Evangelikal: Jurnal Teologi Injili dan Pembinaan Warga Jemaat
ISSN 2548-7868 (print), 2548-7558 (online)
Available at https://journal.sttsimpson.ac.id/index.php/EJTI/
DOI: https://doi.org/10.46445/ejti.v6i2.484

Coenrad Laurens Coolen:
Pioneer of Contextual Mission among Javanese Abangans
Sostenis Nggebu
Sekolah Tinggi Teologi Saint Paul, Bandung, Indonesia
Email: sostenis.nggebu@gmail.com
ABSTRACT: This historiographical article aims to describe Coolen as a pioneer of the indigenous church
among the abangans in Ngoro, East Java in the 19th century, where he pioneered the ministry of
indigenizing the gospel as an exciting new breakthrough. The discussion was conducted in stages of
collecting historical data about Coolen, evaluating the obtained data, interpreting relevant data, and
presenting the findings. The results show that Coolen was the initiator of the establishment of the ‘ngelmu’
Christian congregation among the abangans in Ngoro Village in the interior of East Java. He explained the
secrets of ngelmu Kristen (lit., learning the Christianity) and appreciated Javanese culture as a new
breakthrough in the ministry of preaching the gospel, compared to the Indische Kerk missionaries.
However, some of his followers were more interested in joining Emde’s ministry pattern, so the outputs of
his ministry were finally adopted into the Indische Kerk churches. Since then, the harvest of the abangans
had stopped.
Key words: Coolen; the abangans; contextual; ngelmu Injil
Article History:
Submitted: Jan. 11, 2022

Revised: July 15, 2022

Published: July 29, 2022

This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA license

INTRODUCTION
The independent evangelist, Coenrad
Laurens Coolen, was a magnet for the abangans in
Ngoro, East Java in the mid-19th century. The
neglected were quick to respond to Coolen’s
preaching of the teachings of ngelmu Kristen (lit.,
learning the Christianity; he is known as a Christian
teacher who teaches a new ‘science’, namely the
gospel). This event marked the beginning of the
establishment of indigenous-style churches in Java.
Coolen’s ministry pattern was considered positive
and unique by Soekotjo that Coolen taught Lord
Jesus’s ngelmu as the highest form of ngelmu.
According to him, Coolen classified his followers as
Ngelmu Christians (Javanese Christians), not Landa
Christians (Dutch Christians) (Soekotjo, 2009, p.
101). This is in line with Putranto who stated that
Coolen approached his followers with the concepts
of kejawen to introduce the gospel (Compare to
Putranto, 2020, pp. 27–28, 39–40). Coolen
94

appreciates Javanese culture, and his cultureadopting approach has captivated the hearts of his
listeners.
Meanwhile, Western Christians were
suspicious of the culture of the inlanders. Hutabarat
(2020, pp. 190–191) defined inlanders as indigenous
people. Meanwhile, Wardana and Suhita (2018, pp.
253–254) explained that this word refers to a satire
against indigenous people whose position is
considered lower. Akkeren (1995, p. 97) also
criticized that missionaries distanced themselves
from Javanese culture and despised on this culture
as they assumed that it contained elements of
disbelief. Even worse, the Javanese who became
Christians were assimilated to follow Western
culture which was considered ‘Christian’ or to give
up their original culture as Johannes Emde did.
When opening an agricultural field in
Ngoro, however, Coolen began to teach the secrets
of ngelmu Kristen to a number of abangans who

Evangelikal: Jurnal Teologi Injili dan Pembinaan Warga Jemaat 6(2), July 2022

were then attracted by his teachings because it suited
their worldview. Therefore, Coolen held worship
services at his house. Over time, the number of his
followers grew, so he built a hut next to his house
for his communal worships. According to Akkeren
(1995), Coolen was the first to establish a church for
the abangans in Ngoro, leading to the emergence of
the congregation in Ngoro which Coolen did not
think about. Coolen’s style of service is later known
as the contextualization service approach among
Javanese abangans. Akkeren (1995) also explained
that Westerners rejected Javanese culture, as did
Emde and his friends from the Surabaya Saleh
People’s Association (Perkumpulan Orang Saleh
Surabaya), without reaping the rewards. On the other
hand, Coolen used culture as a means of grounding
the gospel to win souls and build congregations
(Merisa, 2006, pp. 20–21). Kruitof (2014, p. 134)
confirmed that Coolen reaped a harvest of souls
since he used culture as a bridge to communicate the
gospel. This means that without realizing it, Coolen
has established himself as a pioneer who introduced
a new approach to the abangans in Java – which
inspired the next movers and shakers to apply a
relevant approach to the inlanders.
The Coolen phenomenon was put forward
by Mr. Nugroho Sismon, an elder of the Mojowarno
congregation as the fourth generation of his
grandparents served by Coolen, who now lives in
Bandung. He expressed that Coolen is known until
today as a figure who inspired the Javanese abangan
community to meet Jesus Christ (Cited from the Ms.
PowerPoint Slide Presentation of Nugroho Sismon
on June 17, 2017). In addition, Mr. Nugroho stated
that Christians were not the only ones who made
Coolen their spiritual ancestor; people of other
religions from various villages in Ngoro, Jombang,
and surrounding areas also often make pilgrimages
to Coolen’s grave in Ngoro, or visit the grave during
religious tours (See Figure 3, Coolen’s grave has
become a religious tourist attraction for the Ngoro
community and its surroundings). People idolize
Coolen as an important figure in their life history

