Sekelumit Kisah Perjalanan
Berdiri sejak tahun 1999, Perhimpunan Pustaka Lewi (PPL) tetap setia pada visinya: “Mengupayakan kesejahteraan kota dimana kamu dibuang…Karena kesejahteraan kota itu adalah kesejahteraanmu juga” (Yeremia 29:7). Visi tersebut terkristalisasi sejak para penggagas PPL masih menjadi aktivis mahasiswa kristen di kota Surabaya.
Penganiayaan yang dialami umat kristen di Jawa Timur yang mulai terjadi pada tahun 1996 di Sidotopo Surabaya dan Situbondo membuahkan permenungan yang menyadari sisi lemah umat kristen yakni kurang memperhatikan persoalan sosial dan politik yang tengah berkecamuk di sekeliling gereja. Tidak hanya itu, alih-alih mengenal umat beragama lain, pengenalan terhadap satu sama lainnya (antar gereja) amatlah minim.
Kerisauan akibat tidak ada rujukan untuk mengenal gereja, yayasan dan lembaga pelayanan kristiani se Jatim, beberapa mantan aktifis mahasiswa kristen seperti Sonny Saragih, Anggun Dewara, Erna Widi, John Jonathan Engel, Ipung, Lunggi Takanjanji dan Iwan Iksan pada tanggal 15 September 1999 bertempat di sebuah kamar kos di lantai 2 di jalan Kalidami 20 Surabaya, bertekad memulai pelayanan yang diberi nama Perhimpunan Pustaka Lewi (PPL).
Pustaka Lewi yang merupakan akronim dari Pusat data dan dokumentasi lembaga gerejawi dalam perjalanannya menghadapi banyak persoalan. Minimnya dana seringkali membuat para aktivisnya berpikir tujuh keliling untuk menghidupinya. Tak pelak, beberapa penggagas harus undur disebabkan kebutuhan untuk mengembangkan diri lebih baik. Tidak hanya itu, ketiadaan home base membuat pustaka lewi bak kaum yuppies.
Setelah bertahan kurang lebih 1 tahun di sebuah kamar kos, seorang dosen Fisip Unair Drs.Sumarnonugroho menawarkan perpustakaan kecilnya untuk jadi markas Pustaka Lewi. Tawaran itu disambut bak durian runtuh. Segera seluruh kegiatan dipindahkan ke Balongsari yang terletak di Surabaya Barat. Setelah bermarkas hampir setahun di sana, problem baru muncul. Markas Balongsari terlalu jauh bagi para aktifis Pustaka Lewi yang mayoritas bertempat tinggal di Surabaya Timur.
Tidak hanya itu. akibat minimnya keuangan, gonta-ganti personil kerap kali terjadi. Anggun dan Ipung terpaksa non aktif karena harus menikah. Lunggi Takanjanji memutuskan pulang ke Sumba Timur. Barita Silalahi, Hargo, Rafael Obeng, Binsar Gultom, Janno Rompas, Heppy, Fardik dan Josua sempat meramaikan suasana. Selain itu, peran seorang Pahala Hutabarat, pemerhati kehidupan bergereja, amat berarti. Walau sosoknya yang “sepi ing publication”, si “lae” demikian kami sering memanggilnya, dengan sabar menjadi mitra, sahabat dan bahkan menjadi “orang tua” bagi jiwa-jiwa yang letih berjuang.
Tahun 2001 pertolongan Tuhan datang. Seorang pembina kelompok pelayanan siswa kristen, Robert Tjahyono, S.H. menawarkan salah satu ruangan untuk Pustaka Lewi. Jadilah para “bonek” kembali bermarkas di Surabaya Timur persisnya di jalan Pacar Keling Surabaya. Setelah bermarkas lebih kurang 1 tahun di sana, home base Pustaka Lewi kembali pindah ke Jl.Dinoyo 19 B. Tahun 2005 sempat bermarkas 3 bulan di bilangan Ketintang dan selanjutnya pindah ke rumah susun yang terdapat di daerah Menanggal Surabaya.
Pertengahan tahun 2007, berkat Pertolongan Tuhan, Perhimpunan Pustaka Lewi (PPL) mendapatkan markas yang layak. Selain telah mampu mengontrak markas di Jl. Singojoyo IV no 228 Bangah, Gedangan-Sidoarjo, seorang HambaNya yang tidak mau disebutkan namanya, menawarkan rumahnya untuk jadi markas. Maka sejak akhir tahun 2007 Perhimpunan Pustaka Lewi (PPL) berkantor di Jl. Taman Puspa Raya B9-32 , Citra Raya, Surabaya.
