Kesbangpol Clarifies Circumstances of Bantul Church Worship Disruption

Kesbangpol explains the circumstances surrounding the disruption of worship at a church in Sewon, Bantul. The agency stated that the church service disruption began with plans to inaugurate a new church building.

Acting Head of Bantul’s Kesbangpol, Yulius Suharta, explained that the Gereja Misi Sejahtera (GMS) congregation had been renting hotel rooms for regular worship due to cost issues, leading them to lease a new building for use as a church.

The congregation had planned a thanksgiving ceremony for the new church premises, which was subsequently rejected by local residents.

Yulius, contacted on Monday, 25 May 2026, stated: “What we confirmed is that on Thursday (21/5), there was a social activity held there, followed by what the congregation referred to as a thanksgiving ceremony for the newly rented building, which took place last Sunday.”

Yulius noted that residents questioned the church’s permits, which were cited as the reason for the rejection.

He added: “The objection remains tied to whether the necessary permits have been obtained or not.”

According to him, the church holds a Surat Keterangan Tanda Lapor (SKTL), but the agency is still reviewing the document.

“However, we will follow up on the interpretation of the SKTL issued, to confirm whether it is indeed valid for use as a place of worship or if further administrative processes are required,” he said.

Kesbangpol had received information prior to the disruption and attempted mediation, but it was unsuccessful.

“We were not merely waiting for reports; when there were indications of potential objections to GMS activities, we had already coordinated,” Yulius said.

“We tried to anticipate the situation, but unfortunately, the incident occurred at the GMS activity site yesterday,” he added.

detikJogja attempted to confirm with the church regarding the disruption by a group. GMS Bantul administrator Joyo Riyadi has not provided detailed explanations on the matter.

“I apologise, we are in a meeting. Please allow us time,” he said.

He promised the church would provide a statement after the meeting concluded.

“Perhaps our PR team will contact you later. Thank you very much,” he added.