Grounding Church Initiative in Environment

This paper is a development of a previous work published in the Journal of Asian Orientation in Theology (https://e-journal.usd.ac.id/index.php/JAOT) . This development is intended to fulfil practical matters that are sought to empower the Church in the field of ecology. The case studies are PT Toba Pulp Lestari (TPL) and Huria Kristen Batak Protestant Church. These two research subjects have a unique history that cannot be separated from one another, especially in environmental studies. A few years after the factory was established in 1986, many problems were caused, especially for the surrounding environment, such as floods, landslides, seizure of customary land, etc. This made the community, especially the Church, angry and fought back. This action of resistance even caused reactions from TPL, which made many people and church ministers imprisoned and victims of violence.
Slowly, the Church softened and rarely carried out movements like before, especially since 2006. This softening attitude of the Church is followed by the inactivity of the Church in educating its congregation to care for the environment, which has an impact to this day.