Di pengujung tahun 2010 Perhimpunan Pustaka Lewi (PPL) kembali berganti “pelabuhan”. Perhimpunan Pustaka Lewi bermarkas di Jalan Ketintang Madya no 66 Surabaya. Sebuah home base yang sangat memadai Pustaka Lewi dari seorang hamba Tuhan yang aktif melayani di Papua. Kemudian di Tahun akhir tahun 2011 Perhimpunan Pustaka Lewi mendapat home base di Jl. Kembang Kuning Kulon II No. 15, Surabaya 60256.
Kini, Perhimpunan Pustaka Lewi dikendalikan oleh aktifis muda seperti Santo Vormen, Marvin Warren, Paul, Andhityas Fitroni, Itta Widi, Bagus Suspriyanto (ciko), Bagus Permono, Toga Sidauruk, Iwan Iksan, Baswara, dll.
Kru Pustaka Lewi juga mendapat support yang luar biasa dari Agiz Leonard Yuroskha, seorang programer yang adalah seorang muslim. Support dan kerelaannya membantu mengingatkan kita akan semangat keindonesiaan yang dicita-citakan oleh founding fathers dan Founding mothers kita. Mereka adalah tenaga-tenaga baru dan muda yang siap menjalankan Visi dan Misi Perhimpunan Pustaka Lewi (PPL). Puji Tuhan !!!
Program Rutin Pustaka Lewi
Perhimpunan Pustaka Lewi (PPL) memiliki empat (4) Divisi yang divisi Riset, Program, Publishing, Equipment. Keempat divisi itu berada dibawah naungan kesekretariatan yang diberi nama “Lewi Research & IT Community” yang dipimpin oleh Santo Vormen selaku Koordinator Program.
Divisi riset bertanggjawab mengembang misi Pustaka Lewi sebagai lembaga riset seputar kehidupan bergereja dan relasi gereja dengan masyarakat. Divisi program bertanggunjawab sebagai eksekutor kegiatan persekutuan doa, diskusi, seminar dan sarasehan yang dilakukan sendiri dan yang bekerjasama dengan lembaga mitra. Divisi Publishing bertanggungjawab mengelola situs berita Kristen http://www.pustakalewi.net . dan sms gateway dll. Divisi Equipment bertangjawab mengelola segala infrastruktur Pustaka Lewi yang sedikit demi sedikit bertumbuh. Dengan mengandalkan empat (4) Divisi tersebut, diharapkan visi dan misi Perhimpunan Pustaka Lewi (PPL) akan dapat direalisasikan. Puji Tuhan!
Mitra kerja
Untuk merealisasi Visi, Perhimpunan Pustaka Lewi (PPL) membangun kerjasama strategis dengan Badan Musyawarah Antar Gereja (BAMAG) Surabaya. Kedua lembaga sering mengadakan kegiatan bersama dalam bentuk diskusi dan seminar-seminar yang membahas relasi gereja dengan masyarakat dan negara. Sejak tahun 1999 Perhimpunan Pustaka Lewi (PPL) dipercaya BAMAG Surabaya menjadi Even Organisation (EO) Seminar Nasional Wawasan Kebangsaan (SNWK) yang telah berlangsung tiap tahun itu.
Donatur
Hingga kini Perhimpunan Pustaka Lewi (PPL) tidak memiliki donatur tetap dari dalam maupun luar negeri. Untuk mengatasi biaya operasional, para aktivis bergabung dalam CV. Lewi Media menjadi Even Organisation (EO) guna mendanai program PPL.
Donasi bisa diberikan ke Rekening Perhimpunan Pustaka Lewi di Bank Jatim Cabang dr. Soetomo Surabaya dengan Nomor Account 0322810296.
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Profile of Perhimpunan Pustaka Lewi
(Centre of Data and Documentation of Christianity-Based Institutions)
Background of Establishment
The repressive “Orde Baru” administration before the reformation era had, indirectly, made the church unwilling to talk about matters external to them such as social, political, and another crucial matter that were outside the “faith matter”. The Church was apparently tended to maintain their ‘status quo’ instead of undertaking the empowerment effort toward every potential possessed by the Christians. Even though there were several people undertaking such empowerment effort, they would have been suspected to put the church’s very existence in danger.
The Results?
It’s been often to find news about church that burnt down, oppressed, bombed, ravaged, and even sealed. We consider these as proof that Church’s existence is beginning to diminish because its insensitiveness to social and political problems.
