Purwakarta Ministry Of Religion Calls Building Sealed In Cigelam Not A Church But A Sports Building

The sealing of unlicensed buildings is misused for places of worship in Purwakarta. (ANTARA)

PURWAKARTA - The Office of the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) of Purwakarta Regency in West Java Province stated that the building which was sealed on Sunday 2 April was sealed by government officials in Cigelam Village, Babakancikaao District, not a church, but rather a place of worship where the sport was used as a place of worship. "So the congregation said that the Purwakarta Regency Government sealed the building based on the results of a meeting involving the Purwakarta Regency Government, Regional Leadership Coordination Forum, Indonesian Ulema Council, Ministry of Religion Office, Religious Harmony Forum, Purwakarta Christian Church Cooperation Agency, as well as representatives of the Protestant Church of Simalungun. According to him, the sealing of unlicensed buildings used as houses of worship was carried out to prevent the emergence of social unrest among the community. After the sealing was carried out, he said, the Ministry of Religion Office coordinated with the Purwakarta Regency Government to facilitate the provision of places of worship for the congregation of the Protestant Church Simalungun.

He said that there are 19 churches in Purwakarta that the congregation of the Protestant Christian Church Simalungun can use for worship and three of them are in the Babakanciao District, where the building they make a place of worship is located. The congregation said that the congregation of the Protestant Christian Church Simalungun should follow procedures and fulfill the requirements in accordance with the regulations with the Minister of Religion and the Minister of Home Affairs Number 9 of 2006 and Number 8 of 2006 if they wanted to establish a place of worship.