Cast Out

Bona Sigalingging never missed a count of how many times the congregation of the Yasmin Indonesian Christian Church (GKI Yasmin) had conducted their services on the street across from the State Palace in Jakarta. The latest Sunday service on January 3 was the 108th held on Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat, Central Jakarta.

Neither do they only use the location for their fortnightly prayer meets. For the last four years, they have also celebrated Christmas services right there on the road. On Christmas Day last year, GKI Yasmin worshippers held a joint-service with the Huria Kristen Batak Protestan Filadelfia (the Batak Protestant Church) from Bekasiwho have also been evicted from their own church. "We decided to do Christmas services there because we have been banned from worshipping in our church," said Bona, a spokesman for GKI Yasmin, on Wednesday last week.