Bambang Muryanto – The Sleman administration sealed Elshaddai Pentecostal Church on Jl. Pringgodiningrat in Tridadi village, Sleman, on Wednesday afternoon due to a permit issue.
Sleman Regent Sri Purnomo said that based on a regency decree signed on March 7, the administration did not issue a construction permit for the church because it did not comply with articles 13 and 14 of the Joint Ministerial Regulation No. 9/2006 and Home Ministerial regulation No.8/2006 on the construction and maintenance of houses of worship.
"We rejected the issuance of a construction permit for the church because based on building permit No.62/IMB/DPU/1995, the land is supposed to be used for a private home," Sri Purnomo said.
The Sleman District Court is currently processing the alleged permit violation. Sri said that the case would be completed and the verdict read in February next year.
On Wednesday, a group of people from the Islamic Community Forum (FUI) came to the regent's office to demand the administration seal the church because it did not have a government permit as a place of worship.
The protesters' coordinator Turmudzi claimed that the church's reverend – Nico Lomboan – had violated an agreement stating that he would not use the property as a house of worship.
Yet, on Dec. 2, the reverend did hold worship activities in the house and on Dec. 18 the regency administration sent him a letter, asking him not to continue the activity.
Nico said that the church had stood from 1995 and that problems started to emerge when he renovated it in 2010. "I cannot comment, I'm out of town," Nico told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.
Yogyakarta Pentecostal Churches Association chairman Rev. P. Hutagalung said that Nico had not yet discussed the issue with association members. However, he suggested that Nico comply with the administration's regulation. "To resolve the issue, I suggested that [Nico] follow the Sleman administration's decision. What else can he do?" he said.
Yogyakarta Interfaith Forum (FPUB) chairman Muhaimin said that the administration's decision to seal the church did not violate any laws because the church did not have a proper permit.
"This action does not violate religious freedom. There is no religious conflict in this case," he said, and added that the forum had been trying to mediate between the disputing parties for two years.