because he has contributed to preserving their
heritage with the concept of rice cultivation in
Ngoro Village. Najib (2015, p. 243) argued that
religious sites in Ngoro and Mojowarno attract
tourists from various religions. This proves that
Coolen’s influence is still felt by his spiritual
descendants to this day.
The above description shows an interesting
phenomenon about Coolen’s missionary work in
indigenizing the gospel among Javanese abangans
which has an impact, compared to the approaches of
other missionaries. Therefore, the focus of this study
is the figure and strategy of Coolen, the pioneer of
contextual missions who has won the hearts of the
Javanese abangans. The purpose of this article is to
explain Coolen’s figure and his approach to
grounding the gospel to win over the Javanese
abangans in Ngoro and at the same time
establishing an indigenous church with a Christian
style of ngelmu.

Figure 1. Coolant’s grave in Ngoro, re-sketch by
Doules Palmarya Nggebu.
According to a statement from a respected figure in
GKJW Mojowarno congregation, people from
various religions often come on spiritual tours to
Ngoro and go to the grave of Mr. Coolen–
remembering his services in building a church with
a Christian style of ngelmu and bringing prosperity
to the people in Ngoro, East Java.

S. Nggebu, Coenrad Laurens Coolen: Pioneer of Contextual Mission among Javanese Abangans

95

COOLEN’S CONTEXTUALIZATION
METHOD
IS CALLED KIAI, TEACHER OF NGELMU
KRISTEN

Positively
Interpreting Javanese
Culture

Preaching the Gospel
during Rice Planting
Season

Indigenous
Congregation;
Ngelmu Kristen

The community is accepted by the environment
Fast reaping
Congregation lives mingle in the community
Figure 2. Coolen’s contextualization model
METHODS
Historiographical method was applied for
the discussion of this article. Technically, the
method comprises of four steps, namely: 1)
collecting historical data about Coolen; 2)
evaluating the obtained data; 3) reinterpreting the
data so that they are relevant to the topic of this
study; and 4) presenting the findings about Coolen’s
role as a pioneer of the indigenous church in Java in
the 19th century. To make it clearer, Coolen’s
contextualization model was described in Figure 2.
The main focus in the discussion is Coolen, who is
known as an elder and teacher of ngelmu Kristen in
Ngoro, East Java. Coolen has adopted Javanese
culture positively to explain the gospel (Ngelmu
Kristen) to the abangans in Ngoro through
experiments in clearing forests to be used as
agricultural land (the concept of rice planting). By
applying this approach, he succeeded in establishing
the first Christian congregation in the interior of
Java – which stirred the history of pioneering
missions in the archipelago.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
This study was based on the hypothesis that
if evangelists use local culture as a bridge in
communicating the gospel, their preaching will be

welcomed by their listeners. The results of this
study found that Coolen succeeded in building a
contextual congregation in Ngoro because he
adopted Javanese culture in serving the abangans in
Ngoro, East Java in the mid-19th century.
Furthermore, this study resulted in two important
conclusions, namely: 1) Coolen served according to
the context he faced by clearing the forests in Ngoro
for settlements and agricultural fields and preaching
ngelmu Injil (lit., learning the gospel) which
adopted Javanese culture; and 2) Coolen presented
himself as a guiding teacher for his people and as a
prophet for the Javanese because he succeeded in
indigenizing the gospel as ngelmu Kristen and
educating people in the truth of God’s words.
Context Faced by Coolen
Early days in Surabaya
Coolen is known as a half-Russian halfJavanese figure; his father is a businessman from
Russia and his mother is an aristocrat from Solo. For
both the inlanders and the colonists, Coolen is a
respected individual. According to Najib, Coolen
had served in the army during the Daendels era and
had also been a forestry opzichter (supervisor) in
Mojokerto, which is an important position he has

