GMS Bantul Congregation Hopes to Resume Church Worship

The congregation of Gereja Misi Sejahtera (GMS) has been unable to worship at their church following a controversial disbanding. The GMS congregation hopes to soon gather again at their church building. Following a meeting between Forkopimda (Regional Security Council) and GMS Bantul after the disbanding, the church building remains temporarily unused. On Sunday (31 May 2026), the congregation opted for online worship. “Yes, that’s correct (worship is being held online),” said Josiah Michael, GMS Central Public Relations, when contacted by detikJogja on Sunday (31 May). This was also announced via GMS’s official Instagram account, @gmschurch. “Yes, following guidance, we are not holding onsite worship this week in Bantul,” he added. Initially, GMS congregants were asked to worship at Pakuwon Mall church. However, due to distance concerns, the congregation opted for online services. “Regarding worship at Pakuwon Mall, it won’t happen as the congregation would have to travel too far from Bantul,” Josiah said. The organisation hopes GMS congregants can resume worship at their church. Josiah stated they are working to secure the necessary permits to hold services at GMS Sewon. “We hope only today’s worship is online, as gathering at church is a religious obligation. We will continue coordinating with the Bantul Regency Government. Please pray for a swift resolution for our worship,” Josiah said. Meanwhile, the forced disbanding of GMS worship has drawn attention from Minister of Religion (Menag) Nasaruddin Umar, who hopes the incident does not happen again. “Insha’Allah, the Ministry of Religion will work towards a timely and appropriate resolution, with win-win solutions as our new motto. No one has ever been happy with disputes, so this is a challenge we must face and overcome. We hope it does not recur,” Nasaruddin said, as reported by detikHikmah. He added that the ministry is seeking a middle ground on the issue and hopes for unity and religious tolerance to be realised. “May there be deep inner awareness for all of us. Regardless of religion, we must handle issues well as Indonesians, for there is no one else,” he added. The forced disbanding of GMS worship in Bantul occurred on Sunday (24 May). GMS Central, via public relations Josiah Michael, regretted the intimidation and verbal and physical threats from elements of mass organisations, noting that freedom of worship is protected under Article 29 of the 1945 Constitution. Meanwhile, the DIY Forum of Islamic Jihad (FJI), which disbanded the worship, claimed the action was based on local residents’ objections to the church’s presence due to unresolved permit issues. Meanwhile, DIY Governor Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X also strongly responded to the incident, stating that racial and religious differences are a divine certainty, and therefore, acting as if one is always right is unjustifiable.