SURABAYA, Indonesia (Morning Star News) – A machete-wielding Muslim threatened to kill members of a house church in Indonesia as he and family members on Aug. 29 broke up a worship service, sources said. In West Sumatra Province, the Sola Gratia congregation of Bethel Indonesia Church (Gereja Bethel Indonesia, or GBI) was meeting the evening […]
Muslims with Machete, Club Halt Worship in Indonesia
Police dismiss case, saying assailant was insane.
September 5, 2023 By - Leave a Comment
3-Month Jail Term Given for Halting Christian Worship in Indonesia
A Christian would have received harsh punishment for same crime, rights advocate says.
August 21, 2023 By - Leave a Comment
SURABAYA, Indonesia (Morning Star News) – A court in Indonesia last week sentenced a Muslim to three months in jail for halting a Christian worship service. Sources said reducing the charge from blasphemy to disrupting a worship service, combined with an agreement the Muslim reached with the church, resulted in a lighter sentence than would have […]
Mobs Impede Christian Worship at Two Churches in Indonesia
Building under construction damaged.
August 15, 2023 By - Leave a Comment
SURABAYA, Indonesia (Morning Star News) – Mobs in northern Indonesia this month blocked a church from its Sunday service venue in one town and damaged a worship building under construction in another, sources said. In Riau Islands Province, about 30 people on Wednesday (Aug. 9) used hammers and clubs to break huge holes in the walls […]
Muslims Again Break Up Worship of Church in Indonesia
Presence of Christian service in Muslim-majority area questioned.
July 17, 2023 By - Leave a Comment
SURABAYA, Indonesia (Morning Star News) – As police looked on, a group of Muslims in North Sumatra Province, Indonesia, on July 2 asked why a church should be present in a Muslim-majority area as they broke up its worship service, a video shows. The disruption was the second in two months suffered by the Mawar Sharon Church […]
Churches in Indonesia Fight to Regain Worship Venues
Seal removed, but congregation cannot yet use building.
July 6, 2023 By - Leave a Comment
SURABAYA, Indonesia (Morning Star News) – Christians broke into joyful celebration when local officials in East Jakarta, Indonesia removed the seal on their church building on June 26, three months after it was closed. Citing lack of a permit, the East Jakarta City Planning Office on March 20 had sealed with a banner the building of […]
Christians Fear Implication in Attack on Government in Vietnam
Long oppressed Montagnard evangelicals could be targeted.
June 25, 2023 By - 3 Comments
(Morning Star News) – Ethnic Christians in Vietnam are bracing for potential fallout should they be blamed for recent anti-government violence. In the pre-dawn hours of June 11, four policemen, two government officials and three bystanders were killed by camouflage-clad armed groups. This rare anti-government violence took place in Ea Tieu and Ea Ktur communes, […]
Muslims Block Worship at Two Churches in Indonesia
Home fellowship told to obtain permit.
June 23, 2023 By - 4 Comments
SURABAYA, Indonesia (Morning Star News) – A local official and other Muslims on Sunday (June 18) stopped worship at a house church outside Jakarta, Indonesia, and a church site in Central Java Province was temporarily blocked, according to local reports. In West Java Province, a group of Muslims said to be led by a neighborhood official […]
Muslims Stop Christian Services in Two Cities in Indonesia
Worship disrupted on Sumatra Island.
May 29, 2023 By - Leave a Comment
SURABAYA, Indonesia (Morning Star News) – Muslim mobs on May 19 stopped Christians from worship in two cities of Indonesia’s Sumatra Island, sources said. Muslims reportedly disrupted Christians as they worshipped in a café in a village in Binjai, 13 miles from Medan, capital of North Sumatra Province. In Riau, capital of Pekanbaru Province in […]
Charge Reduced for Indonesian Official Who Stopped Service
Intruder released from jail.
May 18, 2023 By - Leave a Comment
SURABAYA, Indonesia (Morning Star News) – Authorities have reduced a blasphemy charge to one of mere “intrusion” for an official on western Indonesia’s Sumatra Island who broke up a worship service, sources said. Church leaders in Indonesia said such leniency would never be granted to a Christian who broke up mosque prayers and appealed for […]
Local Officials Seal Church Building Shut in Indonesia
Muslim intruders demanded congregation stop worshiping at site.
April 6, 2023 By - Leave a Comment
SURABAYA, Indonesia (Morning Star News) – Local officials sealed shut a church building in West Java Province, Indonesia on Saturday (April 1), two weeks after Muslims intruded into a worship service and demanded its closure, church leaders said. The congregation of the Simalungun Christian Protestant Church (Gereja Kristen Protestan Simalungun, or GKPS) in Cigelam, Babakancikao, Purwakerta, […]