held (Najib, 2015). While Coolen’s religious life
during his childhood and teenage years is unknown,
at least he adheres to Christianity in a traditional
way. In his adulthood, he presented himself as a
charismatic person who studied Christian culture
and religion (See Coolen’s profile shown in Figure
3 which depicts him as an educated and charismatic
person).
While in Surabaya, Coolen lived in the
midst of Western ‘totok’ society (pure-blooded
colonists). The Western world’s lifestyle is firmly
embedded in the people of the Indische Kerk
(Protestant Church). According to Soekotjo,
Indische Kerk is known as the “Gereja Landa”
(Dutch Church) – a church specifically built for the
Dutch or foreigners in Surabaya (Soekotjo, 2009).
This underlies the statement of Culver (2014) that
there were almost no Javanese Christians in
Surabaya in the early 19th century. Furthermore, the
Indische Kerk people don't care about the indigenous
people. However, an evangelistic movement
emerged by Johannes Emde through the Surabaya
Saleh People’s Association. This German was
active in serving a limited number of Javanese,
namely the helpers of the Europeans in Surabaya as
stated by Culver (2014). Emde pioneered a type of
ministry of Biblical study with several Javanese, but
his approach was quite extreme. Those who believe
were baptized in the Indische Kerk Congregation
and at the same time were sucked into the
congregation of Gereja Landa (Merisa, 2006).
These Javanese automatically wore European-style
clothes and were prohibited from watching wayang
(shadow puppet show). In addition, they were also
forced to let go of their Javanese customs and
cultural values such as wearing jarik cloth and
sarongs. Culver (2014) continued by stating that
Emde forbade his students from watching wayang
as well as told them to have the same haircut and
wear the same European clothes as his. Obviously,
after becoming Emde’s followers, these Javanese
were baptized and embraced Western culture. As a
former soldier during the Daendels era, Coolen
knew the problems and the characteristics of the

colonists very well, especially their perspective on
the indigenous people. After leaving the military, he
met Emde, who was active in serving the Javanese
in Surabaya and had the same mentality as the
colonists. It seems that Coolen, who is half-Javanese,
is less interested in Emde’s style of service.
Clearing the Forest in Ngoro for Residential and
Agricultural Lands
During this era, Coolen asked permission
from the governor in Surabaya to rent a parcel of
land in the area of Ngoro, East Java (Akkeren,
1995). On the basis of this official permit, Coolen
and his family (his second wife, children, and his
assistants) moved to the hinterland to pioneer a new
settlement. When he arrived at the new land, Coolen
cleared the forest and opened a new plot of rice
fields. This occurred in 1827. After that, people
began to come to Coolen’s land and work on the
field together with a profit-sharing system. In this
parcel of land, Coolen has the autonomy over the
area.
Coolen, who was born in Ungaran on July
2, 1873, eventually became known as a pioneer of
settlements in the interior of Java. Merisa calls him
a landlord in Ngoro (Merisa, 2006). Meanwhile,
Najib (2015) sees Coolen as a founder of a village.
This is in line with a statement of Akkeren who
argued that Coolen could occupy an important
position as the head of Ngoro Village (Akkeren,
1995). It can be said that Coolen was the first
Christian village head in the interior of Java.
Coolen’s work got the attention of many people who
came to Ngoro. The immigrants in Ngoro who
cooperated with Coolen were classified as the
abangans. As described by Subagya, the abangans
derived from the word ‘aba’ which means
“apathetic”; this definition of the word abangan is
related to the behavior of lowly people who do not
care about the formal teachings that apply in the
community, which are embraced by the mutihans –
meaning the clergy or priyayi who are religiously
obedient and have noble morals (Subagya, 1981;
this source is borrowed from a third party). These

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97

abangans were looked down upon by the Javanese
elite. They live in tradition according to their
practical mindset. Geertz (1981, p. 8) defined the
abangans as animistic; they are considered sinners
and live as they please. However, Coolen welcomes
and accepts them as they are. This man, who is an
expert in drawing, has his own perception that the
hearts of these abangans can be ‘whitened’. Susanto
(2019) declared that the beginning of a mission is to
love one’s neighbors and build them up to
repentance.

Figure 3. Coolen’s profile, re-sketch: Relita
Pandie.
Coenrad Laurens Coolen, who was a former state
official from the Netherlands, carried the burden of
pioneering the first Indigenous Church in Java with
a secret approach of ngelmu Injil. His followers then
metamorphosed into the Eastern Javanese Christian
Church (Gereja Kristen Jawi Wetan; GKJW) based
in Mojowarno, East Java.
Coolen’s Contribution and His Missionary Work
Contextual Mission Experiment
During this time, Coolen was known by his
followers as the teacher of ‘ngelmu’. Culver (2014)

