Church musician killed following international church gathering

Indonesian church musician, Christina Mandang, has died from injuries sustained when hit by a car on the closing day of a global church gathering in Grand Rapids, United States.

Mandang (38) was returning to Calvin College campus shortly after 10:00 p.m. following dinner in a local restaurant when she stepped into the street to avoid a water sprinkler and was hit by a passing car. She was taken to Spectrum-Butterworth hospital where she died in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Mandang had been in Grand Rapids as a member of the team that led daily worship services for the Uniting General Council (UGC). The Council met 18-26 June to create the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) from a merger of the Reformed Ecumenical Council and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches.

 

The organist and pianist was a lecturer in church music and worship at Reformed Seminary in Jakarta, Indonesia.

 

WCRC general secretary, Setri Nyomi was at the hospital through the night with several Indonesians who were with Mandang at the time of the accident. Another of the group, John Foeh, sustained a non-life threatening injury to his shoulder and arm.

 

“We feel deep sadness at this loss,” Nyomi said in a statement this morning. “Christina Mandang’s gifts touched us all. She played organ at all the services. The joy with which she did that touched each of us.”

 

Newly-elected WCRC president, Jerry Pillay, heard the news from Nyomi as he was leaving for the airport to return to his home in South Africa.

 

“I am shocked and deeply saddened by this news,” he said. “We send our condolences to Christina Mandang’s family and wish to assure them that we are holding them in our prayers at this time.”

 

Emily Brink, who headed the team which planned UGC worship services, was at the hospital when Mandang died. Brink had worked closely with Mandang for two and a half years to prepare the worship life for the global gathering of church representatives from Presbyterian, Reformed, United, Uniting and Waldensian churches.

 

Brink, who is associated with the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship in Grand Rapids, paid tribute to Mandang’s skills as a musician.

 

“Christina was very gifted, one of the finest Christian liturgical musicians in her country. The final hymn she played at the closing UGC worship service was ‘Oh God our help in ages past, our hope for years to come.’”

 

UGC delegates are scheduled to gather at the chapel on Calvin College campus today at 11:30 for a memorial service planned by members of the UGC Worship Committee with John Witvliet of Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and Rev. Kardarmanto, a past president of the Reformed Ecumenical Council.