Dwi Handayani is a Langham Scholar from Bandung, Indonesia, where she serves as director of the Theology Master’s programme at a University.
Dwi also serves as director for Langham Preaching Asia and South Pacific, a work that spans 25 countries. She has the privilege of investing in pastors and church leaders, equipping them to understand, preach and teach God’s Word.
Join us as she shares about her ministry and our special East Asia appeal ‘Equip One: Reach Many’.
Event Transcript
Simon: So, it’s great to introduce Dwi to our conversation this evening and that will be then praying for Dwi and everything that she shares with us, in half an hour’s time or so. So it’s great to introduce you to Dwi. Whereabouts are you?
Dwi Handayani: I’m now in my hometown in Malang, Indonesia.
Simon: Indonesia. So yes, behind the scenes here. So we all come on the call sort of 10 minutes before. So we’re catching up with Dwi. So Dwi, bless her, it is one o’clock in the morning in Indonesia. I imagine you’ve stayed up, you’ve not been to bed and gone back and come back up again. But Dwi promises she can have a lie-in in the morning, and she certainly got our permission to do that. So, introduce yourself, where you are and what do you get up to when you’re in Indonesia.
Dwi Handayani: Yes. So hello everyone. It’s such a joy, really a privilege to be here. Simon, thank you for inviting me. I am Dwi Handayani. I’m a Langham scholar. I’m a graduate from Asia Graduate School of Theology in the Philippines. My area is Old Testament Laments and Psalms. And my supervisor is also a Langham scholar. Federico Villanueva. Yeah. So now I’m serving at Bandung Theological Seminary as the director for the MTh program. But I’m also the director for Langham Preaching Asia and South Pacific.
Simon: I know you’ve been involved in Langham Literature as well in the past.
Dwi Handayani: Yes. I haven’t published a book yet. I wrote some books for internal use, but I work with Literature. Several articles published as a book. Chapters.
Simon: How many times can you get Langham into one sentence? So that’s wonderful that you’re with us as a. Yes. Langham scholar, but then yes, very actively involved in the preaching programme in Asia and the South Pacific. So your work at the university is that a full-time post.
Dwi Handayani: I mean, yes, it’s a full time-role, but two days for Langham. But it’s also part of my work within the seminary.
Simon: I think one of the lovely things that we try and talk about is the multiplying effect of, of anything that we do in Langham from the preaching programme, which we will get on to. But certainly from a scholar’s perspective, if for every scholar that’s graduated, over 350 and you are one of them, then there’s that multiplying effect and that’s got a very obvious link there with the university work. So I mean, I don’t know how many students are you teaching at present or how many students have you got presently?
Dwi Handayani: Yeah, I think the, the uniqueness about theological education in Indonesia is we don’t have enough biblical scholars. That’s what I mean if, if we are honest and among all those biblical scholars when we get together, I mean I’m the only female, but I praise God now that we have another female scholar, who is also my colleague in the seminary. Her name is Carmia. I think she’s here somewhere very young, very bright. So now, two of us, Langham scholars, as a female in the area of biblical study and she is in hermeneutics.
And yeah, among those few biblical biblical scholars, I think I’m the only female Old Testament. So you can see like the, the impact and the, I mean the huge needs. So nobody really talks about Old Testament at home here. Everybody knows Chris Wright, everybody uses Chris’s books. We love it. And we just translated a few chapters and I add a chapter in that book. I think we didn’t ask for your permission, Chris, but this is internal use but we distribute it and then I add a chapter in that and my colleague also add a chapter in that so itself. Yeah, Langham has been a great blessings in the country that majority Muslims. We need more scholar. And me and Carmia is funded by Langham. And yeah, it’s not to brag about it at all, but we see that people need people like us who hold Ph.D. in, in the biblical or in a hermeneutic or in the theology. And people listen to us and they want more, especially in the area of Old Testament and hermeneutics. For now, my seminary has over about 230 students.