98

argued that Coolen was known as a “Christian
teacher”; meaning that he has the secret teachings
found in the gospel. The concept of ngelmu was
used as a bridge to teach about sin and the work of
Jesus Christ to the abangans. Coolen’s title as the
teacher of ngelmu sounded more comfortable to his
followers than his title as a missionary. For his
people, Coolen is like an intermediary between
them and God. Coolen got the inspiration from the
Almighty. The Christian teachings he delivered
were Javanese; he explained the virtues of life for
the abangans. The residents who surrounded him
were nurtured in the Word of God as he protected
them with a good governance (Akkeren, 1995).
Coolen had actually become the leader of the
abangans in Ngoro and also nurtured the small
community spiritually and physically. He fostered
and maintained their image as a genuine Wong
Jowo (Javanese).
For Coolen, anyone who has become a
Christian can still wear the richness of one’s original
culture. Coolen’s proposition is that the Javanese
are still genuinely Javanese even though they have
embraced the teachings of ngelmu Kristen.
According to Pramusinta (2016, p. 933), numerous
Javanese people are interested in the teachings of
ngelmu Kristen. One of them is Kiai Dasimah,
whose heart was moved by the teachings, thus
embracing ngelmu Kristen. This means that Coolen
adheres to the open concept that Christians from the
Javanese ethnic are expected to maintain their
culture. This concept has never been thought of by
the church leaders of Coolen’s time. Merisa (2006)
said that until the mid-19th century, there was no
Zending movement specifically serving the
Javanese. At that time, Coolen was starting to
establish an indigenous church with a Javanese
culture. In this regard, Pramusinta (2016) concluded
that the forerunner of Coolen’s pioneering ministry
gave rise to Javanese Christian congregations in
East Java; these Javanese Christians still use all the
cultural richness inherent in them. Yuwono (2018,
p. 296) emphasized that Coolen’s teachings on
ngelmu Kristen were dominant in adopting Javanese

Evangelikal: Jurnal Teologi Injili dan Pembinaan Warga Jemaat 6(2), July 2022

culture. Furthermore, Salindri (2020, p. 115) also
said that Coolen strongly adhered to Javanese
culture. If the Javanese are required to give up their
culture, they will be uprooted from their social
context. It is obvious that Emde’s ministry pattern
is different from Coolen’s because his has a
European style, so that the poor Javanese were
usurped into Western culture.
Discipling and Equipping
Coolen set several rules for his community;
all residents could only work for six days and they
were prohibited from working on Sundays.
Christians worshiped in Coolen’s pavilion and other
residents could relax in their homes. In the middle
of the week, i.e., on Thursday, Christians learned to
recite and memorize the Ten Commandments and
recited the Lord’s Prayer. All villagers were obliged
to follow the teachings of ethics, household orders,
and agricultural science (Nggebu, 2022a). It can be
said that Coolen controlled the village of Ngoro as
an orderly and safe settlement from the disturbances
of kamtibmas (public order and security. From this
point of view, Coolen has moved the alit (poor
people) one step further in structuring their
personality into virtuous human beings. Before,
these people were often criticized for being unruly
and living as they please. However, Akkeren (1995)
stated that Coolen was forming a new moral
foundation for his people; they discussed God’s
word regularly to apply it in their lives. Coolen’s
ministry pattern is a form of discipleship adapted to
the existing context to nurture and mature the
spiritual life of his congregation (Compare to a
study by Nggebu, 2021, p. 40).
After explaining about ngelmu Kristen, a
congregation was formed that worshiped regularly
in Coolen’s pavilion, which also functioned as a
church. The leaders of the Ngoro congregation
included Singotruno, Paul Tosari, Mr. Kunto, and
Ditotruno (these figures later became church leaders
in Mojowarno Village, with Ditotruno being the
village head). Sondopen sees that multiplication of
workers is important for church building

(Sondopen, 2019, p. 104). Apparently, Coolant had
been aware of the potential successor from the very
beginning. Those people became Coolen’s
assistants and taught the congregation both their
family members and others who were interested in
the teachings of ngelmu Kristen. Occasionally, Mr.
Dasimah, the leader of the Wiyung congregation
which is 25 km from Ngoro, visited this village to
be mentored by Coolen. According to historical
facts, Wiyung’s group was served by Coolen, not by
Emde as said by Putranto (2020, pp. 31–32; the
author considers the errors in citing these historical
facts needed to be corrected). Mr. Dasimah was
actually evangelized and nurtured by Coolen. It is
clear that, five years before Mr. Dasimah met Emde,
he was first trained by Coolen (Akkeren, 1995).
Therefore, Putranto’s view that Emde was the one
who pioneered a church in Wiyung was refuted.
Camerling and Wijaya (2019, p. 70) said
that pioneering missions should bring spiritual
renewal to the people. Coolen has done that noble
mission. Further, Arifianto (2021, p. 56) considered
the spirit of preaching the gospel as the main
motivation of believers. Such motivation was so
alive in Coolen in preaching the gospel to Javanese
abangans. Coolen became a figure who brought
updates to these people; he was the initiator of the
formation of a new village as a field for contextual
mission experiments in Ngoro, which later became
famous site in Java. According to Setiawan (2020,
pp. 177–178), the contextualization method was
incredibly effective in introducing the gospel to
Javanese abangans. In addition, Tampubolon
(2019, p. 25) also believed that by using contextual
methods, it is possible to streamline the efforts of
preaching the gospel to the laity.
Applying the Protestant Ethic
As the leader of a traditional and agrarian
village, Coolen was also responsible for the
economy of his people. He encouraged them to farm
in order to have their own income. Everyone was
prohibited from standing still or folding hands.
Coolen adopted this Protestant work ethic proposed

