Indonesia: After Waiting 45 Years, Church Building Permit Rejected Again

[duluxe]

Indonesia (International Christian Concern) — After an astounding 45 years of waiting for a building permit, Catholics in Bulukumba Regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, were told yet again that they couldn’t build their own place of worship. Residents of Jalanjang village in the Gantarang District voted against the construction, forcing the church to worship in empty homes and warehouses. Recently, the local government facilitated the use of the PKK building as a temporary worship space.
Efforts to build a church started in 1980. The church obtained a permit to build a church near the Bulukumba Regional Hospital, but the permit was cancelled after Muslim residents protested. Another location on Jalan Wahidin also suffered a similar fate.
Now, efforts to build a church in Jalanjang have failed.
Muhammad Rais, chair of the Indonesian National Youth Committee in Bulukumba, encouraged the local government to help resolve the issue fairly and transparently.
“Telling Catholics to move to build a church is not a solution,” he said. “Bulukumba is also their home. It should not be treated as a stepchild. They have the right to worship.”
The establishment of a house of worship in Indonesia is regulated in the Joint Regulation of the Minister of Religion and the Minister of Home Affairs Number 9 and 8 of 2006. This regulation requires a minimum of 90 users of the house of worship with proof of photocopies of ID cards and written support from at least 60 residents.
However, in the same provision, if the number of users of the house of worship has been met but support from residents has not been achieved, then the local government is required to facilitate the availability of a construction site.
Despite the challenges, Catholics in Bulukumba still hope that one day, they can have a church building where they can worship freely and safely without having to move from place to place.

 

[NanoRay]

Save money. AI can preach better.

Pastoring is a sunset industry.

 

[syed putra]

Go build churches in northern Sulawesi. They are all Christians there.

 

[Sustanon]

build simi lan? give me all the money can already lah.... I send them some power ranger action figures to worship also same wad no need wait 45 years so long.... I fedex to them most 3 days can start to worship liao lor.... I can send them pink ranger or yellow ranger if they want..... 佛在心中 mah correct?

 

[eatshitndie]

may be they’re waiting for $69 under the table.