The first Dutch pastor came to Timor in 1612 however continuous ministry did not occur until 1821when The Netherlands Missionary Society became active. The church grew slowly and spread to the islands of Roti and Sawuand in the 1930s grew to the interior regions of Timor and Alor. The church became autonomous in 1947 having gained a membership of 224,000 in 315 congregations.

The church faces issues surrounding limited economic and cultural development in the region. Education is needed to assist the community to face the effects of rapid social change. The church encourages lay people to be active in various church ministries. The primary concerns for 2003-2005 are to promote three models of the church’s ministry: fellowship, diakonia and witness.Prayer fellowships are also prominent with about 2500 existing throughout the church. Since 2001 these groups have been officially acknowledged by the GMIT as one of the functional ministry units within the church.  
GMIT aims to build partnership with churches around the world, especially churches in Asia. It maintains special relations with the Protestant Church in the Netherlands, the United Church of Christ (USA), the Uniting Church in Australia, and the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.

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Poster