Between late July and August 2025, as Indonesia marked its 80th Anniversary of Independence, a magnitude 6 earthquake struck the Poso region of Central Sulawesi. In response, the Sulawesi District Church of the Nazarene, through Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, extended acts of compassion to the affected communities.
The island of Sulawesi lies within the confluence of the Australian, Pacific, Philippine, and Sunda plates. This makes the island highly susceptible to earthquakes. This earthquake was not the first; in 2018, a major earthquake devastated almost the entire city of Palu and Poso, with thousands of deaths and millions of casualties. The 2025 earthquake, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), struck at 6:38 a.m. Central Indonesian Time (Central Indonesian Time), resulting in two deaths and 44 injuries.
There are several Church of The Nazarene in the Poso area, and the district office is only a few hours from the earthquake site. Although not directly affected or significantly damaged, with initiative and a heartfelt desire to help, the pastors instructed their congregations to collect whatever aid they could. Praise God, they collected 10 boxes of eggs, 100 kg of rice, 10 boxes of instant noodles, 2 boxes of soap, as well as sugar, coffee, tea, and medicines. The Sulawesi NCM Coordinator organized a team consisting of 17 people, a combination of NCM activists, pastors, and local church members, to distribute aid to earthquake victims, particularly in Tolambo village, where the Tolambo Church Of The Nazarene, pastored by Mrs. Maria, is located. Some residents are still living in tents, afraid to return home.
Mrs. Sily Wangu Mamboyo, one of the pastors and NCM member, said, “Praise God, through this act of compassion, the congregations were moved to help their brothers and sisters affected by the disaster. Although not much, the congregations gave from what they had, and the spirit of mutual support from the congregations in the GKN Sulawesi District showed. We distributed aid to Tolambo village, a distance of approximately 5-6 hours. We left early in the morning and returned almost midnight. But the joy was felt in being a blessing to the community there. We are also still conducting assessments in other areas to gather information and determine what actions we can take next.”
Praise God for the compassionate hearts and actions of the congregations in the GKN Sulawesi District. May the people in the earthquake-affected areas experience the hope and love of Christ through the loving actions of the NCM Sulawesi team. Praise God.
