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Indonesia

• Fire-Bombings Targeted at Churches

  Pray for the safety of believers in Indonesia whose churches are being targeted. Photo: Flickr / Josh Gales

  A total of four churches on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi were attacked recently by arsonists using homemade bombs. While no one was injured, the attacks resulted in property damage to the church buildings, as well as increased anxiety among the local communities.

  According to police, it appears the assailants intended to stir up religious tensions between Christian and Islamic groups on the island. More than a decade ago, an anti-Christian campaign by extremists had destroyed hundreds of churches and thousands of homes. Reports indicate that thousands of Christians from both the Sulawesi and Moluccas islands were killed in the conflict and approximately half a million others were driven out in what has been described as an ethnic cleansing effort.

  As recently stated by Human Rights Watch, religious intolerance is growing noticeably worse in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country. The latest report, which compiled information on 264 incidents of religious intolerance, revealed that these statistics are almost double those of 2007. To learn more about the situation in Indonesia, go to the Indonesia Country Report.

  Our Heavenly Father, whose eyes "run to and fro throughout the whole earth," is fully aware of the many violent acts that have occurred against His Church in Indonesia and around the world. Let's pray in agreement with His powerful Word, and through the precious blood of The Lamb, that He will indeed "show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him" (2 Chronicles 16:9).

• Testimony of Female Prisoner Who Was Set Free

  Roy Kalbulan and Ribur Manulang Photo: Open Doors

  Former Bible college student Ribur and her Christian friend Roy were arrested on May 29th, 2012, and three days later, were charged with abusing Islam. Their arrest took place after being captured and attacked by a mob of villagers in Aceh (located near Sumatra), where Ribur began meeting weekly with a family of believers and reaching out to the Muslim community there. While at the village just prior to the arrest, a crowd of people suddenly gathered around the two visitors and began beating them, also lashing at them with a cattle whip. Further interrogations by the village leader resulted in more accusatory questions and beatings. Ribur prayed that the Holy Spirit would give her the strength to stand strong and testify to the truth. To obtain a better understanding of the challenges faced by Christians in Indonesia check the Indonesia Country Report.

  During her subsequent 60 days of solitary confinement, Ribur was able to read the Bible and pray. Someone unexpected took notice. A prison guard told her it was the first time they had seen how a Christian prayed and read the Bible. Since the authorities couldn't find any evidence against Ribur and Roy, they were let go. "After I was released," Ribur testifies with gratitude, "I felt that the same God who helped me in the prison was helping me still." Though the team's work in Aceh is on hold for now, she continues to serve her local church and still dreams of planting churches in Sumatra.

  May the Lord grant Ribur 'the desires of her heart' to continue reaching out to others with the Gospel message of Jesus by opening doors of opportunity for her to minister in Sumatra. In the meantime, pray that He will prepare the hearts of people there so they will be receptive to the good news of His eternal salvation. Also pray for continued blessings on Ribur and Roy, and their ministry team, for their faithfulness to the call even during difficult circumstances.

• Update: Opposition against churches continues

  Pastor Palty’s church was sealed shut with this concrete wall. Behind Pastor Palty, you can see a government closure notice.

  Muslim protesters recently used loudspeakers and loud music to prevent a church from holding Sunday services in West Java, Indonesia. The Batak Society Christian Church of Philadelphia was forced to cancel its Sunday service after scores of protesters gathered to harass the believers. Reverend Palty Panjaitan said he tried to talk with the protesters, but police told him to cancel the service to prevent any violence. "By doing so, however, they violated our constitutional right," he adds. At a protest in May, the congregation was subjected to hate speech and death threats. This same church has been trying to get permission to build a worship facility in the district after submitting an application back in 2007 (to learn more, click here).

  In a similar case of harassment involving GKI Yasmin Church, Indonesia's Interior Minister and local Bogor City authorities ordered this particular church to relocate to an undeveloped plot of land five miles from the established property they had already owned. Despite a 2011 Indonesian Supreme Court ruling that the church could reopen, local officials are ordering the church to move (for more information on the harassment of this congregation, click here).

