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Damianus Sinaga

• Community Pressure Causes Church Closure

  

  The state of religious freedom in Indonesia was brought again into the spotlight when local authorities broke up a Sunday service at the Indonesian Pentecostal Church in the province of Riau on August 25th.

  The church had been meeting in a building that also served as the pastor's home since 2014. This congregation faced opposition, however, from some neighbours. A letter was sent to the church on August 7th, banning them from conducting any religious activities inside the home. Under a 2006 decree, religious buildings require the approval of community members. While passed in the name of religious harmony, this law has created significant problems for Christians and other minority religious groups.