The controversy surrounding the construction of the Toraja Church house of worship in the Sungai Keledang area of ​​Samarinda Seberang District, in East Kalimantan, Indonesia, remains unresolved.

All administrative and technical requirements for the construction of the house of worship were submitted in 2025 and declared complete.

However, to date, the local government has not issued a building permit due to opposition from some community groups.

The congregation believes the Samarinda City Government has engaged in discriminatory practices, leading to allegations of maladministration in the issuance of the building permit.

For nearly two years, the congregation of the Toraja Church in Sungai Keledang has faced various obstacles, ranging from community resistance and banner installations to a protracted permitting process with the Investment and One-Stop Integrated Services Agency (DPMPTSP).

The Chairman of the National Alliance for Freedom of Religion and Belief (AKKBB) of East Kalimantan, Rev. Hendra Kusuma, revealed that the church’s permit documents, which had been declared complete, were being repeatedly pushed back and forth between the Ministry of Public Works and Spatial Planning (DPMPTSP) and the Public Works and Spatial Planning (PUPR) Department.

In fact, the church, with a congregation of roughly 160 people, had received recommendations from the Interfaith Harmony Forum (FKUB) on Sept. 17, 2024, and from the Ministry of Religious Affairs on April 15, 2025. This means that administratively, the requirements stipulated in the 2006 Joint Ministerial Regulation (PBM) had been met.

However, Rev. Hendra stated that DPMPTSP had not yet issued the permit. He considered the “security” reason given as the basis for the delay unjustifiable, especially if it referred only to objections from a few parties.

“If every church that meets the requirements is denied a permit due to pressure from rejection, how long will the church receive its rights and justice?” he stressed.

He further stated that this action constitutes maladministration and a violation of the right to religious freedom. He plans to pursue legal action.

“We will immediately report the Samarinda City Government, specifically the PTSP, to the Ombudsman and the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM), for maladministration and violations of the rights of the Toraja Church congregation,” Rev. Hendra asserted.

Meanwhile, Rev. Meliasni Panggalo, who serves the local congregation, expressed her disappointment. She noted that services are still held outdoors with limited facilities.

“Our services are held outdoors, next to, under the pastorate. The congregation desperately needs a permanent church building so that worship services are not disturbed by the weather,” she said.

This case adds to the long list of issues surrounding the construction of churches in Indonesia, which often face a tug-of-war between administrative regulations and social dynamics.

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