  Christian leaders say local governments across Indonesia are appeasing the predominantly Muslim population by putting complex and difficult requirements on churches to obtain building and occupancy permits.

  Please pray that any barriers to worship will be removed for these dedicated Indonesian believers. May their determination and joy serve as a bold witness to the power of the one true God. Pray that God will work powerfully in the lives of those who persecute His Church in Indonesia, drawing them into relationship with Him.

  Go to the Indonesia Country Report for more information on our suffering brothers and sisters in Indonesia.

• Church building set ablaze

  Unidentified attackers torched a church building in Poso, Indonesia, in a series of renewed violence against the local Christian community late last month. The fire at the Madele Pentecostal Church began when attackers doused a collection box with petrol and set it on fire. The pastor's residence was also damaged in the blaze. Reports state that the timely intervention by villagers, including some Muslims, was crucial in curbing the damage caused by the fire. In a recent spurt of violence against Christians in Poso, a number of places of worship as well as buildings owned by Christians have come under attack.

  Pray that the believers will be encouraged to continue to meet together despite opposition (Hebrews 10:23-25). Ask the Lord to grow the believers in courage and in faithfulness. Pray that the perpetrators will repent and come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.

  Please visit the Indonesia Country Report to learn more about our persecuted brothers and sisters in Indonesia.

• Nine churches closed down in Aceh

  An increasing number of churches are being closed in Indonesia. Photo: Compass Direct News

  Officials in a province of Indonesia under strict Islamic law have closed down nine "illegal" churches in response to pressure from Islamist groups.

  The authorities in Banda Aceh city forced leaders of the nine churches to sign statements agreeing to close their buildings last week. Six Buddhist temples were also forced to close. Aceh province, of which Banda Aceh is the capital, has been under Shariah (Islamic) law since 2001. The churches affected were branded illegal for not having official permits -- despite the fact that at least one of them had submitted an application to register officially. Officials have given warning that they will continue to monitor these "banned" congregations to ensure they do not resume their church activities. Church members have been encouraged to join officially registered churches.

  Ask God to be with all the congregations affected by closures in Banda Aceh. Pray that they will find ways to find fellowship and worship God together. Pray that their example will prompt authorities to desire to know more about Jesus and put their hope and trust in Him.

  Go to the Indonesia Country Report for more on Indonesia's persecuted Church.

• Christians bombed

  A Christian's home and a church building were targeted with bomb blasts this month in Indonesia. Explosives were detonated outside a Christian's home and, about an hour later, a bomb exploded outside the Imanuel Church building in nearby Taripa, Pamona Timur. Police said the house targeted in the first attack was that of Okrifil Mamuaya, a Christian working for the local government. No one was injured in the blasts, but the attacks have created fear among Christians who have long endured violence in a region considered a hotbed for Islamist militancy.

  Groups such as Laskar Jihad carried out jihad or holy war against Christian communities in the Moluccas and Central Sulawesi between 1999 and 2002. Although a government-brokered truce in 2002 brought tentative peace, sporadic attacks have continued.

  Please pray that such violence against Christians will cease in Indonesia. Pray that believers will stand firm in their faith as a testament to God's ability to supply courage in all circumstances (Psalm 27:1). Pray that militant groups in Indonesia would come to faith in Jesus Christ.

  Go to the Indonesia Country Report for more on persecution in Indonesia.

• Islamist mob hurls urine, rotten food at Christians

  Pastor Palty’s church was sealed shut with this concrete wall. Behind Pastor Palty, you can see a government closure notice.

  About 600 Muslims threw bags of urine and filthy water at 100 members of a church in Indonesia and threatened to kill the pastor. No arrests have been made. The mob, which included the chairman of the Bekasi chapter of the extremist Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), attacked members of the Philadelphia Batak Christian Protestant Church while police looked on.

  The Christians were peacefully worshipping on the street of a community in Bekasi, near Jakarta, on May 17 when they were accosted. The angry throng began to throw urine, ditchwater, rotten eggs, stones and dirt when Pastor Palty Panjaitan came to speak to his congregation. The congregants were forced to disperse. Pastor Palty received a death threat and filed a police complaint.