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99

by Johanes Verkuyl. All residents of Ngoro needed
to be active in cultivating the new fields. As a
former forestry supervisor in Wonosobo, Coolen
knew very well that the loose area in Ngoro is great
for agricultural land since there is abundant water
available. In addition, he instilled in the farmers the
concept of Christian ethics that before carrying out
any activities in the fields, they first carried out
Christian rituals. Coolen led his people to ask for
help from Lord Jesus in every activity. The research
team of the Eastern Javanese Christian Church
(Gereja Kristen Jawi Wetan; GKJW) explained that
the tradition of prayer taught by Coolen, known as
bebetan, in which they prayed to God before
starting their work, was still practiced today
(Triamon, 2006, p. 101). In other words, before
farmers in Ngoro carry out plowing, planting, or
harvesting activities, they first pray to Lord Jesus
Christ. Manurung (2020, p. 232) expressed that in
missionary planting, social activities can be used to
convey the truths of the gospel. This model has been
carried out by Coolen. Regarding this matter,
Sariman (2019, p. 17) also argued that mission
approach through culture will have a huge impact.
The author believes that Coolen’s strength is to win
people’s hearts to be ready to accept the gospel. This
is in line with Seo (2013, pp. 71–89) who
emphasized the importance of ministers to pay
attention to social relations with the community in
the effort of preaching and witnessing the gospel.
In the Javanese tradition, the village head
has full authority in setting policies to advance his
territory. The village head determines village
activities and manages available resources; all local
potentials are mobilized for the welfare and
prosperity of his people. Hasanah and Pamungkas
(2020, pp. 53–54) identified the role of the village
head as a motivator for the progress of the villagers.
As the head of Ngoro Village, Coolen has the
authority to develop and advance his village by
implementing regulations so that everyone is active
in cultivating their fields to obtain food for their
welfare.

100

Building Prosperity Together
This Europeesche Lagere School graduate
from Semarang opened fields and grew rice
traditionally. The field produced abundant food.
Coolen’s leadership has an impact on the welfare of
the people in his village. Akkeren (1995) correctly
judged that the people of Ngoro live ideally as they
are prosperous. It is proven that the figure of the
village leader (ummah) greatly determines the
quality and stability of the villagers. In this regard,
Sipayung et al. (2021, p. 113) stated that visionary
servants will have an effective approach in serving
the people. Coolen is a visionary figure who builds
a congregation of ngelmu Christians from the grass
roots of the Javanese abangans. In addition, he also
allowed non-Christians to join and farm in Ngoro.
Coolen adheres to a concept that is open to
everyone.
Culturally, it was actually Coolen who was
known as the landowner of Ngoro (Merisa, 2006)
who also succeeded in realizing the hopes of the
people of Negeri Daha (in Javanese wayang stories)
who expected their village to become a prosperous,
fertile, and well-fed area. People will sit in the
pavilions of their homes happily. Coolen has proven
himself to be a leader who is able to ensure a
prosperous life for his people.
Having a Blind Spot
As a pioneer of agricultural land, landlord,
village head, and church leader, facts show that
Coolen is also trapped in the pattern of past life that
a village official can play with his power. Wahjono
(2006, p. 142) argued that Coolen, an IndoEuropean in Ngoro, was seen as having violated
Church rules since he was polygamous. This weak
point is seen by the Indische Kerk group as a crucial
side in Coolen. In addition, Coolen did not taught
baptism and Holy Communion to his people, which
became a problem in his ministry (Nggebu, 2022b).
He once suggested Kiai Dasimah to meet Emde’s
wife in Surabaya so that he would be further
discipled in God’s word (Akkeren, 1995).
Apparently, Mr. Dasimah was taught about the

Evangelikal: Jurnal Teologi Injili dan Pembinaan Warga Jemaat 6(2), July 2022

sacraments as a condition to become a Christian
there. What Coolen did not teach or had not taught
was exposed before the missionaries. The chronicle
of baptism that was the subject of debate in
Coolen’s ministry came to the fore—which Coolen
had not previously anticipated—and this was a
heavy blow to him. In fact, he did not reject the
sacrament at all, because he himself was eventually
baptized with his children, his second wife, and a
number of his followers, in an agreement with the
Indische Kerk that they would continue to adhere to
Javanese culture.
The unity of the Christian ngelmu
community in Ngoro was finally shattered; there
was a shift of views which led to conflicts. This is
as stated by Damayanto (2005, pp. 87–88) that the
loosening of solidarity between the early ngelmu
Christian groups in Ngoro caused them to choose to
mingle with Western-style Christians. They
separated themselves and with the help of the
Indische Kerk, they opened a new settlement,
namely the village of Mojowarno. It is an
undeniable fact that the spiritual descendants of
Coolen had been transformed into the Mojowarno
congregation led by Paul Tosari, who was a disciple
of Coolen himself. Likewise, the members of
Wiyung Congregation who were students of
Coolen, had already sucked themselves under the
influence of the Indische Kerk Surabaya.
Attitudes of the Missionaries and Indische Kerk
towards Coolen
Coolen has inherited the concept of culture
he got from his mother. His mother played a big role
in instilling Javanese culture in him (Merisa, 2006).
Akkeren (1995) explained that Coolen had a very
strong love for Javanese culture. Meanwhile,
Aritonang and Steenbrink (2008) argued that
Coolen prioritized Javanese culture in his life. This
background helped to set Coolen’s view in building
a Christian community that was different from
Emde’s. According to Akkeren (1995), the colonists
considered Javanese culture to contain elements of
disbelief. This became a blind spot of the colonists,

