PANGKALPINANG -- To support community religious activities, PT Timah through CSR handed over assistance to two churches in Pangkalpinang City, on Friday (17/5/2024).
The two places of worship that received PT Timah's assistance were the Pangkalpinang Bright Future New Testament Christian Church and the Pangkalpinang Batak Protestant Huria Christian Church (HKBP).
This assistance will be used to support the infrastructure development of the two churches so that the congregation will be more comfortable in worship.
Management of the New Testament Christian Church, Bright Future in Pangkalpinang
Sopan Hari Halawa said that assistance from PT Timah would be used to support the construction of a Sunday school building which was being carried out in the church area.
According to him, PT Timah has also supported the construction of their church which is still ongoing today. The construction of the church, which began in 2021, was built in stages because it relied on funds from donors and self-help from the congregation.
"We already have a Sunday school building, but its capacity is no longer sufficient because the number of children attending Sunday school is increasing. So we are building another one that can accommodate more and at the same time completing the construction of the church," he said.
He said that the assistance from PT Timah was used to purchase materials so construction could continue. Currently, he said, more than 400 congregants are worshiping at their church.
"We are very grateful that PT Timah has provided its contribution to help build the Sunday school and church building. Hopefully, PT Timah can continue to exist," he said.
Likewise, Pastor Anggiat Lumbantobing, leader of the Huria Kristen Batak Protestant Church (HKBP) Pangkalpinang, said that assistance from PT Timah will be used to support the construction of a multi-purpose church building.
"The construction of this Multipurpose Building is only at stage 1 or 30 percent, later this building will be used for social activities such as mourning. When Batak people die, there are many cultures where there is such a thing as sending off the body and that requires a large space," he said.
Apart from that, this building will also be used for other social and religious activities, making it easier for the congregation. It is known that 1,270 congregants worship at their church.
"We are grateful and happy for the assistance from PT Timah. We hope that PT Timah can continue to help the community," he said. (*)
