(Dar es Salaam, 8.11.07) The Indonesian pastor, Rev. Suko Tyiarno, was inaugurated on 7th November in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania as co-worker for Christian-Muslim dialogue.

Rev. Tyiarno is a member of the Christian Church of Eastern Java (GKJW), Indonesia. He is the first co-worker to be appointed as part of the UEM personnel exchange between African and Asian member churches. Up to now, the so-called South-South exchange consisted solely of exchange between member churches within Asia or within Africa.

Rev. Tyiarno will work on Zanzibar, where he will assist in parish youth work and in the church’s dialogue programme with the Muslim Council.

Tyiarno was formerly parish minister in Surabaya as well as being active in youth work, church music and liturgy. He and his wife, Ni Komang Prenami, have an 11 year-old son, Gabriel. The family arrived in the country in August.

The inauguration was led by Bishop Bagonza, Chairman of the UEM Africa Region. During the service, which was held in the “Azania Front Church” in Dar es Salaam, the congregation also bade farewell to a choir, made up of members from different UEM member churches in Indonesia, which had been touring the Eastern and Coastal Diocese for two weeks, also as part of the South-South exchange visit.

"The choir’s performances have enthralled all of us here," said one Tanzanian host, who had put up members of the Indonesian choir for four days in his home. "Now, we would really like to send a choir from our churches to Indonesia. We could learn a great deal from one another!"