which Coolen did not accept. Coolen thought that
the Javanese Christians he formed were of genuine
Christianity for the Javanese, because he adopted
Javanese culture to be fostered in his community.
The Javanese who adhered to the Christian faith
were not baptized and were not served Holy
Communion as usual (in the eyes of the colonists,
baptizing meant assimilation into Western culture,
which Coolen did not approve of). They also
continued to wear Javanese clothes, did not change
their names, continued to do dhikr in a Christian
way (recite the teachings of ngelmu Kristen
repeatedly), and watched wayang performances.
Therefore, various attitudes and comments emerged
against Coolen’s approach. Missionaries like Emde,
the priest of A.W. Meijer, pastor Baron van
Hoewell, pastor L.J. van Rhijn, and others sharply
criticized Coolen’s contextualization model. As
stated by Akkeren (1995), they quickly reacted
without understanding Coolen’s motivation in
doing so. Even today, the criticism persists. Himan
(2018, p. 47) argued that the congregation led by
Coolen was syncretistic by mixing Javanese culture
with Christian teachings. It appears that Christianity
in Java in the 19th century gave rise to two groups
of Christian in rural Java, namely the Western
Christians (Emde school) and Javanese Christians
(Coolen school). It is extremely clear that there have
been various responses and criticisms against
Coolen over time. Coolen spread the gospel in
Ngoro by taking advantages of the Javanese culture
that has colored their entire existence.
As a researcher, the author sees that
Coolen’s style is similar to that of Tunggul Wulung,
who adhered to the concept of horizon expectation.
This term can be translated as ‘the horizon of hope’
or ‘the scope of thought’ introduced by the German
writer, Hans Robert Jauss. The point is that a person
may construct a set of assumptions to create a
certain hope for the future of the group. In this
context, it appears that the teachings of ngelmu
Kristen developed by Coolen is meaningful for the
community (in-group) that is in accordance with the
scope of his thinking. Sugiano (2020, p. 100)

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101

expressed that contextual ministry must instill the
gospel into the local cultural context so that it is
accepted by the locals according to their
understanding. People may be free to experiment
with ideas as encouraged by the French Revolution
on freedom of opinion and belief. So did Coolen; he
feels he has the freedom to teach the truths of
contextual gospel and the insights for progress for
his people. His teachings of ngelmu Kristen were
suitable and accepted by his community. This aligns
with a statement of Siswanto (2017) that in an effort
to spread the gospel to other cultures, it is
appropriate to respect the local culture.
Coolen in the Eyes of His Followers
As a Guiding Teacher
Speaking of the influential teacher of
ngelmu Kristen in Ngoro in the mid-19th century,
Coolen was the pioneering figure. He also taught his
followers on the slopes of Mount Kelud (the parcel
of Ngoro in 1830) that Jesus had power over the
universe and everything in it. Soekotjo (2009) stated
that Coolen cleared forests by relying on the
inclusion of the Eternal High Priest, Jesus Christ.
Before clearing the forest, they hold a ritual by
reading a prayer to ask for protection from the Lord
Jesus Christ. For them, as a teacher of ngelmu
Kristen, Coolen understands Javanese culture
related to resisting reinforcements and asks for the
protection of the Creator. According to Najib
(2015), Coolen did not force the farmers in Ngoro
to embrace the Christian faith. Coolen’s approach is
to have a dialogue with them and explain the secret
of the supernatural powers he relies on in clearing
the forest. This secret is in the Eternal High Priest,
Jesus Christ, who by all His grace can enable His
followers to triumph over this world.
Coolen’s followers saw that Coolen had
succeeded in clearing a large area of agricultural
land as well as proving that the power of the
guardian of the forest (i.e., the Devil in Javanese
tradition) had been conquered by Ngelmu Sejati (the
true ngelmu). Neither of them had an accident
102

