Since the beginning of August, the Persecution and Prayer Alert has reported on a series of churches closed in West Java. An August 16 report from Jubilee Campaign recounts a series of closures in communities around the city of Bandung. On Sunday, August 14, members of the militant Islamic cleric organization, the Indonesian Council of Ulama (MUI), entered eight churches in the village of Cimahi and ordered them to close. In each case, a sizable number of militants entered the church, marched to the front and forced the pastor to sign a letter agreeing to the closure. They then forced the members out of the building. Two days earlier, a church and a Christian kindergarten school were closed in Turwakarta. During the previous week, eight churches in Cileunyi were also forced to close. These incidents bring the total number of closed churches to thirty-five since the end of July. According to Colonel Andy Krisna, a retired police officer from Jakarta who led the raids on August 14, the churches were closed because they lacked permits. However, such permits require the approval of neighbours and the MUI has prevented the approval through threats of violence.
Pray for these believers now without a place to gather to worship. Pray for an enduring strength and knowledge of God's presence for believers throughout the region during this time of uncertainty and opposition.
For more information on persecution facing Christians in Indonesia, click here. A 20-minute video feature on Indonesia, "Island Jihad," is available for viewing in the Video section of https://www.vomcanada.com/.
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