What are we living for? To be useful. God took the trouble to make us with the aim that we become useful people. So writes Andar Ismail in the book Selamat Berguna. To quote Andar, "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works" (Eph.2:10). That is, "to do useful things", or "to be useful". Presumably this is also what Cornelis Senen had in mind. Although his life was not always easy, he wanted to do good works for God, works that were useful. Both for himself and for others.

Cornelis Senen was born in 1600 to a wealthy family in Selamon, Lontar Island, Banda Islands. According to Willard Hanna in Hikayat Jakarta (1988), “it is likely that he was a Portuguese peranakan and was brought up in the Christian faith.” Cornelis spoke fluent Portuguese. Around 1621, the VOC (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie) or the East India Company defeated the Portuguese and ruthlessly massacred many of the Banda people to gain control of the spice-rich Banda Islands. Many Banda people fled and settled in various other islands. Many Banda residents were captured and exiled to Batavia. One of them who was exiled to Batavia was Cornelis Senen.

Once in Batavia, the situation changed and Cornelis was of Portuguese descent which could not be equated with other Banda natives. Cornelis was released as a “Mardijker”. As a Portuguese descendant, although he lived in the same complex with other slaves, he was given a separate ward. Slaves from Banda as well as slaves from various VOC conquered territories were employed to build the city of Batavia or work for European descendants. Many slaves were killed or escaped due to the rigours of the work.

The term Mardijker itself comes from the Sanskrit “mahardhika” meaning “rich, strong and prosperous” which refers to free people, who no longer live in slavery. In Indonesian it becomes merdeka, which means “free”.

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The exiles from Banda were then given a place to live in an area called Kampung Banda. Cornelis was given the responsibility of wijkmeester, or Head of Banda Village. He also became the church teacher (gospel teacher) for the people of Kampung Banda. But because he was known as a wise and pious man, Cornelis was given a broader task to serve the free people who spoke both Portuguese and Malay. 

In 1635 he opened the first school for natives in Batavia. Cornelis hoped that the natives would be as knowledgeable and pious as the Europeans in Batavia. In a situation where the VOC government never expected the natives to be intelligent people, Cornelis' efforts and struggles must not have been easy.Cornelis opened the first school for the natives in Batavia.

In the Malay and Portuguese congregations, besides preaching Cornelis was diligent in visiting schools, educating and testing teachers, teaching catechism, and testing candidates for baptism. Rev Heurnius, one of the pastors in Batavia at that time praised Cornelis as a figure who had a missionary spirit. Because of his zeal and earnestness to serve, Cornelis was appointed as a proponent: 400;">proponentproponent, i.e. a candidate for the ministry and in 1642 his salary was increased.

Cornelis' name was increasingly respected, as a religious leader and respected community leader he was commonly addressed as Meester(read: mister). He was often assigned to investigate various problems, which concerned Malay-speaking people and even Chinese. Although Cornelis Senen was a highly respected figure, until his death he never became a full-fledged pastor. Why was that?

Originally it was the VOC government itself that opposed his appointment, the reason being that they were not happy about a Mardijker or Merdeka becoming a member of the Assembly, let alone a minister of the congregation. In those days, Europeans felt they were a higher class than descendants or natives. Although some of the VOC officials rejected it, Governor-General Joan Maetzuyker always supported Cornelis. 

 

It was not long before the government's attitude towards Cornelis' candidacy began to soften, but the clergy were not willing to accept him as a member of the Church Council. When he wanted to take his examination in 1657, he was refused. Cornelis once visited a Malay family who circumcised their son. And because of this visit Cornelis was severely reprimanded by the Council of Churches in Batavia.

Another version, as written by Thomas van den End in Ragi Carita 1, Cornelis took an examination before the Assembly like every other candidate for the priesthood. In the examination Cornelis' knowledge was considered lacking, having never been exposed to Western (European) education and theological thought. For this reason he was not given the same level of status as Dutch pastors who had received theological education in Europe. Against all that he experienced, Meester Cornelis continued to carry out his ministry with patience without protesting the unfair treatment he received. The status of a prospective pastor was not a problem for him. He continued to lead his congregation and translated various religious books into Malay.

Even though he was only an aspiring pastor, Cornelis was highly respected by many Dutch people and Dutch pastors. According to the minutes of the assembly, Cornelis was an excellent pastor of the congregation. Apart from being very talented in ministry, he was also very skilled in Portuguese. Many people sought his advice on the Portuguese language. He was also a reference for advice regarding ministry to the Merdeka people and the Malays.

Thomas van den End concludes that through Cornelis Senen's life history the fate of all Indonesian Christianity during the VOC era became apparent. Many Dutch people at that time were unable to judge Indonesian Christians by Western standards. Although Cornelis' ministry was of great quality, it was still looked down upon by the Dutch. In fact, according to van den End, the church in the Netherlands, including its colonies, should adhere to the Calvinist church system, namely the presbyterial church system. Where the main principle is that no congregation/official should have power over another congregation/official. As a result of these classes in society, Indonesian Christianity was never independent and could not develop to maturity.

The Church Council and pastors in Batavia at that time faced a variety of very difficult tasks in shepherding the people, especially the European citizens of the church. Most of the Europeans who came to Batavia were rough people, liked to get drunk, liked to fight, and did not hesitate to violate the seventh commandment (do not commit adultery). Among them there was little interest in religion. Van Den End mentions many European church members whose lives were indecent, deviating from the path of righteousness. They did not like to go to church, they fought. Many of them were important people in the government. Likewise, good religious teachers or gospel teachers are hard to find. Many of them are poorly educated and underpaid, so they are forced to make a living on the side and never prepare their teaching carefully. Many of them tend to be lazy and rude, even towards women. Because there were so many complaints, the Church Council often had to reprimand them. Cornelis was an exception; he served diligently, conscientiously and patiently.

Meester Cornelis Senen had a house on a first-class street, the Tijgersgraatcht in the City and a large garden on the banks of the Ciliwung River, an area still often referred to today as Meester Cornelis or Meester (in 1661 it became Jatinegara). In that place Cornelis ordered people to cut down teak trees, to be washed down the Ciliwung River to the City to be used for building houses and shipping.

Meester Cornelis Senen died in 1662. Until his death Cornelis Senen served faithfully. His son Zacharias Senen, continued his role as a religious teacher. Every 17 January, Christian schools in Indonesia coordinated by the Christian Education Council celebrate Indonesian Christian School Day (HSKI) to honour Cornelis Senen who pioneered the first indigenous school and who set an example through his diligent and faithful service.

 

Learn from Cornelis Senen, an exile from Banda, that everyone can be useful. Useful through his own talents, through his own field. Useful for himself and for others. Be as useful as you can, as much as you can. Remain patient and faithful even though we have to go through many struggles. Until God takes us home and says, "Good, my good and faithful servant! You have been faithful in small things, I will give you responsibility in great things. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:23, TB2).

 

Library

Andar Ismail. Happy Handy. BPK Gunung Mulia.

Adolf Heuken. Old churches in Jakarta. Cipta Loka Caraka.

Thomas van den End. Property in a Vessel. BPK Gunung Mulia.

Thomas van den End. Ragi Carita 1. BPK Gunung Mulia

Petrik Matanasi. Meester Cornelis Babad Alas Jatinegara. Tirto.id