Batak Christian Protestant Church
The Huria Kristen Batak Protestan is an Evangelical Lutheran church among the Batak people, generally the Toba Batak in Indonesia. This church uses an Ecumenical worship style influenced by the Dutch Reformed Church due to the influence of Dutch colonialism in Indonesia, as well as the legacy obtained from the Rhenish Missionary Society when the church was founded. With a membership of 4,133,000, it is one of the largest Protestant churches in Indonesia and Southeast Asia. Its present leader is Ephorus (bishop) Robinson Butarbutar.
Church in Balige, North Sumatra, built since 1917
Church in Medan, North Sumatra, built since 1952
The Interior, Altar, and Pulpit of HKBP Balige
The Interior, Altar, and Pulpit of HKBP Medan Sudirman
Batak is a collective term used to identify a number of closely related Austronesian ethnic groups predominantly found in North Sumatra, Indonesia, who speak Batak languages. The term is used to include the Karo, Pakpak, Simalungun, Toba, Angkola, and Mandailing, related ethnic groups with distinct languages and traditional customs (adat).
Toba Batak male and female wearing traditional clothes
A traditional Toba Batak house (see Batak architecture).
Bark book with charms written in native Batak script, 1910.
Traditional boat (c. 1870), photograph by Kristen Feilberg.
