During a worship service on Sunday, July 19, at Christ the Answer Tabernacle Pentecostal Church (GPT) in Medan City in Indonesia’s North Sumatra Province, an angry mob of Muslims forced the church to shut down, claiming it lacked a building permit.

A video of the incident has surfaced online.

For nearly nine years, the church has struggled to obtain the necessary permits from the Medan City government. There has been no clear answer for the repeated denials. Church administrators routinely submitted requirements from the village and district offices and even requested recommendations from the FKUB (Interfaith Harmony Forum), along with all necessary documents.

In 2017, the church purchased land to build a building. Its members paid for the land in two installments, and there was no dispute over its use. When access to the land was later closed, the church bought more land next to it for 280 million rupiah (about $16,000).

On March 5, 2026, church leaders had a four-hour meeting with the FKUB, National and Political Unity Agency, and all related parties. However, the meeting yielded no real conclusion. The government only promised to inspect the site without guaranteeing a decision on its use.

Most locals have supported the construction of a church building. Only a handful of Muslim residents have challenged its construction, now for nine years.

Dedy Mauritz Simanjuntak, chair of the North Sumatra chapter of the Indonesian Christian Council (MUKI), said that if the government dared to take a firm stance, as it had in handling previous cases, no one would have the courage to break the law.

He also highlighted the recurring cycle: permits are made difficult to obtain for years, then worship services are banned, while those responsible for the break-ups are rarely prosecuted.

“Nine years is not a reasonable time,” Simanjuntak said. “Every effort must have an end. A handful of people cannot rule the country. The Constitution cannot be defeated by agreements that only benefit certain parties.”

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