecture graduate, yet has designed one of the largest church buildings with its supporting structures. A man who is not a graduate of a music school, but has been composing music since the age of 16 and has led symphony orchestras performing the great works of George F. Handel, Johann S. Bach, Wolfgang A. Mozart, F. Joseph Haydn, Johannes Brahms, Felix Mendelssohn, P. I. Tchaikovsky, and even the ninth symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven. A man who is not a philosophy graduate, but has been invited to teach philosophy, history, and so much of the world's knowledge to become a blessing to millions.
He is the one who built an international standard concert hall in Indonesia, which has been confirmed by the Vienna Symphony Orchestra conductor as the fourth best acoustic concert hall in the world after the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Wiener Musikverein in Vienna, and Altes-Schauspielhaus in Berlin. He has also established the Galeria Sophilia, which houses a combined collection of Western and Eastern art, particularly the finest collection of Chinese art in the world.
Pak Tong's ministry also extends to the world of education with the establishment of Calvin Christian School (SKC) and Calvin Institute of Technology (CIT). Announced in 2003, Calvin Christian School was finally established in 2008 with 17 junior high school students in its first batch. May his spirit continue to inspire the journey of Calvin Christian School in shaping Christian characters who are faithful, knowledgeable, and have a sense of responsibility as future leaders of the nation.
