GMS Bantul Questions Delay in Church Permit Issuance
The Misi Sejahtera Church (GMS) has revealed that the permit for establishing its church in Bantul has been stuck for about a month. The licensing process has stalled because the Bantul district administration has yet to issue the City Plan Statement (KRK), one of the requirements for the permit application.
Josiah Michael, spokesperson for the central GMS, acknowledged that the church has not yet attached the building feasibility certificate (SLF) and building approval (PBG) for the church permit. However, this follows from the fact that the KRK, which is currently being applied for, has not been issued.
“We already have the PBG, it just has not been complemented by the SLF, and the KRK is a requirement for the SLF,” he told detikJogja on Thursday (9/7/2026).
Josiah said all the necessary requirements have been fulfilled. He is also puzzled as to why the KRK has not been issued, taking around a month.
“We have fulfilled all the requirements. Including for the SLF, we are currently in the KRK process, but we also do not know why it has not come out, even though we were promised it would be issued sooner, but it has been about a month and the KRK still has not been issued,” he said.
He understands that applying for a church permit involves staged requirements. However, his side has not received any information regarding the delayed issuance of the KRK.
“All requirements have stages, as I have said before. Whatever the Bantul district administration asked for, we have fulfilled. If anything is still missing later, we will complete it. But to this day, nothing has come out of the Bantul district administration, including that KRK,” he said.
Requirements Not Yet Complete
Meanwhile, the Bantul district government stated that the church establishment permit is still being processed. The process is currently at the stage of arranging the SLF and PBG.
“We are still processing the building SLF and PBG,” said Hermawan Setiaji, Assistant for Governance and Public Welfare at the Bantul District Secretariat, when contacted by detikJogja on Thursday (8/7/2026).
Several requirements for arranging the two documents have not yet been completed by GMS. According to him, the permit process can proceed once the requirements are met.
“Yes, that is correct (the requirements for the SLF and PBG are not yet complete),” he said.
It is known that this permitting issue came to light after a congregation service at GMS Bantul in Glugo, Panggungharjo, Sewon was stormed by a mob on Sunday (24/5). However, the permitting issue remains unresolved to this day.