Photo: VOMC
On February 19th, the members of the Tabernacle of David Christian Church were gathered for worship when an angry village leader, Wawan Kurniawan, stormed into the building. Pushing the pastor aside, he demanded that the service end immediately. Ten other villagers joined him, resulting in turmoil, as well as injuries to the pastor. (See this page for more details.)
Because of the violent nature of the confrontation, the matter was referred to police officials. In May, a settlement had been reached in which the church members agreed to leave any prosecution to the authorities in exchange for a public apology from Wawan, along with a temporary permit to continue worshipping (read more).
When the case went to court, the prosecutor asked that the village leader be sentenced to four years in prison. However, the judge reasoned that because Wawan had sought peace with the church, he would instead be sentenced to only three months in jail. Since the perpetrator had already been detained for nearly two months by that point, he was ordered to just serve the remaining 34 days.
The reactions of Christian leaders and those who provide leadership to human rights organizations have been mixed. While some speculate that a Christian would receive a much harsher sentence, others view this verdict as "a wake-up call for intolerant people." This is seen as the first case in Indonesia where perpetrators have not simply walked free. Andreas Harsono from Human Rights Watch calls the decision "a small step," but also praised the judge for "showing courage."
Pray that this situation will lead Wawan and others who oppose Christianity to reconsider their attitudes, bringing about greater religious equality throughout Indonesia. Praise God for the judge's verdict, which appears to demonstrate some progress in recognizing the right for Indonesian followers of Jesus to worship in freedom and safety. While further progress is being made, pray that Christians in this Southeast Asian country will continue to be powerful examples of God's love and grace to all those around them.
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