Crowd Disbands Sewon Church Service Amid Permit Dispute

The dispersal of a worship service at Gereja Misi Sejahtera (GMS) in Sewon, Bantul has been attributed to licensing issues, according to the Forum Jihad Islam (FJI) of the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY). FJI DIY chairman Abdurrahman stated they received reports from residents regarding the GMS inauguration and arrived at the site around 8 AM on Sunday (24 May). ‘The building has existed for two years since construction began, and yesterday GMS was planning to hold its inauguration,’ Abdurrahman told reporters on Monday (25 May 2026). Residents initially did not know what GMS was. Abdurrahman explained that a meeting had taken place the previous day involving the pastor, Sewon Police Station, Sewon District Office, and Bantul Regency’s Kesbangpol to discuss the inauguration plans. ‘The church intended to hold the inauguration, but Kesbangpol had warned them and residents had also opposed it. Kesbangpol summoned the pastor, who only had a reporting permit from the Ministry of Religious Affairs,’ he said. According to Abdurrahman, Kesbangpol had requested GMS reconsider the inauguration due to the lack of proper permits and failure to involve Bantul’s Religious Harmony Forum (FKUB) during construction. On Sunday, the event proceeded as planned, leading to unrest among residents, prompting FJI DIY to intervene. Besides licensing issues, the proximity of GMS to Al-Munawwir Islamic Boarding School in Krapyak contributed to the unrest, with many unaware it was a church. ‘Hence the need to disperse it immediately, given the area is predominantly Muslim and near the Al-Munawwir Islamic Boarding School,’ he said. ‘Indeed, there is no proper permit. The process requires resident signatures, which were not obtained, and the building was constructed without notice, only to be inaugurated yesterday. The area is predominantly Muslim, so it’s understandable that residents are concerned about a place of worship being built there,’ he added. Abdurrahman stressed that establishing a place of worship is acceptable if proper procedures are followed. He added that GMS failed to present any permits when requested. ‘If they wish to build a church, that’s fine, but they must follow procedures. Resident consent and signatures are required. If the community has no objections, we won’t either,’ Abdurrahman said. ‘We have never disturbed churches with proper permits,’ he added. Acting Head of Bantul Kesbangpol, Yulius Suharta, stated his office had attempted to prevent the incident but unrest still occurred. He confirmed efforts were made to swiftly resolve the issue. ‘The priority was to act swiftly to maintain stability in Bantul,’ Yulius said. He also confirmed the issue related to permits. GMS had obtained a Surat Keterangan Tanda Lapor (SKTL), which would be further reviewed. ‘We will now assess whether the SKTL is valid for use as a place of worship or if further administrative steps are needed,’ he added.