during the process. They also admitted that the
teachings of ngelmu Kristen are superior and great.
Even, the abangans were willing to surrender their
lives to Lord Jesus. This fact allowed Coolen to
build a Christian village and evangelize the
abangans. Wahjono (2006) explained that for the
people of Ngoro, Coolen is a teacher who guides
them to know the true truth by the leadership of the
Holy Spirit so that they become new men in Christ.
Furthermore, Harmanto (2020, pp. 61–62) stated
that contextualization utilizes culture as a bridge in
communicating the gospel. Despite the controversy
surrounding Coolen’s teachings that were seen as
syncretistic, his followers were able to gradually
shift the direction of Coolen’s theology to be in line
with God’s word after they were willing to be
further discipled by the missionaries. Most of his
followers then built a new Christian village, in the
parcel of Mojowarno (the forerunner of GKJW).
From Mojowarno, the gospel spread widely to
various remote areas of Java.
Spiritual King and Prophet for the Javanese
According to Merisa (2006), Coolen is one
of the most respected people in his life since he is
known as a Javanese with Western powers. Coolen
was called as spiritual king and prophet to the
Javanese. This title makes sense, and not an
exaggeration as Coolen’s contribution to Javanese
Christians is undeniable. His fame was not inferior
to the Dutch missionaries. On the contrary, it
surpassed the fame of the missionaries who were
petty and blind to the culture of the inlanders.
Coolen led his people towards a more advanced life.
Widayat (2021, p. 292) stated that in the world view
of the Javanese, the king was the owner of the land.
This explains why the people of Ngoro viewed
Coolen as their king whose decisions should be
obeyed and followed.
Coolen deserves to be called a visionary
leader for his people, as well as a pioneer in starting
services that have an impact on Christians in Java to
this day. On the report of Merisa (2006) in
accordance with the acknowledgment of the Eastern

Evangelikal: Jurnal Teologi Injili dan Pembinaan Warga Jemaat 6(2), July 2022

Javanese Christian Church, Coolen is their spiritual
ancestor and also a prophet to the Javanese; Coolen
is regarded as a figure who initiated rice cultivation
as a source of livelihood for their ancestors.
Furthermore, Wijaya (2007, p. 2) argued that
Coolen is the originator of preaching the gospel
through an agrarian culture. This interesting fact
about Coolen’s influence is unquenchable by the
ages. As stated by the research team of GKJW, the
spiritual pilgrims understood that Mr. Coolen had
taught their ancestors to farm by relying on Lord
Jesus (Triamon, 2006). Merisa (2006) explained
that Coolen was incredibly close to the abangans,
namely the farmers who worked with him in Ngoro
Village. He guided and taught them about ngelmu
Kristen. This concept remains attached to the next
generation – which makes them continue to
preserve the Javanese-style church.
Attitudes of the Wider Community towards Coolen
The Javanese are basically tolerant.
Responding to the emergence of a new community,
i.e., the kejawen-style ngelmu Christians, Islamic
religious leaders accepted the presence of this
community in accordance with the Javanese
worldview to maintain harmony in society. Their
worldview emphasizes and maintains the cosmic
harmony and balance of all existence. The existence
of an open attitude towards other religions can foster
an attitude of tolerance and religious coexistence as
stated by Mamahit (2021, pp. 31–45). In his study,
Kruithof explained the influence of the presence of
Christians in Java; he discovered that the process of
adapting Christianity into Javanese culture had
allowed Christianity to flourish in new lands among
the Javanese in the 19th century (Kruithof, 2018, pp.
117–134). The acceptance of the Javanese style of
Christianity has shown that the pattern of adaptation
to Christianity among the Javanese has found a
flexible and deeply rooted place. Kruithof assessed
that Western missionaries had continued this
process and at the same time benefited from it. This
means that the formal missionaries (zending) also
took part in the adaptation pattern of the laity’s

ministry, namely Coolen and his friends as church
pioneers among the lower classes of the Javanese
society.
Evaluation and Assessment of Coolen
Heaven’s Light Shines on Ngoro
In reality, the existence of new believers
among farmers in the interior of Ngoro Village was
initially doubted. They were ridiculed and
humiliated, and their Christianity was questioned.
Kruithof (2018) considered that the missionaries
tended to disagree with the syncretic kejawen-style
Christian movement (similar to Javanese tradition)
in Ngoro. They questioned the religion being
developed in that remote village. They criticized
and condemned that Coolen’s movement was a bit
syncretic and distorted (indeed, Coolen’s
experiment was not finished; the process was still
ongoing). However, it is clear now that the seeds
that Coolen sowed have blossomed and produced
spiritual fruits that have an impact on the Javanese
community at large. The transformation in the
gospel of Christ has filled a dull face with a
heavenly light that brings peace and serenity.
Merisa (2006) viewed that the Javanese society in
the mid-19th century was still in darkness, but then
a sparkling Light descended from heaven and was
brought to the Javanese in Ngoro and Mojowarno so
that they experienced renewal. These believers
among the Javanese can be seen as equal to the
puritanical Christians of Europe; Europeans began
to glance at their presence. They can sit together
before God and hear the same messages in Jesus
Christ. As explained by Marisi et al. (2021, pp. 72–
73), when the gospel messages are contextualized to
enculturation, Christian ethics will emerge as a
superior standard of living, meaning that the gospel
has the power to illuminate culture. In this context,
Coolen’s contribution has a real impact on the
mental and spirituality renewal of his spiritual
descendants.

