About Us

A Brief History

GMIM Musafir grew out of the longing of Minahasan migrant families in Columbus, Ohio, to keep worshipping and gathering in the tradition of the Evangelical Christian Church in Minahasa, even far from the land of their birth. This journey of faith began with simple gatherings in homes, passed on by word of mouth among members of the diaspora who supported one another.

The name "Musafir" means sojourner or traveler — a fitting description of this congregation's life: a people on a journey, far from home, yet never alone, because the Lord leads and sustains them. Over time that fellowship grew into a congregation that orders its Sunday worship and its category ministries according to the GMIM church order.

Today GMIM Musafir is a spiritual home for Indonesian families around Columbus: a place where children come to know the faith, where adults are strengthened, and where Minahasan culture is nurtured in the light of the Gospel. This section will be completed with the congregation's official historical record.

Vision

To be a community of believers growing in faith, hope, and love in Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church.

To be a diaspora congregation that lives in harmony, supports one another, and is a blessing to its neighbors and to the wider community in Columbus, Ohio.

Mission

To hold ordered worship and to preach the Word faithfully according to the confession and church order of GMIM.

To build fellowship through the category ministries — Men's Fellowship, Women's Fellowship, Youth and Teens, Sunday School children, and neighborhood (kolom) services in members' homes.

To foster witness and tangible works of love, and to nurture the bonds among Indonesian-Minahasan families in the diaspora across the generations.

Congregational Council

The congregation's leadership is entrusted to the Congregational Council Executive (BPMJ), made up of the pastor, the elders, and the deacons. Together they shepherd the congregation: leading worship and teaching, safeguarding fellowship, coordinating the category ministries, and caring for members who are sick, bereaved, or in need of support.

In the GMIM tradition these officebearers are chosen from among the members and ordained for a set term of service, working together and complementing one another for the building up of the body of Christ.

The roster of the BPMJ for the current term will be published soon.

Our Pastor

Pdt. Allan Robot, S.Th.

The ministry of Word and sacrament at GMIM Musafir is entrusted to Pdt. Allan Robot, S.Th., who shepherds the congregation together with the BPMJ.

As the congregation's pastor, he preaches the Word, administers Holy Baptism and Holy Communion, leads catechism and formation, and walks alongside members in the joys and struggles of life in the diaspora.