11/27/2023 Indonesia (International Christian Concern) — Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas recently issued a notification allowing different Ministry of Religion offices as temporary houses of worship for religious minorities. 

“This circular from the Minister of Religion was issued as an effort by the government to guarantee religious communities to carry out worship according to their religion and beliefs in an orderly, comfortable, and safe manner,” said Head of the Center for Religious Harmony (PKUB) Secretariat General of the Ministry of Religion Wawan Djunaedi in a written statement on Thursday, Nov. 23. 

Circular No. 11 was published on Oct. 16, 2023. This circular was addressed to all Heads of Provincial Ministry of Religion Regional Offices and Heads of Regency/City Ministry of Religion Offices in Indonesia. 

According to Minister Wawan, religious communities still cannot conduct their worship in an orderly, comfortable, and safe manner. This occurs because there are often no safe places of worship available, and there is resistance from local communities to groups like Christians gathering in their neighborhoods. Therefore, the government has intervened to facilitate these religious freedoms.  

The following are some provisions of the Circular Minister of Religion No. 11 of 2023: 

• First, use only a maximum of two hours for each worship activity. 
• Second, the applicant provides the necessary worship facilities themselves. 
• Third, the validity period is only three months and can only be extended once. 

Many Christians in Indonesia experience difficulties in being able to meet to worship God and hold church gatherings. They often face intimidation, opposition, and other challenges as they try to meet for fellowship and worship. 

With this policy change, non-Muslims facing problems in accessing places of worship can take advantage of these government facilities. ICC welcomes these changes. But these are still only temporary solutions, and the policy change is narrow and has restrictions. Longer-term and entrenched solutions are urgently needed to ensure Christians and other religious minorities in Indonesia can worship and practice their faiths freely. 

Please pray that the government guarantees every religious believer’s right to worship more. 

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