Simon: Super. Perhaps painters paint us a picture of what faith is like. Christian faith is like in Indonesia. You said you’re obviously in a majority Muslim country. You’re fairly safe to profess your faith. Is it growing? Is it hard to grow?
Dwi Handayani: Yeah, I think although we are the biggest majority Muslim population in the world, but by constitution we are not an Islamic country. So a six officer religion that are acknowledged by the government. So you know, I think in terms of we are not under persecution like in, you know, difficult country. Yeah, but there are also still limitations. So for example, like I love to tell people about the story of how my father became a Christian because he was a Muslim before.
So in 1965 or 66, communism was banned in Indonesia. So the government had a regulation that everybody must choose a religion out of five that were acknowledged by the government. Islam, of course, Christianity, Catholicism, Buddhism and Hinduism. So my father suddenly had to pray five times a day as a Muslim to show the people that I am a devoted Muslim. Otherwise, people can accuse him of being a communist and the government can just put him in jail. So he started to pray and then the second day he said no, it’s just too difficult for me. It’s too much effort. Like you know, five times a day you have to bow down and get up. I, I got a terrible headache. So he started to search for which religion is easy for him. So like just next door we have a Hindu temple a few, just a few blocks. So he went to the temple and he tried to be a Hindu. But then he found out that as a Hindu, you have to buy sacrifices and that costs a lot of money. He was really poor and they said no, I don’t want to be a Hindu, I don’t want to spend money on religion.
Then he said, Christian looks easy. Like once a week you sit for two hours and sing. He decided to be a Christian. And that’s. And surprisingly, not surprisingly. But by God’s grace, that year, massive. I mean massive people become a Christian, although maybe not conversion, but kind of they have to choose. And the number of Christians are growing in Indonesia. Yeah. So I was born in a Christian family. Brilliant.
Simon: Well, let’s bring Langham Preaching into that conversation. How long’s Langham Preaching been in Indonesia and what was life like before Langham Preaching in Indonesia?
Dwi Handayani: I mean if I’m not mistaken, was it 2009 when came and then we started in 2011. Something like that.
Simon: That’s right, yeah.
Dwi Handayani: Yeah. So, before long I’m preaching, I was kind of hopeless with the church, I think, you know, like because I was as a Christian, I grew up in a campus ministry. So I used to do like the Bible inductive Bible study, but I don’t get that in, in the church. Like, the sermon was so, so dry. And I moved to one church to another church, and I really couldn’t find it. So I was really hopeless. But then my friend came to me like, you know, And there’s a spot for a hundred preachers, all funded, let’s say, as long as you can spend like five days to learn how to preach. And I didn’t know what Langam was.
It sounds like weird to me what is Langham? So I need to Google it. And then I said, oh, it’s John Stott. Of course we know John Stott. Then I signed up. So yes, the level one was Paul Windsor. And I was actually, literally, I cried. I was. I feel like this is really what, what I need. This is really what we need. I, before, I don’t have confidence in preaching. Although I study how to preach, but because there’s no community of biblical preachers, nobody really gave me an input because the input is not only, you know, it’s only like the way you deliver. You are not exciting enough; you are not dramatic enough. Something like that. But not about how, how faithful you are with the scripture. So at that time I committed myself like, Lord, I want to be a preacher, not just a teacher. Use me. So that was. Although I was already preaching, it’s just like a commitment that I made to God.
Simon: Yeah, very good. No, thank you for that. And what does Langham Preaching look like in Indonesia now? How many seminars, how many people are going to those seminars at the moment? Is it still thriving?
Dwi Handayani: Yeah, in the beginning it was like explosion. Like we move really fast, right. Producing a lot of facilitators. We move here and there. And I find it. I was one of the first batch of facilitators, and we aimed to bring the training to the mainline churches who doesn’t really talk about the gospel anymore. So it’s not only training the preachers, but also kind of evangelisations every time we do it right. But then it grows too thin because too fast. And then we decided to slow down to bring it deeper through the preaching club. So I think it’s, I’m not sure, probably like about 7,000 preachers have been trained. And now we are trying to go deeper with the preaching club. Preaching clubs are also growing a lot in Indonesia.
