The management of Gereja Misi Sejahtera (GMS) has stated that they\nwere offered the use of a pavilion (pendopo) by the Bantul Regency\nGovernment as a temporary place of worship. However, the church\ncommittee is currently unable to accept the offer due to various\nconsiderations.<\/p>\n
Josiah Michael, the Public Relations officer for GMS Central, noted\nthat the Regent of Bantul, Abdul Halim Muslih, had offered the pavilion\nfor worship purposes. While expressing appreciation for the gesture, he\nstated that the church cannot yet utilise the option.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are very grateful and thankful for his kindness, but after\nconsidering various factors, we cannot yet take the option to worship in\nthe pavilion,\u201d Josiah told reporters on Friday (5\/6\/2026). He added\nthat, as a result, GMS Bantul may not hold in-person services this\ncoming Sunday.<\/p>\n
He expressed hope that the permit for GMS Bantul will be issued soon,\nnoting that all necessary documentation has been completed. Until then,\nthe congregation will not be able to hold services at the GMS Bantul\npremises.<\/p>\n
It was previously reported that following an incident involving the\ndisruption of worship on 24 May 2026, the GMS congregation in Sewon,\nBantul, decided to conduct services online. The congregation hopes that\nthe online format will only be a temporary measure. An announcement\nregarding the online services was posted on the @gmschurch<\/span> Instagram account.<\/p>\n \u201cFollowing official guidance from the government, all GMS Bantul\nworship activities on 31 May 2026 have been cancelled and transitioned\nto online worship via streaming at gms.church,\u201d the caption stated.<\/p>\n When asked to confirm the information, Josiah Michael verified that\nthe church is following directives that prevent the congregation from\nworshipping at their own church building for the time being.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/reasons-why-gms-declined-offer-to-use-bantul-pavilion-for-worship-1780802903",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}