Indonesia: Police Close Three Churches and Force Congregants Out to ‘Appease Muslim Hardliners’

Elevate Christian Network :: News and Events

According to International Christian Concern (ICC), more than 1,000 churches have been closed across Indonesia over the last decade. | Image courtesy: European Pressphoto Agency

Christian leaders said authorities closed the three churches in Indonesia to appease Muslim hard-liners preparing to protest the gatherings and explained that local government delays and rejects permits without giving any reason.

Voice of America reports that in September, police in Jambi, on Indonesia’s island of Sumatra, closed three churches — the Indonesian Methodist Church (GMI, Gereja Methodist Indonesia), Indonesia Christian Huria (HKI, Huria Kristen Indonesia) and Assemblies of God Church (GSJA, Gereja Sidang Jemaat Allah) — and pasted a notice declaring the building was sealed due lack of a permit.

“There are thousands of other places of worship that don’t have permits but continue to operate,” the general secretary of the Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI) told VOA.”I just can’t understand why they won’t let us have our churches. I can understand if [the local government] prohibited us from having the permits if we used the buildings for criminal activities, but we used them to praise God.”

Keep reading this article on Breaking Christian News: World, Business, and More | The Gospel Herald : Top News.

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About Cee Harmon

Cee Harmon is the founder of Elevate Christian Network and Elevate Your Potential Magazine. He enjoys helping people improve the quality of their lives - spirit, soul, and body.
 
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