Simon: Now that’s absolutely amazing. So 16, 17 years ago, 7,000 preachers trained is just phenomenal. You coordinated Langham Preaching for South Asia. Let’s widen that out. I just want to ask two questions and I’ll ask them together and then you can choose which way you want to do answer. But it’d be just interesting to hear some of the opportunities that you’ve got in the region at the moment and some exciting things that are happening that you can perhaps share with us. But as is the way when there’s always problems and challenges. So perhaps uplift us, but then give us some challenges as well.
Dwi Handayani: Yeah. I think the thing that makes me really excited, apart from the movement on the ground, is that when I joined Langham Preaching, I not only joined a movement, but I got a new family. The relationship with the team with Paul Windsor and the GLT, is really like family.
So this is the story of one preacher. He told me, you know, after I joined Langam Preaching, I got really, really excited and I went back to my hometown and I started the preaching club. He was really young, like 20-something. I asked God, how can I invite these senior preachers because I’m the youngest. I don’t know; they will not come. But then I said, okay, I’ll invite them for dinner. So I pray to God that God will give me money to invite these five people for dinner. And then they came. And then he was invited again.
Next month they came, and now every month around 60 preachers gather in his house. So he said, even a Catholic preacher, our Father, asking if he’s allowed to join. A lady, Iris, just called me yesterday. She said she joined Langham and is really moved by the Lord, but cannot preach as a woman. She went to her town and then just talked, talked to the people about Langham. I’m not a facilitator; I’m not trained. But for level one, I know that this is what we need. So I got like 35 people interested and wanted to know. So I called Dr. Kaiser Julius. I have 35 people wanting to know what Langham Preaching is. And Kaiser say, oh, yes, if you can get them all together in one place, then I’ll go. So they have level one for the whole week. And then now they’re planning for level two.
One more story, Simon. Elder Ann, I think this is when long I’m preaching, the level one training woman was not allowed. So she was really upset. I really want to come, but no room for a woman. But then they need someone to cook.. So you talk to Elder Anne and say, okay, I’ll cook. I organise, but you need to allow me to sit and listen. I said, okay, you can do that. So. But after that, you know, she is the one who championed Langam Preaching to become the PMC. And he started a preaching club. Her daughter became the PMC. She moved to the village and, out of the preaching clubs, three churches came. So that’s. Oh, amazing story.
Simon: Absolutely amazing. Yeah, absolutely. Oh, thank you, Dwi. On the flip side of that, we have some challenges that you’re seeing or facing at the moment.
Dwi Handayani: I think challenges for me is the culture is so diverse in Indonesia and I mean in Asia and South Pacific. And, you know, we are the home of all religions: the biggest Buddhists, Hindus, Confucians and Muslims. So whenever I travel to a difficult country, it’s not only training. I mean, I’m challenged emotionally or mentally. That’s hard, like to see the difficulty. Economic crisis, persecution, listening to your suffering. A lot of suffering in Asia and disasters. And I feel helpless like, you know, we cannot do something, we can just pray. Yeah, that’s really a challenge working. Sometimes I ask God, please don’t let me go there. I don’t want to go back to that country. Not because I don’t love the country, but emotionally, it’s challenging and mentally challenging.
Simon: Bless you for being so open and honest in that. That perhaps leads us on. You said that; what can we do? We pray. And we can definitely do that. And the whole point of Langham Live is to pray. We hear and are encouraged, but we are challenged and can pray. So you’ve given us some prayer points. You want to talk through some? You’ve asked for your country, Indonesia, for the seminaries that you’ve got for the church following preaching and for yourself. So you just want to delve into any of those a bit deeper.