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103

Winning the Hearts of His Followers with Natural
Friendship
Coolen worked and started a church
according to the life context of the villagers of
Ngoro. Anjarwati (2020, p. 143) stated that in
Javanese culture, agricultural activities are
associated with rituals that reflect the human
relationship with God. Furthermore, Firmansyah
(2017, p. 237) viewed rituals as a form of behavior
of religious people. In this context, Coolen points
out that the teachings of ngelmu Kristen that he
introduces are related to the life context of the
abangans by carrying out Christian rituals. As
stated by Mustofa (2022, p. 162), friendship is a key
in social relations with others, especially with
people of other religions. It seemed that Coolen had
a harmonious relationship with the people of Ngoro.
This is in accordance with Sukamto (2022) who
emphasized the importance of dynamic dialogue at
the grassroots level to build relationships. Witoro
(2021, pp. 3–12) also argued that a personal mission
approach with listeners is relevant and effective. As
stated previously above, Coolen involved the
villagers to ask for the protection of Lord Jesus
Christ as the Lord of the universe before they
cleared the forest and opened rice fields. His
approach was applauded as it was relevant to the
needs of the people. Coolen’s teachings and lifestyle
are in line with Javanese culture, so it is easy for the
Javanese to understand. This melted the hearts of
the abangans to accept the secrets of ngelmu
Kristen.
Adhering to the Vision of Peace
The influence of spirituality becomes a
bridge for contextual communication with the
people of Ngoro. Coolen is the figure expected to
protect the abangan residents of Ngoro Village. He
introduced a contextual mission approach that won
the hearts of the abangans because it is in
accordance with their cultural values and life
philosophy. This is in line with Baskoro (2022, p.
433) who explained that missionary services can be
achieved by utilizing social relations with listeners.
104

For them, this is not a foreign ministry movement
but a pattern of planting the truth of ngelmu Kristen
that is relevant and compatible with their worldview
as Javanese – who in fact also hope for peace in the
present and in the future. Mr. Coolen has introduced
ngelmu Injil whose power is unmatched in the
world. Ngelmu Injil can be relied on to guarantee
their personal salvation (experience forgiveness of
sins and new life) and they are guaranteed to have
eternal life in the future, living with Lord Jesus
Christ in the Kingdom of Heaven. It is clear that
Coolen had indigenized the identity of Jesus for the
Javanese abangans. In his leadership, the villagers
who were protected from the evil power could live
a happy life. They accepted the teachings of ngelmu
Injil that later morphed into an independent
congregation in Mojowarno, which is legendary to
this day.
IMPLICATIONS
The results of this study proved that Coolen
was the first person in the history of the church in
Java to pioneer an impactful ministry. The secret of
his success is that he approached the abangans by
taking advantages of the richness of Javanese
culture, thus indigenizing the gospel into the context
of their lives. This pattern has warmed the hearts of
his listeners and answered their spiritual needs.
Therefore, the church in Indonesia today needs to
learn from Coolen to find new breakthroughs in
reaching out to others. Moreover, the church in this
country is surrounded by various cultures attached
to the community. The pattern of cultural adaptation
to ground the gospel for contemporary listeners as
initiated by Coolen is still relevant to find its entry
point. Creativity to find the way in requires
responsiveness of today’s church members.
CONCLUSION
From the discussions, it can be concluded
that Coolen indigenized the Christian faith to the
abangans in Ngoro village, East Java with a new
and relevant pattern known as ngelmu Kristen. In
this teaching, people who accept ngelmu Kristen get

Evangelikal: Jurnal Teologi Injili dan Pembinaan Warga Jemaat 6(2), July 2022

deliverance and forgiveness of sins from Jesus
Christ. Coolen is skilled at weaving the gospel
stories using cultural patterns that are easily
understood by the abangans, thereby attracting new
Javanese souls. This is the secret of ngelmu Kristen
he taught to his followers. According to Coolen,
Javanese Christians should not undergo the
assimilation process; they can continue to live as
genuine Javanese even though they are Christians.
Despite the shortcomings and limitations of his
theological understanding, Coolen’s approach is an
outreach strategy that breaks the deadlock of the
contextual mission for the Javanese that has never
been considered by Christians from the Indische
Kerk group or by other mission agencies. However,
a number of his students decided to work with the

Indische Kerk in Surabaya. While this seems to be
a good progress, the approach of his successors can
actually be seen as a dead end for a bigger harvest
among the Javanese abangans in East Java. If
Coolen’s movement had not been disturbed by the
Indische Kerk, the Kejawen-style Church pioneered
by Coolen would continue to reap souls. The harvest
of new souls will certainly be more thrilling. History
may not repeat itself. Regardless, what Coolen did
has been recorded as a unique achievement in the
movement of contextual mission in Java since it has
started a new era in cross-cultural service. Coolen’s
strategy can be classified as a contextual
methodology by using cultural phenomena as a link
to convey the gospel in order to establish an
Indigenous Church in Java.

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