Ingwer Ludwig Nommensen was born in Nordstrand, Denmark (now Germany), February 6, 1834 - died in Sigumpar, Toba Samosir, May 23, 1918 at the age of 84). He is a Protestant Christian propagator among the Batak tribe, North Sumatra.
The little Nommensen family lived in poverty and suffering, so from an early age Nommensen was accustomed to living in a state of deprivation. Therefore, since childhood, he has made a living to help his parents. When he was 7 years old, Nommensen chose to shepherd geese rather than sit in school. At the age of 8, he began to earn a living to help his parents by shepherding sheep. At the age of 9, he learned to become a roofman. Then, at the age of 10, he worked for a wealthy farmer while studying the ground. He also worked on guiding horses that pulled plows to plow the rich peasant's land
In 1846, at the age of 12, Nommensen had an accident. As he played chase with his friend, he was hit by a horse carriage that crushed his leg until it broke. Such circumstances forced her to lie in bed for months.
The spiritual life of Nommensen was a devout Christian. This was apparent when the treating doctor recommended that his leg be amputated when he had an accident, he refused and asked to be prayed for by his mother. There is a vow that he uttered when, if the prayer is answered, he will preach the gospel to the unbeliever. Soon after the prayer came true, he was healed, and as he promised, he kept it by surrendering himself in the field of God.
Precisely in 1853, with a mature decision, armed with shoes and modest clothing, he left his hometown to achieve his ideals and promises that, too, had been delayed for failing to be a collusion at the port of Wick. He later meets with Hainsen, his former teacher at Boldixum. Hainsen then hired him as an assistant teacher at Tonderm after some time became a koster. This is where he meets Pastor Hausted and reveals his ideals. He also applied to the Rhein Evangelical Institute or RMG Barmen.
Nommensen then finalized his knowledge of the gospel with a theological lecture in 1857, when he was 23 years old. At that time, a job as a sweeper, a garden worker and a school clerk, joined him, until he graduated and was ordained a priest on 13 October 1861, which then took him to Batak Land on June 23, 1862.
After getting further information on Batak, on December 24, 1861 he set out on board the ship "Partinax" to Sumatra and arrived in Padang on May 16, 1862. He arrived through the body Mission Rheinische Missionsgesellschaft. From there he then proceeded to Barus via Sibolga. This is where he first met directly with the Batak people He lived in Barus for a while to learn the language and customs of Batak and Malay. Only, he was not long there. In addition to having converted to Islam, he sees the value of the tribal plurality that has been fused there: Toba, Angkola, Melayu, Pesisir.
In delivering the Gospel, Nommensen was assisted by King Pontas Lumban Tobing (first baptized King of Batak) to escort him from Barus to Silindung with a written record that he was not responsible for his salvation. At first Nommensen was not well received by the inhabitants, because they were afraid of being reinforced by accepting others who did not keep the custom.
There, one time at the top (dolok) Siatas Barita (now the peak of Spiritual Cross Spirit Park, Tarutung Kabupaten Tapanuli Utara) Nommensen once wanted to dibununh. At that time, there was a feast of Siatas Barita ancestors, usually slaughtered victims. At that moment, after being possessed by a spirit, Sibaso (the mediator of the fine people) ordered the people to kill Nommensen as a sacrifice, who was present at that time. Under these circumstances, Nommensen came to the surface and said to the crowd:
Then, Nommensen said to them, "The spirit speaking through that person is not the spirit of Siatas Barita, your ancestors, but the spirit of Satan. The cuisine of your ancestors demanded the blood of the offspring. The spirit that speaks through that person (Sibaso) has already tricked you. It was not the spirit of Siatas Barita, your grandmother, but an evil spirit. Soon Sibaso fell to the ground. and they do not bother him anymore.
Faced with a pressing situation, Nommensen remained friendly and gentle, until gradually making people feel reluctant and embarrassed to do no good to him. One night when the kings were at his house late into the night and fast asleep, Nommensen took a blanket and covered their bodies, until the morning they woke up and felt ashamed, seeing Nommensen's good deeds. The Batak king's rejection was due to concerns that Nommensen was a pioneer of the Dutch side
Having established friendships with the most influential kings in Silindung: Raja Amandari and King Pontas Lumban Tobing, on 29 May 1864, Nommensen established a church in Huta Dame, around the village of Sait ni Huta, Tarutung. Then, at the offer of King Pontas, the congregation of Pearaja Village, which is now the center of the HKBP church.
In carrying out evangelism Nommensen prayed: "Live or die let me dwell in the midst of this people to spread the word and your kingdom. Amen "
The quotation above is not a mere slogan, but a prayer as well as the words of faith that Nommensen owns. Nommensen's mission was full of sacrifices, his sincerity in the mission he proved when he had not seen her first wife Caroline Gutbrod, who died after falling ill and was forced to return to Germany.
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