Ministry of Religious Affairs responds to Bantul GMS Church service dissolution

The Bantul Regency Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) has commented on the dissolution of a worship service at the Gospel Mission for Peace (GMS) church in Sewon, stating it has coordinated with relevant parties to prevent further repercussions. Ahmad Musyadad, Head of the Madrasah Education Section at Bantul Kemenag, said the agency has worked with related parties to handle the GMS Bantul case, including the Yogyakarta Special Region Kemenag regional office. ‘It seems not only Bantul Kemenag is involved, but also the Yogyakarta Regional Kemenag office,’ he told detikJogja on Tuesday, 26 May 2026. Regarding the specifics of the coordination, Ahmad admitted he could not provide clear details but confirmed the case was being addressed. ‘We don’t know the exact details, but coordination with various parties is ongoing and, God willing, will be resolved properly,’ he said. Ahmad also explained that cross-sectoral coordination involving the police, village administration, the Interfaith Harmony Forum (FKUB), Kemenag, and other stakeholders was conducted to prevent further escalation. ‘Cross-sectoral coordination includes the police, village administration, FKUB, Kemenag, and related parties to prevent the situation from spreading,’ he added. It is known that a group of people disrupted GMS congregants’ worship in Bantul on Sunday, 24 June 2026. Acting Head of Bantul’s National Unity and Politics Agency (Kesbangpol), Yulius Suharta, said his agency had attempted to anticipate the situation but the incident still occurred. ‘We tried to anticipate it, but the movement at the GMS activity location did happen yesterday,’ he said. GMS Central Public Relations, Josiah Michael, stated that dozens of FJI militia members arrived on Sunday, 24 May at 7:59 AM WIB, demanding GMS Bantul disband the worship service, claiming it could disrupt religious harmony and social cohesion. ‘We deeply regret the incident involving the dissolution of worship accompanied by alleged intimidation and threats, both physical and verbal, from irresponsible individuals against GMS Bantul members,’ Josiah Michael told journalists on Tuesday, 26 May 2026. He added that the worship service was forced to disband due to the commotion. ‘This incident has left wounds and trauma on the congregants, especially the children,’ he said. According to Josiah, freedom of religion and peaceful worship are fundamental human rights guaranteed and protected by the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) through Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution. ‘Restricting worship through intimidation leading to violence undermines the nation’s values of tolerance and harmony,’ he said.