In 1980, through a Christian TV program “100 Huntley Street”, Hana Sudirgo received inspiration from God to do something for Him. At the same time, her husband, Joe Sudirgo, also had the desire to do something for the people of Indonesia who are living in Toronto. Finally they both agreed to pray and fast. A few months later the Lord answered by sending His servant, Ev. Stephen Damaris so that on the 8-10 August 1980 was held the night Oikumene/evangelistic the first time in Toronto.
After that event, the committee continues to gather Ecumenical evening with a worship service once a month, attended by 15 to 20 people at York University. God blessed these services and increased the number of people coming. Not long after the committee meeting with other ministers who were Dr. Alex Ness from Christian Center. He offered her a church to be used as a place of worship. ICC worship at the Christian Center Church until 1990.
September 1982, held with the late Jeremiah Retreat Rim, Singing Water Retreat Center. The retreat through the most of participants experienced the touch of God and received the fullness of the Holy Spirit. After coming back from the retreat, a great change sweeping across the congregation of ICC. The congregation suffered thirst for the Word of God so that those meetings are to be held every week and the Lord continues to add the number of church. Retreat finished, the late Jeremiah Rim raised three elders and three deacons who were tasked to shepherd and lead the church and congregation of the Lord. In 1990, it’s officially called the Indonesian Christian Church (ICC).
With the increasing number of churches, through prayer, the elders requested Joe Sudirgo to become pastor at the ICC. After going through a personal struggle until the Lord spoke to him through his word in Isaiah 41: 9-20, finally Joe Sudirgo accepted the offer. In November 13, 1990 Joe Sudirgo was ordained as the pastor of the ICCC by Elim Fellowship of Evangelical Churches and Ministries.
A few years later church leaders saw the need for services in English, because of the children who are born and raised in Canada are less fluent in Indonesian. Again the Lord showed kindness and faithfulness through Edward Kho, newborn in the Church of the ICC and had just graduated from the Canadian Theological Seminary and received a Master of Divinity. Edward Kho were willing to serve youth full-time.
That’s a brief history of ICC. We give thanks to God the Father in heaven, because only His generosity and passion, then until now ICCC (now the Indonesian Christian Church Canada) continues to advance and grow. All honor, praise and thanksgiving we give to Him.
Isaiah 41:9-20
9 I took you from the ends of the earth,
from its farthest corners I called you.
I said, ‘You are my servant’;
I have chosen you and have not rejected you.
10 So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
11 “All who rage against you
will surely be ashamed and disgraced;
those who oppose you
will be as nothing and perish.
12 Though you search for your enemies,
you will not find them.
Those who wage war against you
will be as nothing at all.
13 For I am the Lord your God
who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear;
I will help you.
14 Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob,
little Israel, do not fear,
for I myself will help you,” declares the Lord,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
15 “See, I will make you into a threshing sledge,
new and sharp, with many teeth.
You will thresh the mountains and crush them,
and reduce the hills to chaff.
16 You will winnow them, the wind will pick them up,
and a gale will blow them away.
But you will rejoice in the Lord
and glory in the Holy One of Israel.
17 “The poor and needy search for water,
but there is none;
their tongues are parched with thirst.
But I the Lord will answer them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
18 I will make rivers flow on barren heights,
and springs within the valleys.
I will turn the desert into pools of water,
and the parched ground into springs.
19 I will put in the desert
the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive.
I will set junipers in the wasteland,
the fir and the cypress together,
20 so that people may see and know,
may consider and understand,
that the hand of the Lord has done this,
that the Holy One of Israel has created it.