MINISTRIES Established
Sekolah Tinggi Teologi Kalimantan (STTK) Seminary
Founded in 1983, the Kalimantan Theological Seminary is the top-rated educational institution in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in theological studies.
The school functions as an instrument to train and equip young Indonesian people for church planting and community-building activities.
A model of success in advanced educational opportunities
STTK students embrace three tenets:
- Academic excellence
- Spiritual character and accountability
- Ministry work
Beyond classroom instruction time, students are required to participate in ministry activities each weekend, so they are both student and teacher from the beginning of their time at STTK. Because of this model, STTK produces graduates with a mature spiritual life, high academic qualifications, and skills for practical service in an Indonesian context. Graduates of STTK serve as pastors, evangelists, and teachers in their communities.
Historically, there has been division between the native Indonesian tribes. But, from its beginning, STTK has worked to build unity among the community of believers; the student body is made up of students from many tribes, all working together to build God’s kingdom. The inclusive environment at STTK has helped create a successful ministry hub for outreach programs and strategy development. STTK students and graduates are actively fostering church plants in more than 400 locations throughout Indonesia.
API helped STTK buy 125 acres called Karraker Vocational Center where community development projects like fishponds, rubber trees, raising pigs and chickens could be established and produce income for the sustainability of STTK. Also students could be trained in these skills and use them in their ministry locations.
The inclusive environment at STTK has helped create a successful ministry hub for outreach programs and strategy development. STTK students and graduates are actively fostering church plants in more than 400 locations throughout Indonesia.
You can be a part of this Kingdom-building ministry!
The future Christian leadership for Kalimantan and Indonesia are being trained at Sekolah Tinggi Teologi Kalimantan (STTK) Seminary.
Will you consider supporting a STTK student for $48/month ($576/year)? Tuition at comparable seminaries in the United States is roughly $2,000/month.
Faculty Advancement Scholarship Opportunities
In 2018 API made a proposal to Samaritans Purse to support the advancement of degrees for the faculty of STK. The Indonesian government raised the standards for seminaries all across Indonesia. The new accreditation standards for seminaries teaching at the Master’s level would have to have 5 faculty members who have doctorates. Also, faculty teaching at the undergraduate level would have to have Master’s degrees.
Samaritan’s Purse granted API $55,000 for over three years to help STK faculty work on advanced degrees. API was also able to raise about $15,000 in matching funds to help with this project.
Currently we have five faculty members who are using this scholarship money. Two are at the Master’s level and three are at the Doctoral level. One faculty member has finished their Master’s degree and two other faculty are writing their doctoral dissertations.
Meet Dr. Sperry V. Terok, STTK President
I was born in Northern Celebes Island to parents who gave themselves to the ministry, whether it was as missionaries, or as a pastor. I am the fourth child of four children, Selvie, James, Ivonne, and myself. I married Lidia Welong 20 years ago and we have two sons, Seth and Shem. After we got married, we both become staff and lecturers in STTK.
Six years ago I was chosen as the new leader of STTK – then, in the end of 2015 at the KGBI (Baptist Church of Indonesia) congress, I was elected to become KGBI’s President in a period of 5 years.
It’s like a “Dream Come True”. God has given us this opportunity to share the importance of STTK ministry alongside API. STTK and API are two partner missionary organizations, the first one established in Indonesia, the other in the United States. Both became close by the involvement of Opa Bob William (Borneo Bob). It’s been our wish that we become closer and our momentum to strengthen our relationship would grow.
In this partnership we hope to develop the goals of STTK and the way to fund them. Several areas that we are working hard on is the evangelizing and training which is focused on the multiplication of new believers. We want the multiplication of strong believers who are called to be the trusted servant of Christ and then they can become full time ministers in the future.
STTK, as an education institution is focused on evangelism, church planting, theological education and Christian education. We face many requirements for accreditation which need to be renewed every 5 years. One of the requirements is to upgrade the teacher’s abilities through education program for teachers. We are thankful for a grant from Samaritan Purse that allows our faculty to get advanced degrees to meet the accreditation requirements. Currently, we have five faculty who are pursuing advanced degrees.
Beside the work that I have for STTK and KGBI, I also have a responsibility to run a foundation we called Holistic Indonesia Ministry (HIM). Under this foundation, we have Taylor Education Center (TEC). There are 8 fulltime teachers and 20 part time teachers with about 400 hundreds students. The Junior High School and Vocational High School has a big influence to the city of Sosok, about 3 hours drive from Pontianak City. Each year STK selects 8-10 students who work as apprentices from TEC Vocational High Schools. We are so grateful to have them with us. Then in a different location, STTK owns a big property called Karraker Vocational Center (KVC). We are looking forward to adding more staff who have a heart of ministry and willingness to develop this ministry.
Finally, I do want to share a statement of Dr. Franklin Graham in his foreword on Opa’s book, A Promise Kept. “I was committed to continuing the support that the organization had been giving to “Borneo Bob.” He loved the people of Borneo; but more that, he was committed to making Jesus Christ known in this darkened corner of the world.” This is the same thing that Lidia and I and all the staff are doing through the work in STTK.
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