The Voice of the Martyrs has received news on the closure of three more Indonesian churches this month, despite pressure on the government to prevent such closures.
VOMC sources in Indonesia report that, on September 3, approximately 300 militant Muslims closed a house in Madegondo village, Grogol, Sukoharjo, claiming that it was being used illegally for Christian worship. The three-story building was the home of Pastor Syarif Hidayatullah, who had applied for permission to use the top floor as a place of worship. On Saturday evening, the mob surrounded the home, preventing police from intervening. Finally the chief of police succumbed to the crowd's demands and cosigned the order to seal the home.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation also reports that two churches in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta were blocked by militants on the same weekend, forcing 500 Christians to worship on the streets.
Pray that the authorities will crack down on militant Islamic groups in Indonesia. Pray for wisdom and strength for Christian leaders, as they deal with the increasing threat of violence from these groups.
For more information on the pressure facing the Indonesian Church, click here. To view video reports and testimonies from Indonesia, go to https://www.vomcanada.com/.
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