Officials and Muslim clergy in a village in West Java, Indonesia, have closed their prayer homes, expelled evangelists, and stopped all Christian activities there indefinitely, media reported.
Citing the lack of a building permit for worship, state officials and Muslim clergy from the Indonesian Urema Council (Majeris Uraminy Indonesia, or Mui local branch, were signed by the Prime Minister of Impurmanuel Prayer House, Kalingin Subdistrix, Ghat Region, of Bethel Tabernakuru Church, Indonesia, in Pabayani village. According to Kompass.com, the commander.
According to Kompas.com, he was expelled from the prayer house and the royal family under orders.
Order also banned Christian activities by the church and provided that the church must obtain permission if the owner of the prayer house wishes to reestablish the activities. Kompas.com has ordered the church to “abstain from disorderly conduct that could disrupt public order and security,” meaning Christian activity.
The forced eviction of evangelists came after officials from the West Java Ministry of Religion recorded the church’s religious activities under reporting certificates (SKTL, or Surat Ketarangan Tanda Rapore), said Yahya Sukma, pastor of Bethel Tabernakul.
SKTL is an official document issued by the Ministry of Religion for multiple regions and religions organizing large and large outdoor activities. The document may also require groups to obtain police escorts.
Before allowing officials from the West Java Religious Affairs Office to gather information about church activities, members of the Caringin Religious Affairs Office and the District Leader’s Communication Forum went to the prayer house and removed the evangelist and his son.
“They then took Dani and his son to a hotel in Lankabuaya Beach at 11pm,” Pastor Yah said. “The reason was to avoid attacks (by Muslim extremists).
Temporary permission from Immanuel Prayer House to ensure that SKTL expires in February 2026.
Pastor Yahiya reportedly stated that in addition to sealing the prayer house and expelling Dani and his son, the government banned them from staying in Kalingin district.
“This ban on worship is a human rights violation,” Pastor Yahiya said according to Tempo.co.
Dani reportedly said he is ready to leave the house and will not take part in prayer houses or other Christian activities in the Caringin area of Kompas.com. Lipot. According to Tempo.co, he and his son were reportedly evacuated to the regent of Bandung.
Permadi Alia, known as Abu Janda, advocate of religious freedom, expressed her sadness over the incident on her Instagram account on August 12th.
“This is the news for today. Is it still appropriate to celebrate independence if Indonesian minorities are still unable to worship freely in the western part of the country?” Permadi wrote.
He said that no permission is required for the two ministers’ joint orders, chapters 1, 3 and 3, at home worship services.
“We must understand that, according to chapter 3, chapter 1 of the joint orders of the two ministers, praying at home does not require permission,” he said on his Instagram account. “The ones who need permission are those who establish the church. Praying at home does not require anyone’s permission, and no one has the right to refuse because the right to freedom of worship is protected by law.”
The Indonesian Christian Youth Movement (GAMKI) also strongly condemned the closure.
“As a result, around 20 Christian communities in the Kalingin district and surrounding areas are left without a place of worship,” Ganki said on its website gamki.or.id. “If they want to worship, they will now have to travel around three hours to the nearest worship house in Garuto or Pangalengan.”
The joint order in Article 14 of 2006 stated, “A worship activity may be held in a residence, meeting room or elsewhere with the consent of the community. Therefore, “non-permanent places of worship need not have to have a building permit like a permanent place of worship. In this sense, there is no legal basis for the eviction and closure of worship activity at Immanuel’s prayer home.”
Catholic bishop Antonius Subiant Bunyamine told the 2025 national rally of Jakarta’s religious liberty in Jakarta (Forum Kerja Sama Umat Belagama, FKUB) on August 5 that Jakarta’s religious freedom is guaranteed by Indonesian law.
“In Indonesia there is no issue of tolerance. The law guarantees that through the constitution,” Bunyamine said. “Articles 28 and 29 guarantee religious freedom according to the ideals of the founders of the country.”
Taking firm action against crimes committed in the name of religion should take priority over cases of intolerance debate, the bishop said.
“Let us continue to maintain harmony, protect justice and continue to build our nation in a peaceful spirit of Indonesian unity,” he said.
Indonesian society has adopted a more conservative Islamic character in recent years, and churches involved in evangelical outreach risk being targeted by Islamic extremist groups, according to the open door.
