Three Retired Chaplains Plan to Volunteer in Bali

Three Christian Reformed Church chaplains are looking forward to spending some of their time in retirement volunteering next year as pastors at an international Protestant church on the island of Bali in Indonesia.

The church is called Bukit Do a Internaionla Church and is located on “Prayer Hill” in Nusa Dua, Bali, says Rev. Douglas Vrieland, a U.S. Navy chaplain who will retire in December and volunteer in Bali early next year.

The area is referred to as “Prayer Hill” because the Indonesian government bought the property and erected five houses of worship — two churches, two temples and a mosque — side by side representing the main religions in the country: Hindu, Islam, Buddhism, Catholic, and Protestant, says Vrieland, who visited Bali with his wife and another couple earlier this year.

“The Protestant church is an amazing building, very well done incorporating the indigenous style that seems almost Hindu, but with a huge cross up front clearly indicating this is a Christian church,” says Vrieland.

Rev. Allen Schipper, who worked for many years as a hospital chaplain in Battle Creek, Mich., and Rev. Bob Koorneef, who was a hospice chaplain and then pastor for the last several years at Calvin CRC in Grand Rapids, are the other chaplains planning to go to Bali. Both are already retired.

“I am the one who got this idea going,” says Vrieland. “I have been attending the Tokyo Union Church, an international congregation in Tokyo, for the last two years.

“Since I will be retiring from the military in December, I was looking for further opportunities for ministry. Through my connections with Tokyo Union Church, I discovered the congregation in Bali.”

After visiting Bali, he was convinced that he wanted to spend time doing ministry there. This summer, at the CRC’s annual chaplain’s conference, he talked about the opportunity in Bali, saying he was going for a few months and recruiting other chaplains to fill in the rest of the time.

“When I heard of this, I thought it was a great opportunity of a lifetime,” said Koorneef, who was injured when the bicycle he was riding was hit by a driver this summer.

He has been recovering since July, but plans to be ready to serve for three months in Bali next year.

“Going to Bali will give me the chance to do something meaningful. It will be a privilege to interact with all of these different people,” he said.

Many of the people are English-speaking tourists who come to that area of Bali to visit the beaches and other vacation spots. But local residents attend the church as well. The church also supports an orphanage, says Koorneef.

The program for volunteer pastors is coordinated by Volunteers in Ministry on behalf of the Protestant Christian Church of Bali. Pastors must submit resumes and work through Volunteers in Ministry which arranges housing and other necessities in Bali. VIM links pastors from countries all over the world to two churches on the island of Bali.

“We pay our own airfare, preach on Sunday morning, lead a Bible study on Tuesday evening, and offer whatever pastoral care services are needed,” said Vrieland.

“In exchange we are given a lovely villa to live in and lots of free time to explore Bali and elsewhere in Southeast Asia.” 

While in Bali, Vrieland plans to travel to the Indonesian island of Sumba to offer the Timothy Leadership Training (TLT) to church leaders.

“Sumba is a predominantly Christian island, very poor.  The Dutch Reformed Church in the Netherlands brought the gospel to this island.”

While in Bali earlier this year, he visited this island and learned that there are many preaching posts on the island but not enough pastors. 

“These small preaching posts cannot afford to pay a living wage for the pastors, and so find it hard to recruit pastors. We are hoping TLT can be effective in leadership development on that island,” he said.

Allen Schipper said he didn’t have to think for long when he learned of the chance to serve as a pastor in Bali.

Since retiring a few years ago from being a hospital chaplain, he has stayed busy, constantly taking advantage of the opportunities “available in God’s huge, adventurous kingdom,” he said.

He has written and published a book Copacetic: God's People Transforming Chaos, filled in for other chaplains, served as an interim pastor at a church in West Michigan, made medical  mission trips to The Philippines and helped to build a tuberculosis treatment center North Korea.

“I have this wanderlust. When I heard about the chance to go to Bali, I talked to my wife and decided to throw my hat in this ring to see what happens,” said Schipper.

He plans to be in Bali from August through December, which means he will preach at a special Christmas Eve service that draws many people to the church.

“I continue to look for more highlights in life,” he said. “I believe in the largesse and hilarity, the great joy, of God’s kingdom. I don’t want to shut myself off from taking part in it whenever I can.”