Muslim residents of a village in Indonesia's East Java Province, have pressured officials into ceasing a church's use of its building, after they claimed worship services there could cause social tension.

The East Java Christian Church (GKJW) held worship services in a traditional Indonesian prayer house, which requires no permits, Morningstar News reported on Aug. 25.

But the church was told to halt services after residents of the Sukalipuro area of Dermo village, Bangil District, Pasuruan Regency, pressured officials on July 20 to stop services there, the news outlet quoted rights advocates as saying.

Muslim residents had asserted that the building held no official permits, stood close to a small Muslim prayer hall, known as a mushala, and was in a predominantly Muslim neighborhood.

They said such conditions could trigger social tensions.

The news outlet quoted rights advocates and other local sources saying opposition to the church holding services could stem from resentment after the church acquired the venue through a bank auction after its former owner could not repay a bank loan.

On July 20, representatives of the protesting Sukalipuro residents met with members of the Pasuruan Regency Legislative Council.

They objected to the GKJW church using the prayer house, saying the building was originally a residence and was later used for Christian worship.

The council stated this on its website, setwandprd.pasuruankab.go.

          - MUSLIM RESIDENTS QUESTION CHURCH BUILDING'S PERMIT STATUS

Protesting residents questioned the building's permit status and claimed the church had not adequately communicated to the surrounding community that it was a worship venue, Surabaya.kompas reported.

Following the residents' opposition, the Pasuruan Inter-Church Consultative Body subsequently, on July 28, ordered GKJW Bangil to temporarily halt worship activities at the Sukalipuro prayer house.

The call drew criticism from civil-society groups and Christian organizations, which argued that an administrative dispute should not result in suspension of religious worship.

Arnold L. Panjaitan, chair of the East Java provincial board of the Indonesian Christian Youth Movement (Gerakan Angkatan Muda Kristen Indonesia, GAMKI), expressed regret over the action.

"We deeply regret that a prayer house used by believers for worship has had to stop its activities," Arnold said, according to gamki.or.id.

"Freedom of worship is the right of every citizen, guaranteed by the constitution. Therefore, this right must be respected, protected and guaranteed in its implementation."

Criticism also came from the East Java Anti-Discrimination Islamic Network (JIAD), which stressed the importance of tolerance, due process and the constitutional protection of religious freedom.

According to International Christian Concern, churches and prayer houses in Indonesia can face periodic closures and disruptions driven by local opposition and building permit disputes.

Indonesia's 1945 Constitution protects freedom of religion and worship.

Still, the 2006 Joint Ministerial Regulation, Religious Affairs Ministerial Regulation No. 9/2006 and Home Affairs Ministerial Regulation No. 8/2006, governs the construction and formal establishment of houses of worship.

It requires a list of at least 90 prospective worshippers, support from at least 60 local residents, and recommendations from the local Religious Affairs Office and the Interfaith Harmony Forum (Forum Kerja Sama Umat Beragama, FKUB).

The regulation also includes provisions concerning temporary use of a non-worship building as a worship venue and assigns local governments a role in mediating disputes.

Indonesian society in recent years moved to a more conservative Islamic character, and churches involved in evangelistic outreach are at risk of being targeted by Islamic extremist groups, according to Open Doors.

The U.S. government estimates the of Indonesia's total population of 279.5 million (midyear 2023).

The U.S. State Department cites 2022 data from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) that 87 percent of the population identifies as Muslim, 7.4 percent Protestant, 3.0 percent Roman Catholic, 1.7 percent Hindu, and 0.7 percent Buddhist.