A church active in Indonesia’s South Sulawesi Province for two years began facing unexpected opposition to proposed construction of a larger worship building this month, sources said.
The Toraja Christian Church of Lanraki in Paccerakkang village, which has worshipped at a member’s modest home for two years, applied in May for a construction permit for a building to accommodate their growth, with support from surrounding residents, said the head of the church construction committee, Makis Wata.
Makis said she did not understand the opposition that appeared on Feb. 4 with a banner displayed in the nearby Makasar local police housing complex stating, “We, all Muslims in Paccerakkang, especially residents of RW 02 RT 02 and RT 03, strongly reject the construction of a church and religious activities in our area forever.”
Makis said the church had been worshipping at its provisional site in the village in Biringkanaya Sub-District, in the provincial capital of Makasar, for two years without any objections or protests.
“Initially, it was at a member of the congregation’s house; it’s a humble building,” Makis told Morning Star News. “We associate amiably well with the nearby neighbors.”
The church’s application for a church building permit in a vacant area leading to Makasar City Police Housing Complex in Paccerakkang began in May without any problem; local residents supported the church’s building plans, asking only that street lights be installed on a 300-meter stretch from the main road, which was completed, she said.
“I must say, everything went smoothly,” Makis said. “I felt God’s extraordinary intervention in all the paperwork.”
The banner opposing construction of the church appeared at 7:30 a.m. on Feb. 4 by unidentified people, and local residents uninvolved with its installation reportedly took it down later that day.
Ian Hidayat of the Makasar Chapter of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation told the IDN Times of South Sulawesi the banner could incite hate speech and inter-religious conflict.
“Discriminatory actions like this cannot be tolerated and should have serious attention from law enforcement officers,” Hidayat reportedly said. “There should be no prohibitions or restrictions on certain groups. It is clear that the banner is hate speech against certain beliefs.”
The head of Biringkanaya Sub-District, who goes by a single name, Juliaman, told majestic.co.id that the banner violates the Indonesian constitution’s guarantee of freedom of religion, and that opposition to the church construction was unacceptable.
Residents of differing religious communities should prioritize mutual respect, he said.
“We hope all parties will work together to create a secure situation in their respective environments and collaborate with all parties to maintain it,” Juliaman reportedly said.
Makis said the Interfaith Cooperation Forum (Forum Kerja Sama Umat Beragama, or FKUB), an ad-hoc interreligious forum and various officials had also inspected the location of the prospective church the day after the banner opposing it appeared.
“The FKUB official was also surprised, saying, ‘Why was there a protest? After all, it is a vacant and wide lot with no houses nearby apart from the four-story police dormitory building at the end of the road, about 300 meters from the main road,’” she said, adding that the FKUB official did not want his name released.
The FKUB official said his team would conduct another field visit and mediate between the church and any opponents, she said.
Pastor Nicky Wakkary of the Pentecostal Church in Indonesia (Gereja Protestan di Indonesia, GPdI), who was banned from holding a Christmas service last year at his house in Cibinong, West Java Province, appealed to the Lanraki congregation to remain faithful regardless of the outcome.
“The congregation must remain steadfast in their faith and support each other so that they remain steadfast,” Pastor Nicky said. “At the same time, the congregation must learn more about the community social life around the place, which enables them to build a better relationship with the government and the community.”
The chairperson of the Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace, Hendardi, who goes by a single name, said issues related to prohibition of worship, intolerance and religious freedom violations do not appear to be a priority for the new administration of President Prabowo Subianto, who took office on Oct. 20.
The share of Indonesia’s Muslim-majority population identifying as Christian is 11.43 percent, with the evangelical population estimated at 3.23 percent, according to the Joshua Project.
Indonesian society has adopted a more conservative Islamic character, and churches involved in evangelistic outreach are at risk of being targeted by Islamic extremist groups, according to Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List report.
