A controversy-plagued Protestant church in Bogor, West Java, has received a “final ultimatum” from local authorities seeking its relocation, reports the Jakarta Globe.

“The government will no longer tolerate (the GKI Yasmin church). The enforcement by police [on Sunday] was the final ultimatum from the city to stop the congregation from praying on the sidewalks,” Bogor secretary Ade Syarif Hidayat said on Monday.

On Sunday, the congregation clashed with police public order officers (Satpol PP) who sought to move the worshippers. Each side alleged the other had carried out acts of violence.

The Bogor secretary said the congregation was forbidden to pray on the sidewalk in front of the closed church building since the location will now be used for a park.

GKI Yasmin spokesman Bona Sigalingging told the Jakarta Globe that the congregation was unafraid of the ultimatum.

“The incident on Oct. 9 was actually the third [ultimatum],” Bona said.

Bona said that since Sept. 25 the Bogor administration had told the congregation three times that it would be the last time they could pray there.

“But we are resolute — we will not stop praying there until what is rightfully ours, our church, is reopened,” Bona said.

“We will come there to pray. Be it only for five minutes, we will come every week.”

The roughly 300 members of the GKI Yasmin church have been relegated to the sidewalk for prayer since April 2010, when their church complex was sealed by the Bogor administration on the order of the mayor.

Diani has defied legal orders that the church be reopened.

FULL STORY

Bogor Authorities Give Yasmin Church ‘Final Warning’ (Jakarta Globe)

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