Mennonite mission from the Netherlands to Java

The Dutch Mennonite Mission Association was founded in 1847 to carry the gospel into the Dutch colonies. The exhibit records support from Mennonite congregations in Germany and Russia and from some communities in the United States. The work connected geographically separated churches through giving, personnel, and a shared desire to make the gospel known.

The first mission field opened in Java in 1851. Dutch workers were joined by German, Swiss, and Russian Mennonites. The panel connects this beginning with the later Indonesian Mennonite Church. Its reported congregation total belongs to the date of the exhibit, so it is not presented as a current count. The enduring historical point is the growth of an Indonesian church from a mission that crossed several European and North American networks.