In Indonesia, several Muslim organizations (Islamic Defense Front, Betawi Forum Group and Hizbut Tahrir Party) have pressured officials in the Sepatan sub-district of Tangeran district near Jakarta to ban the Christian Baptist Church from meeting in a private home. The house is owned by Pastor Bedali Hulu.
Both District Secretary Ismet Iskandar and a sub-district secretary support the closure and have ordered Hulu to use his home as a residence only. The sub-district secretary issued a notice ordering all worship services in the house to stop. "But they have not presented a solution," said Hulu. "For a long time, we have proposed to build a house of worship, but the local government has not responded. The believers of the church feel terrorized by gangs who have stopped services."
The church in Sepatan has mostly served Christian day laborers in Psangan village since 2005. Pastor Hulu received written permission from local officials to hold services. The church was registered with the Office of Religious Affairs. Since a Christmas service in 2006, the Islamic Defense Front has waged a negative campaign to shut down "illegal" Christian activity in the village.