  The church had been denied a permit to construct a church five years ago, and the local administration asked it to shut down in December 2009 (for more, click here). The Supreme Court overruled the administration's decision in July last year, saying the church was eligible for a permit, but due to pressure from Islamist groups, officials insist the congregation meet elsewhere.

  Please pray that members of this church will soon be able to freely worship the one true God. Please pray for the protection of Pastor Palty. Pray that those who oppose this church will come to know salvation through Jesus Christ. Pray that these believers will rejoice in the opportunity to grow in Christlikeness through the ongoing opposition they face (James 1:2-4).

  Go to the Indonesia Country Report for more on persecution in Indonesia.

• Churches sealed shut

  An increasing number of churches are being closed in Indonesia. Photo: Compass Direct News

  Seventeen churches have been forcibly closed in Indonesia's Aceh province following last month's election of a hard-line Islamic governor.

  Emboldened by the April election of Zaini Abdullah of the staunchly Islamic Aceh Party, hundreds of Islamic demonstrators gathered and demanded that church buildings be demolished and not just closed.

  Officials said grounds for the closures included improper permits and a more than a decade-old agreement that stated that only one church and four small houses that function as churches could be built in the entire district. About 12,000 people in the district are Christian -- accounting for about one-sixth of the population, and the number of churches in the area had grown to 22.

  Please pray that the decisions to close these places of worship will be overturned. Pray that the number of believers in Aceh will continue to multiply. Please pray that Zaini Abdullah and other authorities in Aceh will come to know and love Christ. Pray that believers will be encouraged to continue to meet together despite opposition (Hebrews 10:23-25).

  Go to the Indonesia Country Report for more on persecution in Indonesia.

• Anti-Christian incidents nearly doubled in 2011

  Reports against Christians in Indonesia increased in 2011, such as the officials sealing this church in Bogor, West Java. Photo: Compass Direct News

  Acts of violence and intolerance against Christians in Indonesia almost doubled in 2011. The Indonesian Protestant Church Union counted 54 acts of violence and other violations against Christians in 2011, up from 30 in 2010. The number of such incidents against religious minorities in general also grew, from 198 in 2010 to 276 in 2011. The worst is perhaps yet to come if authorities continue to overlook the threat of extremism, said a representative from the Jakarta-based Wahid Institute, a Muslim organization that promotes tolerance.

  Indonesia's hot-bed of extremism is West Java, the most populous province that includes the nation's capital city of Jakarta. This province alone witnessed 160 incidents against religious minorities. Churches in West Java, where there are approximately 520,000 Christians, also suffered the most last year. On Christmas Day, two churches in West Java's Bogor city bore the brunt of growing extremism. "Islamist vigilantes screamed and yelled at us and threatened us, as we sought to hold a Christmas service," a leader of the Gereja Kristen Indonesia told Compass.

  Pray believers will be encouraged to continue to meet together despite opposition (Hebrews 10:23-25). Ask the Lord to continue to grow His church in number, wisdom, understanding and faithfulness. Pray for those who oppose the gospel in Indonesia.

  Go to the Indonesia Country Report for more on persecution in Indonesia.

• Church closed and pastor arrested

  At least 30 churches have been closed or burned in Indonesia this year alone.

  The pastor of an Indonesian church established almost a quarter of a century ago has been arrested for allegedly forcing people to attend church. He faces up to three months in prison for the charges against him. His church has also been closed. Officials allege that the Indonesia Pentecostal Church (GPdI) in Sumedang was using an illegal building permit. Officials had previously asked the church to cease conducting Christian worship and had also requested that the church move its services into a building belonging to the Institute of Public Administration (IPND). An Indonesian Christian organization said the IPND cannot accommodate the congregations of any more closed churches, since about 14 churches have already been relocated to the building. At least 30 churches have been closed or burned in Indonesia this year alone, according to Jakarta Christian Communication Forum.

  Please pray that Christian brothers and sisters in Indonesia would continue to find the means to worship despite church building closures and the arrest of church leaders. Please pray that God would multiply the faith and love of His followers in Indonesia in the face of persecution. Please pray that this church would be reopened and its pastor freed.

  To learn more about the persecuted Church in Indonesia, please visit the Indonesia Country Report.