Sumber tulisan: https://navigatorsworldwide.org/ilc/2019/11/29/new-regional-director-for-asia-pacific-selected
In early November, Asia-Pacific Navigator leaders, along with the International Executive Team, commissioned Agung Purnomo to serve as the new regional director. A Javanese Indonesian, Agung will be taking the mantle from Chee Hoe Koay, who officially becomes an International Vice President of The Navigators in January 2020.
Agung brings an amazing ability to step into the different religious and non-religious contexts of Asia, and to perceive the needs of the work. He and his wife, Wiewiek, bring a relational warmth that quickly bonds hearts together.
“Looking back at the [selection] process, we have so much to be grateful for,” said Mutua Mahiaini. “The sense of ownership within the work and the unity around the final decision provide Agung with a wonderful launching pad for this new responsibility.”
Agung, age 57, said he and Wiewiek will be working closely with Glen Morris of New Zealand and Yoon Yong Sub of Korea. The Asia-Pacific Leadership Team is currently serving Navigator works in 20 countries. He added that the team plans to recruit additional regional leaders in order to build capacity.
Advancing the Gospel in such a large, diverse, and heavily populated region is a huge challenge. The region spans from India to China, across Southeast Asia, and then south to Australia and New Zealand. Within these nations, billions of unreached people follow major religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and Western philosophies, such as post-modernism. Many unreached people are poor and marginalized.
Agung says he and his team are approaching this challenge in faith. He leans on God’s promise in Revelation 5:9-10. God impressed this scripture on his heart in 1991, and it has motivated and sustained him ever since.
“The essence of the promise in Revelation 5:9-10 is that God will raise up His laborers and bless the tribes in Indonesia, and even also other nations,” said Agung. “I was made proper [by God’s grace] to take part in the fulfillment of that promise. Through more than 25 years, this verse has been obviously proven. God is faithful in fulfilling His promises and He still continues to be the energy of my life.”
Agung came to faith in Christ at age 12 through the influence of his parents, who had been followers of Islam until his sister became deathly ill. A local native healer failed to help. Then a Christian man came to their house and prayed for his sister. She was immediately healed. As a result, Agung’s parents began to study the Bible and accepted Christ in 1959.
In 1982, while studying at the Gajah Mada University, Agung was invited by a friend to attend a Navigator discipleship group. The study launched Agung into a more serious, fulfilling discipleship process. Doors opened for him to participate in Navigator training, which helped him disciple others. Also instrumental in his early growth were Navigator missionaries Al and Elaine Cox.
After he graduated from the university, Agung worked for a couple of years as a chemistry teacher in a local college. From 1997 to 2001, he led campus and community ministries in Indonesia while working on cross-cultural missionary sending initiatives. From 2001 to 2006, Agung served as the national leader for high school and campus ministries. In 2011, he was selected as the national director of our Indonesian work and began playing a major role on the Asia-Pacific Leadership Team.
Agung and Wiewiek have two children age 22 and 17. Please pray for the Purnomos as they step into this new challenge.