Listeners:
Top listeners:
-
play_arrow
Indonesia: Officials Drag Pastor Out of Worship Center, Seal Church Shut
by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – A pastor in Jombang Regency, Indonesia was last month dragged out of a shop his church had been meeting in by around 50 government officials who then sealed the shop shut, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.
Although Christianity is legal under the country’s Constitution, Muslim-majority Indonesia ranks 42 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
Leader of the Good God Church (Gereja Gembala Baik, or GAB) in the Simpang Tiga Shopping Compound, Pastor Herri Soesanto has described the government seizure of the church’s shop building on August 18 as “violent and anarchic,” MSN reports. The drastic action taken by the Jombang officials is believed to be part of the local government’s effort to repossess shops it says it owns at a business compound in the Weru area of Mojongapit village, East Java Province.
During a podcast interview with Gus Aan Anshori, son of a leading Muslim cleric, Soesanto recounted: “I was harassed and dragged by a mob that I estimated was about 50 people. What was disappointing was those people who closed my church were my friends.”
Adding that the authorities threatened him with imprisonment, Soesanto noted: “This is the anarchic act that embarrasses the city of Jombang. The city of Jombang is wise. But the regent’s actions are violent and anarchic. I never imagined the violence that government officials made, causing upset among the congregation.”
In a 2024 website statement about the situation facing Christians and churches in Indonesia, the Open Doors international Christian advocacy organization reports: “If a church is believed to be proselytizing, they will likely run into opposition from radical Islamic groups. Depending again on the region, some church groups also face difficulties getting permission for building churches. Even if they manage to fulfill all legal requirements (and win court cases), local authorities may still ignore them.”
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
A Dutch community remained in shock Saturday after a 13-year-old girl was detained following the discovery of her parents’ bodies in their home in the northern Netherlands.
Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz declared a 90-day state of emergency Saturday, empowering the military to clear road blockades after nearly 50 days of anti-government protests that have included widespread road blockades, leaving at least 14 people dead and crippling the nation’s economy.
A powerful thunderstorm system sweeping across Western Europe killed at least one person in the Netherlands, injured several others in Belgium and Germany, and caused widespread damage as nearly 190,000 lightning flashes illuminated the skies, authorities said Saturday.
Israeli strikes killed at least 10 people in Lebanon on Saturday despite a ceasefire that took effect hours earlier, officials said, with Israel claiming it was responding to attacks by the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire that was to begin Friday afternoon, Worthy News learned.
At least 10 people, including four children, were injured in a Russian strike on Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, Ukrainian authorities said Friday. In southern Ukraine, the State Emergency Service reported that one person was killed and four others were injured in a separate Russian attack on the Odesa region.
President Donald Trump signed the temporary peace deal with Iran ahead of schedule Wednesday at the Palace of Versailles in France, kicking off negotiations over a final nuclear deal.
WHO WE ARE
The Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs encapsulate the beauty, wisdom, and eternal truths found in the Bible, creating an immersive experience that resonates with believers and seekers alike.
CONTACT
- +1 908 280-4246
- Essex County, USA
- info@tnjrfm.com