Maybe for some people who visit Semarang will not miss to just visit the Old City Area. The Old City, which has become one of Semarang's icons, attracts many travelers to just sit or walk along the streets of the Old City, including the Religious Studies Study Program, which had the opportunity to visit the Old City on a study visit for the Community Development (PKL) course.

The ancient buildings that still stand majestically along the streets of Kota Lama attract more attention from the students. One of them is the church building on the side of the road. The iconic building with shades of white and equipped with a dome and glass on the windows is distinctive. The red color of the church dome contrasts with the pure white color of the church building. Protestant Church in Western Indonesia (GPIB) Immanuel Semarang or better known as Blenduk Church. At first glance, this church building is almost the same as other buildings. The thick Dutch Colonial architectural style is visible from the outside of the Church. Colonial architectural heritage with a typical European Pseudo Baroque style design of the 17th-19th centuries.

The specialty of this building is also seen in the plan with an octagonal shape. The main room is located in the center of the church parallel to the dome. Usually this room functions as a place of worship. The Church's dome-shaped roof style with a unique design similar to the dome of St. Peter's in Rome by the artist Michelangelo and the dome of St. Paul's by Sir. Because of the uniqueness of this dome shape, this church is also known as the Blenduk Church because of the convex shape of the dome facing down.

In addition to the main building and the stunning dome, the circular staircase inside the church is also a special feature. Moreover, this staircase leads to the orgel or musical instrument located on the second floor of the church. There are only two antique orgel in Indonesia, one of which is in GPIB Immanuel Jakarta. The pulpit of Blenduk Church is also very unique, the rare construction found on this pulpit makes the position of the pulpit floating from the floor with an octagonal-shaped support pole. In addition, Blenduk Church also has three bells with different sizes. Another beauty of Blenduk Church is also seen in the original furniture that is still maintained both in shape and physical condition. The chandeliers on the church ceiling, teak benches and mosaic window glass with classic ornamental designs are very distinctive.

After seeing the beauty of the building, SAA students were invited to learn the history of Blenduk Church. As one of the oldest Christian churches in Indonesia, Blenduk Church certainly has a long history that is interesting to explore. In the early days of its presence, Blenduk church was still in a simple form with Javanese architecture in the form of a Javanese stilt house built by the Portuguese. This architectural change was initiated by the Dutch government by changing the shape of the building to add two towers. On the walls of the Church there are inscriptions of the names of the pastors who have led Blenduk Church. In the early days of its construction, the pastors were from the Netherlands.

Looking at the history of Christianity in Indonesia, Semarang may be one of the references in the spread of Christianity. Referring to the location of Semarang, which was once a trading city that was famous for its harbor. During the colonial period, Semarang became an important economic city for the Dutch government. As a result, many buildings and other infrastructure underwent redevelopment to support the needs of Europeans who settled in Semarang.

The existence of Christianity in Indonesia was initiated by the voyages of the Portuguese who colonized the Asian region. The landing of the Portuguese in Maluku in 1512 became the initial forerunner of Christianity in Indonesia. Evangelism in the archipelago began to spread until it reached Semarang. After the Portuguese power was destroyed and the VOC began to colonize Indonesia, the transition from Catholicism to Protestantism began to strengthen. This religious conversion was a form of loyalty to the Dutch. The spread of Christianity by the missionaries was fully supported by the Dutch government by establishing schools and health centers.

The missionaries who spread Christianity were not only from the Netherlands, there was also a native missionary, Kiai Sadrach. He listened to the teaching of the Dutch missionary, Jellesma. His journey in search of knowledge brought him to Semarang and began to study with Hoezoo. Previously Kiai Sadrach was born with the name Radin and when he decided to become a Christian and was baptized, his name was changed to Sadrach. His journey after becoming a Christian led him to become an evangelist who distributed brochures and books about Christianity in Batavia. Afterward he returned to Semarang. From this Kiai Sadrach also later emerged the service using Javanese language.

Editorial Team of Study Program

Nurul Khorina Seci Vella