After the Reformation, democracy had become a new paradigm among wide society, and influencing every aspect of life. Church that is also expected to grow and acquire a new paradigm in viewing social, political, and national problems, in fact, by now, has not been experiencing paradigmatic changes. Regarding its way of thinking, church remains less to care for its surrounding, although individually, there are several people who experience changes in way of thinking and viewing their surrounding.
The emergence of Christian political parties amongst the euphoria party establishment in the reformation era, that was expected to endorse the church and Christian community to have awareness on national and political life, is far from success. Church remained reluctant to ‘go out’ and keep on taking for itself. As the result, church was not anticipative against changes that occurred among on existing social and political life. In fact, such changes did influence deeply upon church’s existence in the societal and national life.
In local level, church’s role is not different with one it has in national level. Church in East Java (especially) remains reluctant to think and act anticipatively in facing post-reformation changes.
Church and Christians of East Java’s participation is far from much in solving social and political problem prevailing in East Java. For instances, Church did not give statement and position when many street-merchant is dragged, or the arbitrary closure of prostitution houses without giving any solution. Church elites were ‘still the same’, still adhere to old-fashioned philosophy “better be silent than slapped for talking”.
Maximum effort that had been undergone was some gatherings among elites of religion. The form might be various, but merely a ceremonial stuff. People were not incorporated. Even though there were some people been incorporated, they were not well-equipped by new mindset and spirit – one that respect differences. Implicitly -this is pitiful-, a kind of “minority consciousness” has been planted, as if it says: “quit playing around, otherwise you’ll get the result!”
This psychological condition ignited anxiety among several Christian activists, such as students, ex-students, and church youth. Church reluctance in engaging socio-political problems, ignorance of existing potential, and many more pitiful role of Church had made the activists, mentioned before, upset. History pushed them to initiate, take action in helping the church to fill the important role that is still “taboo”(-ed) for it.
To fill the “super-role”, several Christian activists, in 2000, gathered at Kalidami street no.20, Surabaya, to establish an association of Christian youth activist and named it “Perhimpunan Pustaka Lewi” (Association of Pustaka Lewi). This association was directed to think about church participation in societal and national life that manifested in a form of data and research centre.
Such centre was considered to be very important since church had not possess complete and valid data about Christianity. Let alone strategic data, church don’t have even one of Christian potentials.
With “Perhimpunan Pustaka Lewi”‘s existence, it is expected that church and Christians in general could make use of “Perhimpunan Pustaka Lewi”‘s products as ammunition in engaging the changing social life. Church is expected to be capable of adapting the development of national insight and start to contribute in solving national problems.
Vision
To establish a Christian community who recognize God’s calling to establish lovingly God’s Kingdom, through a knowledge-based movement that concerns with social realities external to it, in order to become capable of participating in directing the nation’s future.
Missions
- Creating Christian communities who have a calling, awareness, and ability in science and knowledge.
- Conducting researches in various field, concerning church – society relations
- Supporting church’s strategic roles in societal and national life.
- Providing data related to potential conceived in Christianity that is needed, particularly, by church and, generally, by public
Purposes
Short Term Purposes:
- Becoming place for holding prayer ministry and bible study, along with church activists and Christian students on Surabaya, periodically.
- Routine internal meeting and common retreat.
- Creating network with people and institution who share similar concerns.
Middle Term Purposes:
- Establishing discussion network together with church youth and Christian activists on Surabaya, that is held periodically (once a month).
- Arranging discourse program thematically and sustainable.
- Engaging scientific research on decided matters.
- Holding and participating basic methodological and discussion skill training program, that is coached by those who are within the “Perhimpunan Pustaka Lewi”‘s network.
- Writing periodical papers in the form of open report consisting research achievement in order to be included in mass media.
- Publishing periodicals concerning various internal discussion and research achievement,
- Holding presentational conference along with church activists, citizens, connection, network, and church as an event that directly contacts with the public.
Long Term Purposes:
- Socialization of “Perhimpunan Pustaka Lewi”‘s ideas to church and Christian community through correspondences, media publications, etc.
- Creating cooperation with church congregations, church deliberations, mission group, NGOs, etc.
- Asking church congregations in every province to participate in developing Perhimpunan Pustaka Lewi-likes study centre.
- Ordering trained people to pioneer establishment of study centers in another region.
- Holding periodic centralized training in another region.
- Creating cooperation with Christian professionals in research and ask for their support to be mentors.
- Cooperating with Christian educational institution (especially Christian university) to embark on various researches.
- Supporting members to participate competitions.
- Delegating members in various seminars, discussions, etc.