#LocalOpposition

[usa-journal]

Wedding Disrupted, Worship Banned at Indonesian Church Site

Local officials in Indonesia halted a wedding and banned further worship meetings at a church site in Mergosari, Tarik District, Sidoarjo Regency of Java Island on Sunday, June 30.

Village head Eko Budi Santoso stopped the ceremony at the Pentecostal Church in Indonesia (Gereja Pentekosta di Indonesia, or GPdI), citing the lack of a building permit and local opposition, according to media reports.

Residents of the Muslim-majority area claimed they were not opposed to the church's presence at the "House of Prayer," a structure without the function and markings of a church building. Eko and five state officials confronted Pastor Yoab Setiawan and banned further meetings, claiming they were responding to public complaints.

A video by the Hagios Legal Aid Institute shows Pastor Setiawan suggesting officials should address local prostitution first, while his wife, Lidya Laviyanti, pleaded for understanding, highlighting the small, minority congregation.

Eko insisted that all activities require neighborhood permission and abruptly ended the discussion. The House of Prayer is registered through a local government certificate signed by the Christian Community Guidance Regional Office leader, Luki Krispriyanto, on Dec. 7, 2023, according to International Christian Concern. Eko admitted he was unaware of this certificate.

In a meeting on July 1 at the village head office, acting regent of Sidoarjo, Subandi, supported the ban but allowed worship at home, emphasizing the need for a building permit, which they promised to expedite within a month.

Residents like Mulyati, 53, and Agus Febro, 25, stated they were not disturbed by the church's activities. Bonar Tigor Naipospos, deputy chairman of the Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace, criticized the officials' actions as yielding to intolerant groups for political gain.

Indonesia ranked 42nd on Christian support organization Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List, highlighting the risks faced by churches involved in evangelistic outreach.