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Sarumpaet, Raja Igel (1930–1977)

By Michael Palar

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Michael Palar

First Published: September 26, 2022

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Raja Igel Sarumpaet was a pastor, church administrator and published author in Indonesia.

Early Life

Raja Igel Sarumpaet was born March 30, 1930. He was born in Barus, a place known as the first entrance of Muslims to Indonesia.1 His father, Raja Sioan Sarumpaet, and mother, Naete boru Simamora, believed in local spiritism.2 Raja Igel was the oldest and the only boy out of five siblings. His parents expected him to lead the sisters, and be successful. To receive a good education, Raja Igel was sent to the Seventh-day Adventist boarding school, North Sumatra Academy, in Pematang Siantar, to attend the junior high school and senior high school for six years. There Sarumpaet learned about God, and was baptized.3

Education and Marriage

Sarumpaet continued his study at Indonesia Union College, now Universitas Advent Indonesia. Interested in theology, he took a ministerial course. Later he earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communications at Sekolah Tinggi Publisistik, Jakarta.

On December 27, 1959, Sarumpaet married Costy Frida Sitorus. They had four children, Cathy Bangun (1960-1965), Roy David, Alice Beatrice, and Raja Moody.

Ministry

Sarumpaet was called to work as a pastoral intern or licensed missionary at West Java Mission, on May 1, 1958. He then served as a pastor in Bandung (1959-1961) and Jakarta (1961-1963).4 From August 5 to September 16, 1962, he conducted an evangelistic meeting with the support of Bandung churches, and many people were baptized.5 Sarumpaet was ordained as a minister on February 2, 1962.6 He served as a district leader in Jakarta (1963-1964), and as Sabbath School and Personal Ministry director in Bandung (1965-1968).7

In 1969 Sarumpaet led the Voice of Prophecy, Radio, and Television Ministry for the West Java Mission.8 In 1970 he served as director of public relations and radio-tv evangelism at the West Indonesia Union Mission. From 1971 to 1975 he was assigned as the editor for Percetakan Advent Indonesia di Bandung.9 In his ministry Sarumpaet also serves as translator for English public speakers.10

During the Far Eastern Division Council on November 10 to 18, 1975, at the Rasa Sayang Hotel in Penang, Malaysia, Raja Igel Sarumpaet was elected president of the West Indonesia Union Mission for the following quadrennium.11 He was named as a delegate to the fifty-second session of the General Conference on July 10-18, 1975, in Vienna, Austria.12

Raja Igel Sarumpaet died on April 27, 1977,13 in his third year of ministry as president of the West Indonesia Union Mission. The sudden loss of their leader brought a great grief among church members. He was buried at Menteng Pulo Cemeterial Park in Jakarta.

Contribution

Sarumpaet was known as hardworking. He continued to develop himself to be more capable person and leader. He was also a dynamic public speaker who loved to develop fellow pastors to be better ministers. Most of all, Sarumpaet loved writing. Some of his books are Surga Perkawinan (The Heavenly-like Marriage), Pedoman Berumah tangga (Manual to Family Life), Narkotik Mengancam Anda (Drugs are Threatening You), Rahasia Mendidik Anak jilid 1 (The Secret to Train A Child, Vol. 1), Wanita Teladan (Exemplary Woman), Etiket Bergaul (Social Etiquette), Rahasia Mendidik Anak jilid 2 (The Secret to Train A Child, Vol. 2). All of his books were published by the Indonesia Publishing House.

Sources

“Authorized Delegates to the 1975 Session.” ARH, July 11, 1975.

Balocu, Nabī Bak̲h̲shu K̲h̲ānu. The Advent of Islam in Indonesia. Islamabad: National Institute of Historical and Cultural Research, 1980.

Dennis, David D. “Sumatera: Evangelistic Crusade Closes With 29 Baptized.” ARH, November 26, 1970.

“Division Council 1975.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, December 1975.

Musa, Ali Masykur. Membumikan Islam Nusantara: Respons Islam Terhadap Isu - Isu Aktual. Jakarta: PT Serambi Ilmu Semesta, 2014.

“New Girls Dorm.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, January 1974.

Sakul, H. F. and R. I. Sarumpaet, “Union Treasurer Conducts Public Evangelistic Series in Indonesia.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, November 1970.

Sarumpaet, R. I. “Bandung Evangelistic Meetings.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, January 1963.

Sitompul, P. “Ordinations in Indonesia.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, May 1963.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Washington, D.C: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1961.

Notes

  1. Ali Masykur Musa, Membumikan Islam Nusantara: Respons Islam Terhadap Isu - Isu Aktual (Jakarta: PT Serambi Ilmu Semesta, 2014), 269. See also Nabī Bak̲h̲shu K̲h̲ānu Balocu, The Advent of Islam in Indonesia (Islamabad: National Institute of Historical and Cultural Research, 1980), 18.↩

  2. David Roy Sarumpaet, interview by author, November 3, 2017, at Bandung Adventist Hospital.↩

  3. Ibid.↩

  4. Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1961), 102.↩

  5. R. I. Sarumpaet, “Bandung Evangelistic Meetings,” Far Eastern Division Outlook, January 1963, 5.↩

  6. P. Sitompul, “Ordinations in Indonesia,” Far Eastern Division Outlook, May 1963, 8-9.↩

  7. Roy David Sarumpaet, phone interview by author, September 10, 2019.↩

  8. David D. Dennis, “Sumatera: Evangelistic Crusade Closes With 29 Baptized,” ARH, November 26, 1970, 16.↩

  9. “New Girls Dorm,” Far Eastern Division Outlook, January 1974, 16.↩

  10. H. F. Sakul and R. I. Sarumpaet, “Union Treasurer Conducts Public Evangelistic Series in Indonesia,” Far Eastern Division Outlook, November 1970, 16. See also David D. Dennis, “But!”, Ministry, January 1971, 17.↩

  11. “Division Council 1975,” Far Eastern Division Outlook, December 1975, 4.↩

  12. “Authorized Delegates to the 1975 Session,” ARH, July 11, 1975, 12.↩

  13. Alice Sarumpaet, phone interview by author, March 11, 2017. See also “Necrology Listing,” ARH, April 25, 1980, 30.↩

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Palar, Michael. "Sarumpaet, Raja Igel (1930–1977)." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. September 26, 2022. Accessed March 14, 2025. https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=6CWS.

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Palar, Michael. "Sarumpaet, Raja Igel (1930–1977)." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. September 26, 2022. Date of access March 14, 2025, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=6CWS.

Copy to clipboard Download Word File

Palar, Michael (2022, September 26). Sarumpaet, Raja Igel (1930–1977). Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. Retrieved March 14, 2025, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=6CWS.

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