TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The residents of Neighborhood Unit (RT) 2 and RT 5, Community Unit (RW) 03, in Kalibaru Subdistrict, opposed the construction of a church on Palautan Eres Street, Cilodong Subdistrict, Depok, Indonesia, on Saturday, July 5, 2025.
The Chairperson of the Community Empowerment Institute of Kalibaru, Rudi Ardiansyah, claimed that the rejection was due to the lack of prior dissemination with the surrounding residents. "It indirectly means that their permit is already issued, without the consent of the community. Whereas the community still rejects the establishment of the church," said Rudi on Saturday, July 5, 2025.
Establishment of Places of Worship
The Setara Institute has recorded data on religious issues and the establishment of places of worship in Indonesia. Data compiled by Setara Institute between 2007-2022 shows that there have been 573 cases of disturbances against religious activities and places of worship in Indonesia. The data from Setara Institute details various violations that have affected minority groups, such as forced dissolution of religious activities, rejection of the establishment of places of worship, intimidation, as well as destruction and burning.
The freedom to worship and practice religion is stipulated in the 1945 Constitution article 29 paragraph (2), which states, "the state guarantees the freedom of every citizen to embrace their respective religion and to worship according to their religion and beliefs."
Rejection of Church Constructions
1. Construction of a Church in Cilodong
Rudi Ardiansyah claimed the rejection was because the community leaders such as RT and RW were never involved in mediations. "Instead, they took the upper route, so the permit was issued without the consent of RT and RW," said Rudi.
He denied allegations of intolerance by stating that there were already two other churches in the area. The representative of the GBKP Zetsplayrs Tarigan Church stated that the laying of the first stone was carried out lawfully as they already had a Building Permit (IMB) issued on March 4, 2025.
He refuted the claim of lack of socialization and claimed that they had frequently met with the local community leaders. "If it is said that we were not involved, we have frequently met with Mr. RW, Mr. RT, RT.2, and RT. 5, and there is documentation of it all," said Zetsplayrs.
2. Construction of a Church in Cilegon
The chronology of rejecting the construction of the HKBP Maranatha Church in Cilegon, Banten, began with a demonstration by a group calling themselves the Local Wisdom Preserving Committee of Cilegon City at the Cilegon City DPRD Building on Wednesday, September 7, 2022.
They urged the government and DPRD to reject the establishment of the church. The controversy escalated after the Mayor of Cilegon, Helldy Agustian, and Deputy Mayor Sanuji Pentamarta at that time, also signed the petition of rejection.
The legal team of the HKBP Maranatha Church, accompanied by Pastor Yerry Pattinasarany, filed a complaint about the issue to the People's Consultative Assembly (DPR) in Jakarta on Tuesday, September 13, 2022. They met with PKB politicians, Daniel Johan and Luluk Nur Hamidah, to convey the chronology of rejection, the challenges faced by the congregation, as well as evidence of meeting the administrative requirements that were initially denied by the Cilegon City Government.
3. Construction of a Church in Semarang
The conflict over the construction of the Indonesian Baptist Church (GBI) in Tlogosari, Semarang, peaked in March 2020 when the Public Order Police Force forcibly halted the construction process. This cessation followed protests from residents who accused the church's Building Permit (IMB) of being obtained through fraud using signatures on blank paper. The GBI Tlogosari denied these allegations. According to them, the construction had begun a month after the IMB was issued, but it was obstructed by the rejection.
The Semarang City Government stated that this halt was temporary, to provide a three-month working period for the coordination team formed to find a solution at the time. However, this move was strongly criticized by the Legal Aid Institute (LBH) Semarang. According to the Director of LBH Zainal Arifin, the authorities should ensure the constitutional rights of the congregation to worship, instead of succumbing to pressure and halting the construction on the grounds of maintaining a conducive environment.
Ricky Juliansyah, Timothy Nathaniel, Rusman Paraqbueq, Jamal Abdun Nashr also contributed to the writing of this article.
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