MISI KRISTEN DI PERSIMPANGAN INJIL DAN TRADISI:

MENGULIK KEMBALI STRATEGI MISI GEREJA GKPI SILABAN MARGU DI LINTONGNIHUTA

Abstract

This study examines Christian missions at the intersection of the gospel and 
Batak Toba traditions, focusing on the Silaban Margu Indonesian 
Protestant Christian Church (GKPI) in Lintongnihuta. This study is based on the understanding that Batak Toba customs are not merely cultural expressions, but rather a communal value system that governs social relations, life rituals, and the formation of the congregation's faith identity. Customary practices such as mangongkal holi and mangalap tondi provide a concrete space for the encounter between the gospel and culture, which requires critical and responsible theological assessment. This study attempts to examine the relationship between the gospel and tradition, 
identify normative tensions in church practice, and formulate a direction for contextual mission strategies. The research method used is interpretive qualitative with a missiological and anthropological approach through literature study and interviews with purposively sampled church elders and local traditional leaders, selected based on their direct involvement in religious and customary practice. This study emphasizes the importance of dialogical contextual mission where the gospel plays a role as incarnational praxis rooted in a communal rural context. These findings enrich the discourse on rural church missiology in Indonesia and offer a reflective framework for GKPI in formulating contextual and theologically pastoral sustainable mission practices.