https://www.persecution.org/2024/07/24/muslim-residents-prohibit-indonesian-church-from-worshiping/
Another church in Indonesia has faced pressure to stop its worship services.
Residents living near the Tesalonika Church in Kampung Melayu Timur, Teluk Naga District, Tangerang, recently rioted and demanded that the church cease its worship activities. Footage of the rioters ridiculing the church for having to gather inside a home went viral on social media this week.
One resident stated that the mob stopped the church’s worship because the service occurred in a majority-Muslim community. A representative of Tesalonika Church shared that the church had been gathering inside a home because their lease for their previous place of worship at the Puri Naga Indah complex had expired.
While churches in larger cities can generally worship openly, smaller churches in Indonesia’s villages are increasingly challenged, threatened, and attacked. A likely reason for this trend is another trend: Muslims are increasingly leaving Islam to follow Jesus, and devoted Muslims are taking notice. At the same time, one report shows that religious tolerance is increasing in Indonesia, and some churches are finally gaining approval to construct their own buildings after years and even decades of waiting.
Another church in Indonesia has faced pressure to stop its worship services.
Residents living near the Tesalonika Church in Kampung Melayu Timur, Teluk Naga District, Tangerang, recently rioted and demanded that the church cease its worship activities. Footage of the rioters ridiculing the church for having to gather inside a home went viral on social media this week.
One resident stated that the mob stopped the church’s worship because the service occurred in a majority-Muslim community. A representative of Tesalonika Church shared that the church had been gathering inside a home because their lease for their previous place of worship at the Puri Naga Indah complex had expired.
While churches in larger cities can generally worship openly, smaller churches in Indonesia’s villages are increasingly challenged, threatened, and attacked. A likely reason for this trend is another trend: Muslims are increasingly leaving Islam to follow Jesus, and devoted Muslims are taking notice. At the same time, one report shows that religious tolerance is increasing in Indonesia, and some churches are finally gaining approval to construct their own buildings after years and even decades of waiting.