Dwi Handayani: Yeah, I think Indonesia, one of many countries that are suffering, so I think that’s also needs a prayer. Yeah. In this budget cut especially, we still want to, to do the, the training. The need is so huge. Yeah, yeah. But I’m excited; at the last meeting with my team, after several difficult meetings talking about budget, people are exciting and they, they see God’s miracle locally, raising support. You know, even though the budget is limited, no work so far has been cancelled; they still keep doing it.
Simon: That’s really good to hear. So, yeah, I think like many organisations, we’re in financially challenging times.
Dwi Handayani: Right.
Simon: But like you’ve just said, Dwi, I think the programmes are doing an amazing job in trying to discern what needs to definitely carry on and make sure that that carries on, but maybe at a slower pace. It’s definitely a prayer point. What about your seminary? Anything there to pray for, or you mentioned the young Langham scholar. That female scholar that’s there at the moment.
Dwi Handayani: Yes, there are three Langham scholars in my seminary. I’m the oldest. We have David just graduated last year or this year. And then Carmia is the current Langham scholar studying at Oxford Centre.
Simon: Okay.
Dwi Handayani: So please pray for the three of us. And we are, yeah, we are going to have a new leader.
Simon: Very good, very good. And we’ve talked a lot about preaching in Indonesia. Anything for yourself in particular, Dwi, that we can be praying for, for you as a person?
Dwi Handayani: Oh yeah. Pray for my travel to Fiji in two weeks time or three weeks time.
Simon: Okay.
Dwi Handayani: For Laosan Diaspora Network, I’m going to lead one exposition but also meet with the South Pacific team.
Simon: That sounds quite a long journey.
Dwi Handayani: Yeah,
Simon: We’ve got some prayer points there. Something that we didn’t touch on, perhaps that we can quickly do. So your first introduction to Langham was the preaching programme. So where did the scholarship come into that journey after that?
Dwi Handayani: After I joined, I was already enrolled on AGST Year One. Yeah. But then somehow my seminary could not afford to support me anymore. So I talked to Rico, and then he said, yes, apply, Langham Scholar. So I applied. And then I also talk to Paul Windsor and say, yeah, yeah, apply and apply, and.
Simon: I’m sorry, you said you studied in the Philippines. You said, didn’t you?
Dwi Handayani: Yes, yes.
Simon: Wonderful. Well, again, I mean, that goes back to how we started the conversation. It’s that multiplier effect, isn’t it? And now you talk about the seminary with three other scholars and everything that you’re teaching, and it must be really exciting to see what’s happening around your region. How that’s really deepened its roots as you’ve been talking about as well. And just the depth of the of the study that’s there now. You’ve given us plenty of food for thought for prayer, things to be thankful for and to give God thanks for, but also some challenges there.
Prayer Points
- Please pray for Indonesia, that God would reveal His justice and truth in the midst of a political situation that is often marked by corruption, injustice, and self-interest.
- Please pray for theological seminaries in Indonesia, especially those where Langham scholars are serving. Pray that these seminaries will faithfully fulfill God’s mission and make a meaningful contribution to the church and society in Indonesia.
- Please pray for the church in Indonesia, especially for preachers and pastors. Pray that they will proclaim God’s Word clearly, faithfully, and courageously, even when speaking the truth is difficult or costly.
- Please pray for Langham Preaching Indonesia. There are still many islands, regions, and local churches that have not yet been reached. Pray that Langham Preaching Indonesia will continue to equip and encourage churches across the country, so that more churches will be rooted in and shaped by healthy, biblical preaching.
- Please pray for me as Director of Langham Preaching for Asia and the South Pacific, and for the members of my team. Pray that we will be faithful servants of God as we seek to carry out His vision and calling. Please also pray for us as we navigate challenging financial circumstances, that God will provide what is needed and give us wisdom, perseverance, and faithfulness in our ministry.