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Indonesia

  • Sunday Mass at Missionary Center Disrupted

     

    Students from Sang Timur School
    St. Bernadette Missionary Complex
    Cileduk, Indonesia
    Early on October 3, about 50 armed Muslim militants stormed the missionary complex of St. Bernadette in Cileduk, in Benten province west of Jakarta. Claiming that the facility was being used for proselytism, they burned the front gate and blocked the other entrances. Witnesses claim that police at the scene did little to intervene. The mass being celebrated in the main hall (which had been used for the past ten years as a church) was forced to stop. The nuns operating the facility were forced to sign a statement that it would no longer be used as a church. According to AsiaNews, many local Muslims, however, are supportive of the nuns, particularly because of their work in education.

    Pray that this church will be able to continue operating and that necessary permits will be approved so they can build a church facility. Pray that violence will not escalate in Indonesia and that the authorities will be willing to restrain militant groups operating in the country.

    For more information on persecution of Christians in Indonesia,click here.
  • Damanik To Be Released on Parole

    On September 24, Rev Rinaldy Damanik received some unexpected news; he was to be released on parole in November. Arrested in September 2002 on false weapons charges, Damanik was sentenced to three years in prison (for more information on Damanik, follow the links here). Rinaldy is excited about the possibility of release, but asks for continued prayer that nothing will arise to prevent his release.

    For more information on persecution of the Indonesian Church,click here.
  • Twelve House Churches Closed

    On September 1, VOM reported that church leaders in Bandung City had been warned churches meeting in homes would be closed (click here). On September 10, sources from Indonesia reported that the Mayor of Bandung city has issued a letter, officially closing twelve house churches in the city.

     
    The Matoneng family, featured in the September 2004
    Voice of the Martyrs Newsletter

    The churches closed were:
    1. Pasundan Christian Church (GKP)
    2. Protestant Batak Church (GBP)
    3. Pentecost Church (GP)
    4. Catholic Church
    5. Indonesia Christian Church (GKI)
    6. Indonesia Gospel Camp Church (GKII)
    7. Indonesia Independent Baptist Church (GBII)
    8. Oikumene Christian Church (GKO)
    9. Tabernacle Pentecost Church (GPT)
    10. Indonesia Pentecost Church (GpdI)
    11. Java Christian Church (GKJ)
    12. Protestant Karo Batak Church (GBKP)

    VOM sources report that the congregations are concerned and nervous about not being allowed to continue holding services. Please pray for encouragement for these believers during this time of uncertainty.

    For more information on persecution facing believers in Indonesia,click here. The feature article of the September edition of The Voice of the Martyrs Newsletter features a story on the persecution of Christians in Indonesia. To view the story and to subscribe to the monthly newsletter, click here.
  • Churches Face Threats and Attacks Several churches in Indonesia have faced threats or attacks from mobs, forcing some to close. According to VOM sources in Indonesia, a mob forced three churches to close in Bogor City on August 23, claiming that the churches did not have permission to operate.

    On the evening of August 29, a mob attacked the Christ Assembly Church's Ministry Post in Bekasi City, West Java. The gate of the church, windows and tiles were destroyed. Twenty people have since been arrested, including a prominent leader in the community.

    In Rancaekek Subdistrict, Bandung City, church leaders were gathered together on August 19 and informed that houses used for church meetings must close, effective September 6.

    Pray for the leadership of these churches, as they guide their people in facing this opposition. Pray for strength to endure and wisdom in dealing with government and community leaders.

    For more information on the challenges facing the Church in Indonesia,click here.
  • Gunmen Kill Pastor; Injure Four Others


     Desrianty Tengkende

    The relative calm in the Central Sulawesi region of Indonesia in recent months was shattered on July 18 when five men armed with machine guns overpowered a security guard at the Efatha Presbyterian Church in Palu during an evening service and opened fire. The gunmen then fled, leaving the pastor dead and four others injured; one critically. Rev. Susianty Tinulele died instantly with gunshot wounds to her head. A seventeen-year-old girl, Desrianty Tengkende, remains in critical condition after being shot in the left eye. When the attack started, Desrianty instinctively pulled her Bible to her face; the bullet went through the Bible into her eye. Also injured were Kris Midianto (18), Farid Mehingko (15) and Lustiani (15).

    According to a report from International Friends of Compassion, Christian leaders received text messages on their cell phones following the attack, claiming that its purpose was to provoke a response. They were obviously hoping that Christians would respond violently. This attack culminated a weekend of violence in Central Sulawesi. The previous evening in Poso, a bomb exploded outside of a cultural event and a Christian woman was killed outside her home after being stabbed nine times.

    Rev. Susianty was twenty-six and had been ordained only weeks before. She was due to be married in September. She was a strong supporter of Rev. Damanik who is in prison after being framed on weapons charges. She had visited Damanik only two days before, bringing him food.

    Pray for the family and friends of Susianty during their grief. Pray for those injured, that they will fully recover. Pray that the Christian community will respond in a Christ-like fashion, refusing to be provoked by this senseless violence.

