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Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:23:54 +0700
From: pawliang
Subject: Fwd: [ GMI WIL - II ] GMI Sola Gracia dilarang beribadah - was asked to cancel their sunday service
Dear All,
Let's continue to pray for churches in Indonesia, especially for our Methodist congregations.
Below is an e-mail from Sola Gracia, a Methodist Congregation in Banten Province (used to be part of Greater Jakarta).
Last Sunday, 22 June around 8.30 am a group of people with 20 motorbikes went to the church and asked them to cancel the worship in the midst of their service. They were shouting... "this is also a church, let's burn it". This congregation is using a "ruko" (shop-house) for their sunday services. The mob also canceled a few other services in that neighborhood.
The incident started at 7.30 when the mob stopped the service at the nearby Catholic Church. From the Catholic Church, they moved to the Methodist church. After a tough negotiation, the mob allowed them to finish at 9 am. They said Sola Gracia didn't have a proper permit. This is a second incident for Sola Gracia.
The same incident happened also to our congregation in Bandung Timur (West Java Province) few months ago. And in December, the Methodist Women also had to postpone their free medical service to the community in Parung Panjang (also in Banten) because there was a rumour saying that they were trying to evangelize people through community service.
As for our congregation, we will process our permit for worship immediately after the Annual Conference in early July together with other congregations in District 3. I have consulted our District Superintendent and will prepare all the required paper. Let's pray that all our congregations will obtain the worship permit smoothly.
The new regulation is more in favour with churches actually, but sometimes 'people/mass' has the power and not the government. Police also can't do much. They went to inform Sola Gracia before the mob arrived but couldn't do much.
In His Grace
Paw Liang
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