Abstract

The importance of strengthening religious values to ensure individual quality of life must be accompanied by providing adequate worship facilities. The Evangelical Christian Church in Timor-Gereja Masehi Injili di Timor (GMIT) is one of Indonesia’s oldest Christian religious institutions, with 1,145,226 members and 2,504 church buildings. All of these buildings were independently constructed without guidelines. Therefore, a study is needed to analyze the typology of forms applied in the design of existing GMIT church buildings to identify an architectural identity suited to this religious organization and its congregants’ characteristics. This research uses typology as a method and adopts a qualitative, descriptive-exploratory approach, utilizing observation and interviews for data collection. The findings reveal typologies of floor plans based on basic forms and their transformations, as well as facade typologies informed by geometric proportions and the presence of tower(s). This study also identifies architectural expressions of these worship buildings that align with their function, are supported by structural design, and reflect the cultural context. These findings can serve as a foundation for establishing a distinctive character for GMIT church buildings that embodies theological doctrines, historical background, and the congregants’ cultural heritage while adhering to the fundamental characteristics of church architecture.