NEW MEGA-CHURCHES SEEN AS POSITIVE FOR RELIGIOUS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001734 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, DRL, DRL/AWL, DRL/IRF NSC FOR E. PHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/12/2018 TAGS: PGOV KIRF ID SUBJECT: NEW MEGA-CHURCHES SEEN AS POSITIVE FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM JAKARTA 00001734 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d). ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Indonesia is experiencing a spurt in the construction of large Evangelical Christian churches. On September 20, one such church--with seating capacity of 8,000--will open its doors in Jakarta after a 16-year wait for the necessary building permit. In the past, local officials often denied building permits to Christian groups wishing to build places of worship and smaller churches sometimes have been the target of attacks, especially in rural areas. ¶2. (C) SUMMARY (Con'd): While the mega-church trend has just begun and is for now focused in Jakarta, Christian leaders say the development is a step forward for Christians in this predominantly Muslim country. The trend also serves to counter efforts by extremists to press their version of Islam forward and effectively marginalize other groups. END SUMMARY. THE NEW MEGA-CHURCHES ¶3. (SBU) Mega-churches are the trend in Jakarta. With the relaxation of permit regulations (see below),wealthy businesspeople from the ethnic Chinese community have underwritten the cost of several large-scale church constructions around Jakarta. Four multi-million dollar churches, with seating capacity for thousands, are nearing completion. On September 20, the Reformed Millennium Cathedral (RMC)--an evangelical Protestant church--will open in the Jakarta business district. It will seat 8,000 and also house a seminary and university. RMC Pastor Stephen Tong told us -- "I want the church to be an image that Indonesia still has freedom of religion." GOI EASES UP ¶4. (C) The trend has been underwritten by the GOI's relaxation of building regulations. In the past, government officials either denied building permits to church groups or complicated the permit process, often causing worshippers to hold religious services in shopping malls and hotels. The Indonesian Reformed Evangelical Church waited 16 years for the government to grant its building permit--the new church is now being built at the cost of $27 million. Ruyandi Hutasoit, chair of the Prosperous Peace Party (PDS)--a Christian political party--told poloff that securing permission from local leaders was a bigger issue than the actual size of the church. He said, "big or small churches do not matter as long as there are no problems in getting a permit." ¶5. (C) In a September 19 meeting, Pol/C asked Tri Sukma "Nanu" Djandam, an adviser on international affairs to President Yudhoyono, about the apparent relaxation of restrictions. Djandam, a Christian, related that the President's Office did not issue any specific decree on the matter, but has made clear to departments that the Indonesian Constitution must be "upheld" and all religions mentioned there treated equally. (Note: Islam, Catholicism and Protestantism, along with Hinduism and Buddhism, are recognized religions, for example.) Djandam said the bureaucracy was reacting to this positive message from the Presidential Palace and slowly easing up. That said, he noted that there were still problems in building churches in other parts of the country, including rural areas. A POSITIVE SIGN ¶6. (C) Christians of various stripes (overall they are about 10 percent of the population) occupy prominent places in Indonesian society, including in business and politics. That said, they have sometimes been the target of discrimination JAKARTA 00001734 002.2 OF 002 and, much more rarely, churches have faced attack. While the mega-church trend has just begun and is for now focused in Jakarta, Church leaders say the development is a step forward for Christians in this predominantly Muslim country. The trend also serves to counter efforts by extremists to press their version of Islam forward and effectively marginalize other groups. HUME