    For more information on the troubles facing the Church in Indonesia,click here.
  • Four Churches Near Jakarta Attacked by Mobs

    Mobs armed with sticks attacked four churches on the southwestern outskirts of the Indonesian capital of Jakarta on Sunday, June 6, injuring a pastor and damaging the buildings and furnishings.

    The coordinated attacks took place during morning services. The mobs burst into the buildings, damaging pews and windows. One pastor was punched in the head, but did not suffer serious injuries.

    According to media reports, the attacks came because the churches were established without the town's permission. Because of difficulties in gaining approval to start new churches, Indonesian believer are frequently compelled to do so without permission, gathering in meeting halls, shopping malls, or business areas.

    Pray that those involved in these attacks will see the trust that can come through faith in Jesus Christ. Pray for the continued ministry of the Church in Indonesia.

    For more information on the challenges facing Christians in Indonesia,click here.
  • Update on Pastor Damanik

    For the past two years, The Voice of the Martyrs has been following the case of Rev. Rinaldy Damanik, who was convicted on false weapons charges in 2002. Earlier this month, Rev. Damanik was transferred to Jakarta for emergency surgery, suffering from serious kidney problems (click here for details). On May 25, The Voice of the Martyrs received a report from Jubilee Campaign that, while in Jakarta, Damanik appears to have passed a kidney stone and has made a miraculous recovery, so that surgery appears to be no longer needed. He has been returned to prison in Palu where he is recuperating.

    Praise God for this sudden recovery. Pray that he will return to complete physical strength. Pray for emotional and spiritual strength, as Damanik continues to serve time on these false charges.

    For more information on persecution in Indonesia,click here.
  • Pastor Damanik to Receive Surgery

    On April 21 the Persecution and Prayer Alert reported that Pastor Rinaldy Damanik was taken to hospital with serious kidney problems (click here for details). Damanik is serving three years in prison on false charges of "illegal weapons possession."

    Doctors determined that he required surgery as soon as possible and that the surgery could only be done in Jakarta. However, permission from the authorities to transfer to the Jakarta hospital was consistently delayed and, to prevent any problems with his accusers, Damanik refused to be transferred until an official letter had been received.

    In an interesting testimony of God's grace and providence, in a May 4 release from the World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission, Elizabeth Kendal shared the story of a Muslim cleric who, some months ago, had a vision that he should visit Damanik in prison. This man was deeply impacted by Damanik's faith and so, when he heard of Damanik's recent medical problems, he went to the prison authorities and pleaded with them, in tears, to have him transferred to the hospital in Jakarta. That permission was finally granted on May 3 with the transfer to take place on May 5.

    Doctors are concerned that the delay may have affected his chances of a full recovery. Please pray for a full recovery for Pastor Damanik. You may write a letter of encouragement to Pastor Damanik at:

    Rev. Rinaldy Damanik
    Rutan Maesa
    Jl.Bali la
    Palu 94112
    Indonesia

    For more information on Christians in Indonesia,click here.
  • Imprisoned Pastor Seriously Ill

    The Voice of the Martyrs has learned that Pastor Rinaldy Damanik, who was falsely convicted of weapons charges in 2002, has been taken to hospital in Palu. Doctors believe he is suffering from kidney problems; a condition he has suffered from before.

    Damanik was sentenced to three years in prison after weapons were reportedly found in his vehicle as he was helping to evacuate Christians from a village threatened by Islamic militants. Despite numerous inconsistencies, all appeals to this point have been lost.

    Pray that Damanik will recover soon from his illness. Pray that further legal action being taken to secure his release will be successful. Pray for peace in the central Sulawesi region of Indonesia where many Christians have been martyred in recent years.

    You may write a letter of encouragement to Pastor Damanik at:

    Rev. Rinaldy Damanik
    Rutan Maesa
    Jl.Bali la
    Palu 94112
    Indonesia

    For more information on the situation facing Christians in Indonesia,click here.
  • Seven Injured in Easter Service Attack Two gunmen stormed a church near Poso in the troubled region of Sulawesi, Indonesia on April 10, injuring seven people including a four-year-old girl. The attack happened at 7:15 p.m local time during an Easter service at the Tabernacle Church in the village of Kilo, Poso Pesisir, about 12 kilometres west of downtown Poso.

    According to the Poso police chief, three men dressed in Ninja-like costumes rode motorcycles to the church. Two of them entered and began shooting with M-16 assault rifles. According to the Jakarta Post, police have begun house-to-house searches for weapons but as of noon, April 14, none had been found.

    More than three hundred paramilitary police have been sent to the area to maintain peace and to search for the attackers. There is no indication whether these attacks are connected to shootings in the Poso area at the end of March (click here for details).

    Pray that these recent attacks will not escalate into the type of violence that resulted in more than two thousand deaths between 2000 and 2002. Pray that Christians will not retaliate. Pray that those responsible will be found and brought to justice.

    For more information on the situation facing Christians in Indonesia,click here.

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